CONTENTS

INTRODUCTION

GETTING STARTED

CHAPTER 1 // KNITS & PURLS

Stockinette Stitch

Garter Stitch

Stockinette Stitch Triangles

Box Stitch

Diagonal Checks

String of Beads

Diagonals

Moss Circles

Moss Stitch Zigzag

Broken Diagonal Check

Purl Texture

Thermal Stitch

Banded Basket Stitch

Harris Tweed

Pennants

Ripple Pattern

Knit and Purl Diamonds

Purl Zigzag

Fluted Triangles

Imitation Lattice

Little Checks 1

Little Checks 2

Swedish Block

Lozenges

Crenellated Pattern

Double Diamond Brocade

Seersucker Stitch

Squares

SEERSUCKER PULLI

CHAPTER 2 // RIBS

1x1 Rib

2x2 Rib

4-Stitch Ribs

Slip Stitch Rib

Garter Rib

Double Garter Rib

Ribbed Columns

Wavy Rib

Horizontal Welts

Farrow Rib

Bobble Rib

Piqué Rib

Diagonal Broken Rib

Fuji Rib

Shadow Rib

Blanket Rib

Bamboo Rib

Embossed Moss Stitch Rib

Puffy Rib

Double Eyelet Rib

FUJI RIB WRAP

CHAPTER 3 // TWISTED, SLIPPED & FANCY

Tuck Stitch

Star Stitch

Indian Cross Stitch

Checkerboard Bows

Loop Stitch

Blanket Moss Stitch

Slip Stitch Honeycomb

Surface Twists

Honeycomb Smocking

Puffy Diamonds

Swedish Check

Loaf Pattern

Triple-Slip Herringbone

Cluster Stitch

Popcorn Stitch

Indian Pillar Stitch

Slip Stitch Mesh

Alternating Slip Stitch

Checked Basket Stitch

Trellis Stitch

Swag Stitch

Bowknots

Raindrops

Jeweled Boxes

Zigzag Chevron

Welting Fantastic

INDIAN PILLAR MITTS

CHAPTER 4 // CABLES

Wishbone Ribbed Cable

Interlocking Rings

Checkerboard Cables

Slipped 3-Stitch Cable

Little Pearls

Nestled Diamonds

Climbing Frame

Crossed V-Stitch

Plaited Cable

Cable Fabric

Fractured Lattice

Wheat Cable

Wickerwork Pattern

Long and Lean Cables

Telescope Lattice

Reversible 4-Stitch Cables

Cable Texture

Narrow Cross and Twist

Sausage Cable

Round Cable

Folded Cable

Gull Stitch

Stacked Cables

Cable and Ladder

Knotted Cable

Claw Pattern

12-Stitch Plait

WOVEN TAFFY TOQUE

CHAPTER 5 // LACE

Feather and Fan

Crosshatch Lace

Fern Grotto Lace

Parachute Lace

Quadruple Diamond Lace

Bricklayer’s Lace

Lucina Shell Lace

Milady’s Fan

Fish Scale Lace

Pagoda Lace

Gothic Arches

English Lace

Faggoting and Fancy Rib

Miniature Leaves

Gate Pattern

Cable Twist Lace

Kimono Lace

Wavy Lace

Ostrich Plumes

Pinecone Ladder

Floral Mesh Lace

Yarn-Over Cable

Japanese Foliage

Vertical Openwork Stripes

Traveling Ribbed Eyelet

Shetland Eyelets

Herringbone Lace

BLOSSOM CAMI

CHAPTER 6 // MOSAICS

Herringbone 1

Geometric Curlicues

Four-Point Stars

Toads

Artichoke

Herringbone 2

Chevron Bands

Stagheads

Hanging Fruit

Waves

Interlocking Fish

Flock of Birds

Egyptian Hands

Old Oaks

Simulated Basketweave

Long Zigzag

Chains

T-Squares

Tongue and Groove Stripes

Syncopation

MOSAIC AND TEXTURE COWL

APPENDIX

Designing from Scratch

Abbreviations

Special Techniques

Key

Stitch Multiple Index

Index of Searchable Terms

Acknowledgments

About the Author

INTRODUCTION

IN KNITTING, THERE ARE ONLY TWO stitches: knit and purl. From those two stitches come a seemingly infinite number of combinations for creating fabrics that look and feel different. Most of us start out by learning to make a knit stitch, which produces Garter stitch when worked every row. Next, we learn to add purls to the mix to create Stockinette stitch. Last, we combine the two to make ribbing. And whether we’re knitting flat (back and forth) or in the round, these basic stitches can serve us well for a long, long time. But at some point, most of us hunger for a little more variety—what would happen if we played around with our knits and purls? Enter stitch dictionaries. These are books—like this one—filled to the brim with stitch patterns. I don’t know a knitter who doesn’t have at least one beloved and well-used volume.

As a knitwear designer, I am known for creating garment designs that are knit from the top down, often in the round (for example, a sweater knit from the neckline to the bottom hem in one piece). But during my early years while I was still honing my skills, I discovered that most stitch dictionaries only included instructions for knitting stitch patterns back and forth from the bottom up (for example, as you would knit a sweater in pieces—front, back, and sleeves—starting at the bottom hem). At first, I took it upon myself to translate every stitch pattern I used for my designs in silence, just my needles and me. And then it occurred to me that I could share the fruits of my labor: my instructions for knitting in different directions. And so I wrote the Up, Down, All-Around Stitch Dictionary, which was published in 2014. My instincts were right. There are, indeed, many other knitters who desire stitch patterns written for knitting in different directions. And they no longer have to go it alone. The response to my first stitch dictionary was so positive that right away I wanted to write another one (and, fortunately, my publisher was all for it).

For this second volume I carefully selected over 150 additional stitch patterns that I love. You can use this volume on its own or in combination with the first. There are only four stitch patterns that are repeated in both volumes, and that is because they are so universal that I think they need to be included in every stitch dictionary: Stockinette stitch, Garter stitch, 1x1 Rib, and 2x2 Rib.

As with the first volume, I present the instructions for each stitch pattern in both flat and in-the-round versions. They are all written out line by line for those who prefer written stitch patterns, and most are also charted for those who like following charts.

In many cases, the stitch patterns will look the same whether knit from the bottom to the top or from the top down. There are times, especially in the case of lace patterns, when they won’t look exactly the same, so I have created a top-down version that isn’t identical but will give you similar results (as is the case with Fern Grotto on this page).

All of these stitch patterns are perfect for using in top-down or bottom-up garments and accessories. I’ve provided a project in each of the chapters to get you started thinking about how to incorporate them. You can follow the instructions exactly as written, but you can also swap in another stitch pattern for the one I used if you want. And if you’re in a design-it-on-my-own mood, you’ll find six formulas at the back of the book starting on this page: Socks in Two Directions, Hats in Two Directions, and Triangular Shawls in Two Directions. In the Up, Down, All-Around Stitch Dictionary, I included “from scratch” formulas for a lace stole, mittens, and a top-down cable hat. If you have both books, mix and match to your heart’s content.

It makes me so happy to see knitters’ eyes light up when they realize that all the work of converting these stitch patterns has been done for them and they can get down to the enjoyment of knitting rather than having to pull out graph paper and a pencil and figure it out for themselves. And when I think of how many thousands of other stitch patterns exist, I hunger to tackle those as well! Whatever the future holds (volume 3 perhaps?!), my greatest hope is that you’ll use these new tools to elevate your skills and to create one-of-a-kind items for yourself and for the people you care about. xx

GETTING STARTED

STITCH DICTIONARIES are like cookbooks—you can’t have just one! Not only are they great sources of inspiration, they also offer endless ideas for customizing existing knitting patterns or even designing from scratch. First things first, though: After you’ve chosen a stitch pattern or two, you need to swatch. This will help you decide if you like how the stitch pattern works with the yarn you’ve selected.

Why Swatch?

Swatching gives you a chance to spend some time working with your yarn—taking it for a test drive and getting to know it before you get down to the nitty gritty of casting on for the actual project. It will help you to control both the size of the finished project and the feel of your knitted fabric. And it will give you invaluable information about how the knitted fabric will look and wear.

At one time or another, most knitters have happily knitted a garment, then tried it on and discovered, to their dismay, that it didn’t fit! Knitting a swatch and then checking your gauge will help you to avoid this mishap, and if you check and recheck your gauge and overall measurements as you progress, you’ll be even more likely to finish with a project that is the exact size you planned for it to be.

Another reason to swatch is to find out how your needles and yarn work together. Every yarn, be it wool, synthetic, or cotton, acts differently with different needles. Metal needles with sharp tips may not play well with fuzzy mohair, for example. Nubby cotton, on the other hand, may not behave with bamboo needles. Looking at your swatch, ask yourself: Does the yarn show off the pattern? Or does the colorway get in the way? Does it pill? Does the yarn bloom (expand) after washing? What about colorfastness? Does the color run out of the yarn when you wash it?

Part of the fun of knitting is finding a pattern you love and marrying it with yarn in your stash or from your favorite yarn store, so there’s no reason to shy away from this process. Remember, swatching is your friend. Just grab some needles and yarn and see where it takes you. If the drape or gauge is off and there’s nothing you can do to make it work, think of it this way: You’ll be saving that yarn for a different project. If everything seems to jive, then go for it! And don’t forget to ask the salespeople at the yarn store—they are a treasure trove of good advice.

How to Swatch

In most knitting patterns, a gauge, or tension, is given for a 4" (10 cm) square. Your swatch should be at least this size or even bigger, not counting the nonrolling edge, in order to give you the most accurate reading.

Using the yarn and needles suggested in the pattern or the yarn of your choice, cast on the number of stitches—or more—required to achieve a square of at least 4" (10 cm). If you’re not sure of the number of stitches you might need, refer to the ball band on your yarn. Also, allow at least two stitches on each side of the swatch to work in a nonrolling edge like Garter stitch.

Most knitting patterns will give you a gauge and tell you which stitch pattern to use to measure the gauge. For example, the gauge might be listed as 20 stitches over 4" (10 cm), or 5 stitches per inch (2.5 cm), in Stockinette stitch. If no stitch pattern is given, Stockinette stitch is generally assumed. If you’re designing on the fly, choose a stitch pattern and experiment away! Just be sure to keep track of your needle size (more about this later).

Once you’ve knitted your swatch, bind off or place the live stitches on a closeable holder or waste yarn (if you bind off too tightly, your reading might be off—that is why I suggest placing live stitches on a holder that won’t squish the stitches while keeping them from unraveling). Then launder and dry the swatch as you intend for the project you’re planning. The key is to treat your swatch exactly as you plan on treating your project after it is complete. That way, your swatch will give you the most accurate representation of your finished project.

If you’re making a lace swatch, you’ll also want to block it after you wash it. To block, soak the swatch in water, squeeze out the excess, and then pin it to a dry towel or soft, absorbent surface to dry. Some swatches, like ribs, should be stretched only very slightly to get an accurate stitch count. Freshly knitted ribs can pull in quite a lot, but ribbed fabric is meant to pull in and provide a snug fit, so you shouldn’t stretch them too much. Trust your gut—imagine how you want your ribs to behave in your garment and go for it.

Once your swatch is dry, measure your gauge between the Garter or nonrolling selvage stitches using a tape measure or stitch gauge. If your stitch count is less than the called-for stitch count in your knitting pattern, you’ll need to go down a needle size. The converse will be true if you have too many stitches to the inch. For example, if your pattern advises you to use size US 8 (5 mm) needles with a worsted-weight yarn to obtain a gauge of 18 stitches over a 4" (10 cm) square and you find that you have 20 stitches, you’ll have to reswatch using a larger needle.

But what about row gauge? Some people will tell you that the row gauge isn’t all that important, but it actually is. When you shape portions of a sweater, like sleeves for example, if you work the decreases (in the case of a top-down sweater) and the instructions tell you to decrease every sixth round and your row gauge doesn’t match the row/round gauge in the pattern, your sleeves may come out either too short or too long. In the worst case scenario, you may reach the cuff without having completed all your decreases. Or let’s say you’re following a charted knitted pattern rather than written-out instructions that tell you to knit to a particular length. If you knit each row in the chart and your row gauge is off, again you might end up with an item that is too short or too long. If you find that your row gauge is off by more than a row, consider swatching with a different size needle or even a different type of needle. It does sound strange, but some knitters find that switching from bamboo to metal or vice versa affects their row gauge, so give it a go! If you can’t get row gauge no matter what, don’t worry. Just be sure to measure, measure, measure as you go.

swatching in the round

If you are planning to knit in the round—especially when making a garment—you might consider making a gauge swatch in the round. Many knitters who knit in the round understand that their knitting tends to be tighter when knitting that way and can account for it, but if you’re not sure, go ahead and try your hand at knitting a swatch in the round and checking it against a swatch you’ve made flat. If you’re wondering why some people knit tighter while knitting in the round it is because they purl more loosely than they knit. And since you aren’t purling when knitting in the round (at least with Stockinette stitch), there is a tendency for in-the-round knitting to have a slightly tighter gauge than flat knitting.

There are two basic ways to go about making an in-the-round swatch. My preferred method is to use double-pointed needles, join in the round, and make a tube, but you can also cast on stitches to one double-pointed needle and instead of turning after your first row and working a wrong-side row, slide the stitches to the right-hand end of the needle and continue working right-side rows only, which will give you a flat, “in-the-round” swatch. As you work in this manner, drape the working yarn loosely across the wrong side after each row is complete. You might also work more than just two nonrolling edge stitches on either side of the main stitch pattern, since swatching in this way will produce a slightly looser edge. Once the swatch is done, bind off your stitches, and cut the strands of yarn so the swatch lies flat. Or, if the swatch seems reasonably tidy, just leave the loose strands alone. Either way, you will end up with a swatch that you can read. Although I know how to work both types of swatches, I find the “flat” version to be fiddly and a little cumbersome, so I prefer the tube—but that is just my personal preference. Try out both methods and see which one you like best!

keeping track of needle size

I’ve learned the hard way that keeping track of my needle size when swatching is paramount! I can’t tell you how many times I’ve finished and blocked a swatch and then promptly forgotten the needle size I used.

To combat this, I’ve come up with two tried-and-true ways to keep track without having to attach a tag to my swatch. Of course, if you like to attach tags, you can. But even though I understand the importance of swatching and heartily embrace the concept, I get so excited to start my project that I often forget or don’t want to take the time to properly label my work. If you suffer from a similar affliction, the first way to “label” your swatch is to simply purl the same number of stitches as the number-size of the needle on the right side of the swatch. Then, you can go back and read the number of purl stitches and know what size needle you used for that section of the swatch.

Sometimes I will use multiple needle sizes in the span of a swatch, which means, of course, that it will be a much longer rectangle instead of a 4" (10 cm) square and that I will have to “relabel” my swatch with purl stitches each time I change needles. Another solution is to tie knots in the tail of the yarn, as in the photo on this page. So, if I used a size US 7 needle, I’ll tie seven knots in the tail. For a size US 10½ needle, I’ll tie ten knots, then leave a long space, then tie an eleventh for the ½; if I’m working with the purl stitch marking method, I’ll purl 10 stitches, knit 1, then purl an eleventh. The space between knots or purl stitches is the reminder that I used a 10½, as opposed to an 11. If you’re used to referring to needle size by metric units and want to use this method, here’s a conversion table:

Following the Charts in This Book

Before you dive in, it’s a great idea to read through this section to ensure that knitting from the charts in this book is fun and easy for you. The charts vary based on the direction in which you are knitting: top-down, bottom-up, back-and-forth, or in the round. In some cases, you’ll see that there is one chart for all directions, and in others, there are two or even more. They are all labeled for you, so just keep them in mind as you work.

Each chart shows you what the stitch pattern looks like when you’re looking at it from the right side of the work. I try to use symbols that look like the actual stitches, so that when you look at the chart, you are able to see where you are in the pattern as you go. These charts are numbered on the edges to help you keep track of what row (or round) you are on.

When you’re working back and forth as you would in a flat pattern with a right side and a wrong side, the numbers on the right-hand edge of the chart indicate right-side rows, and the numbers on the left indicate wrong-side rows. Row 1 indicates the first row of the chart that you will work. When Row 1 is on the left side of the chart, that means you start with a wrong-side row. For right-side rows, you will always work the chart from right to left. For wrong-side rows, you work from left to right. For a chart that shows a stitch pattern that is worked in the round, there will only be numbers on the right side, since you only work right-side rounds. If a chart displays both the flat and in-the-round stitch pattern (see the charts for Wheat Cable on this page), you will only have numbers on the right side; the rows that aren’t numbered will be wrong-side rows when working flat.

When you’re looking at a wrong-side row, you have to work the symbol so that it will appear correctly on the right side. For example, a blank white square indicates a knit stitch. Obviously, you’ll knit that stitch on the right side, but what would you do on the wrong side to create a stitch that will be a knit stitch on the right side? The answer is “purl,” of course! If you ever have questions, there is a key that will tell you how the stitch should be worked; if it is to be handled differently depending on which side of the work you’re on, that will be indicated. As an example, to produce a decrease that looks just like a k2tog on the right side, you work a p2tog on the wrong side. So, the key will say “K2tog on RS, p2tog on WS.”

A trick of mine is to place a sticky note above the row (or round) that I’m working so I can see how my new stitches are matching up with the previously worked stitches. This helps me catch mistakes quickly.

Every stitch repeat is indicated below each chart, and the row/round repeats are shown to the right. In many cases, the repeat takes up the entire chart (see Diagonal Broken Rib, this page). Sometimes, when working flat, there will be one or more extra stitches on either side (or both sides) of the main pattern repeat (see Banded Basket Stitch Flat, this page, and Honeycomb Smocking Flat, this page). This is so that the end of the stitch pattern mirrors the beginning. In this case, you will work x stitches before the repeat (if there are any), y stitches in the repeat the appropriate number of times for your pattern, then end with the last z stitches to mirror the pattern.

There is no need to mirror the stitch pattern when the piece is worked in the round, so you will rarely see extra stitches on an in-the-round chart. Occasionally there are one or more set-up rows or rounds at the beginning of a chart that are worked before the main pattern begins (see Interlocking Rings in the Round, this page). You will usually work these rows/rounds once only, then repeat the designated pattern rows/rounds. If the repeat (stitch or row/round) doesn’t take up the entire chart, there will be a heavy vertical or horizontal line before and/or after the repeat to help you keep track of the repeat.

Occasionally, in some patterns, a pattern repeat will shift a few stitches to the right or left to accommodate stitches within the pattern, like a decrease worked at the end of a repeat, or a cable or other multi-stitch motif that overlaps into the following repeat. For example, in the Star Stitch pattern on the following page and on this page, the repeat shifts 2 stitches to the left on Row 4 to accommodate the “make star” motif. A similar shift is required on Round 3 of the In the Round chart.

With some stitch patterns that are worked in the round, the pattern might be worked across the beginning-of-the-round marker, beginning or ending one or more stitch(es) before or after the marker (see English Lace in the Round, this page). The symbols and the chart key will tell you how to work these extra stitches. Many times you will need to shift the marker to keep the pattern flowing properly.

You might also see a gray-shaded square in a chart; this is a “no-stitch” square. When you see this, all you do is skip over that stitch and don’t work it at all. No-stitch squares are inserted into the chart in two situations: One is to tell you that a stitch is no longer available because a decrease has been worked without an increase to replace the stitch. You can find examples of this on this page in the chart for the Sausage Cables.

The second, less common, situation is where the no-stitch square serves as a placeholder on the first row or rows of a chart for an increase that will happen later in the chart (see Lucina Shell Lace, this page). The no-stitch squares on Rows 1–4 provide space for the yarnovers that will be worked on Rows 3 and 5. This enables us to create a chart that is clear and easy to read.

STAR STITCH FLAT

STAR STITCH IN THE ROUND

Make star

On Rnd 2, knit to end, remove beginning-of-rnd marker, k1, replace beginning-of-rnd marker.

At end of Rnd 4 only, knit to end, reposition beginning-of-rnd marker to before last st; slip last st back to left-hand needle, to be worked in make star at beginning of Rnd 1.

when the written pattern and charts don’t match

If you are working from both the written-out instructions and the chart, there will be times when they don’t appear to match each other. Never fear! The end result will always match, but they may differ in how the repeats are set up on some of the rows. Why? With written-out instructions, you can shift where the pattern repeat is on each row for the most efficient and easy-to-memorize way of working it. For example, in Diagonals on this page, the pattern repeat for Row 1 is p3, k5, which is super-easy to memorize. When you get to Row 3, the pattern repeat shifts 2 stitches to the right, so that the row now starts with p1, k5 before it gets back to p3, k5. Rather than make the pattern repeat for Row 3 be p1, k5, p2, we just give you some extra stitches at the beginning of the row and start the repeat later, enabling you to continue working the familiar p3, k5 repeat.

If we created the chart to match the written instructions exactly, the vertical stitch repeat line(s) would zigzag, making the chart less easy to follow.

Just know that the charts in this book are visual representations of the patterns, and are presented in the clearest manner possible. In the end, the finished pattern will be exactly the same whether you work it from the text or from the chart—follow whichever works best for you.

Working with Mosaic Stitch Patterns

The most common forms of knitted colorwork are Fair Isle, or stranded knitting, and intarsia, and both of them require that you manage more than one color of yarn at a time. Mosaic knitting, a term coined by Barbara G. Walker in the late 1960s, is a less common form of colorwork, but a fun one that only requires that you manage one color at a time.

Basically, mosaics are two-color slip-stitch designs. One color is worked across a right-side row, and then the same color is worked back along the wrong-side row while the second color waits at the opposite edge.

You can work mosaic patterns flat or in the round, and in Stockinette stitch or Garter stitch. The choice is entirely up to you! You can see examples of the mosaics in Chapter 6 starting on this page. Other than choosing your texture, there are only two things that you need to consider when working mosaic stitch patterns. First, every slipped stitch is slipped with the yarn to the wrong side (whether working flat or in the round) and second, the rows/rounds are always worked in pairs. This means that you will work a row or round in the indicated color, then the next row or round will be worked with the same color. On the second row/round in the pair, you will work (knit or purl) the same stitches that you worked on the previous row/round, and slip the same stitches that you slipped. When working a flat piece, to work in Stockinette stitch, purl the worked (non-slipped) stitches on wrong-side rows; to work in Garter stitch, knit the worked stitches on wrong-side rows. When working in the round, to work in Stockinette stitch, knit all worked stitches on all rounds; to work in Garter stitch, knit the worked stitches on the first round of each pair and purl them on the following round.