More colour sequences for the first pattern structure

One of the things that amaze me so with these patterns is the fact that the same structure of the fabric, the result of the repeated actions that constitute it, has a different - and sometimes totally different - appearance when the two or three colours one has chosen to work with are used in different rows, in other words: when different colour sequences are applied to the same basic structure, which is represented in the chart.

Quite often the resulting colour patterns are interesting on both sides of the fabric, and it's hard to decide which one shall be the "right" side of a project. That's why I avoid to use the expressions "right" and "wrong" side. When I show pictures of the results of the colour sequences for a specific chart, I will make clear which patterns appear on the same side of the fabric. This helps when one wishes to use several of the colour patterns in one project, which is so easily done - just by changing the colour sequence.

Here's the chart for the first pattern again:

Colour sequence 2 gives this result:



This is the result of colour sequence 3:



Colour sequence 4 is knitted with three colours:



Three colours as well in colour sequence 5:

I've just finished a hat for which two of the colour sequences for this chart were used. I'll put it up here as a project which you could chose to make soon. In any case it will give an example of how these patterns can look in a finished project. I intend to have little projects up now and then, but the main purpose of the blog is to share the stitch patterns.

Please be patient with me, though, it's my first blog, and I need to get more experience and routine with time.

To knit

Today I describe how to knit a swatch of a rather simple pattern to explain how to read the charts and a few other basic things. I’ve chosen this pattern structure for a start, because it only requires three different actions: knitting, slipping with yarn at back, and slipping with yarn in front. It is not the most exciting pattern structure, but it has a nice "slant” when done in some colour sequences. It shows quite well the “fabric” character many of these patterns have, including their characteristics of lying flat. Most of them do not curl in the way stockinet stitch does.

Here's your first chart:

Casting on:I personally always use the long thread/thumb method for casting on. For stockinet stitch I do this with two needles hold alongside each other, but for these patterns only one should be used, as otherwise the stitches will be too loose. The slipped stitches make the fabric a good bit tighter than stockinet stitch.

Any method of casting on should do, however, as long as it gives a tight enough result.

The code

I’ve chosen the symbols for the charts here, because they are quickly available on the keyboard, but also because they are easy to jot down on a piece of paper by hand. I usually cut empty cereal boxes or similar into pieces and write my charts onto them. The cards can easily be put somewhere in front of me where I can see them during knitting. (My personal code consists just of A, B, C and D, however, and for some reason I write the charts against the common way from top to bottom, so I have to convert them here.)

All you need to know is:

K = knit
P = purl
O = slip with yarn at back (to remember: your ability to see the working thread behind the stitch is zero)
X = slip stitch with yarn in front (to remember: your ability to see the working thread is checked, because it is in your view in front of stitch)
Kb = knit by inserting into back loop of stitch.

The last is only needed for first stitches in a row. I recommend that you slip each last stitch in a row with yarn in front, and knit it as the first stitch in the next row by inserting the needle into its back loop. This will make neat edges, and also clearly indicates the colour of the yarn used.

The charts are read as usual, from bottom up, uneven rows from right to left, even rows from left to right. The two symbols outside the vertical lines represent the action at each selvage; the elements in between are the actions to repeat.

There will be patterns, which require one additional action on one side because they are symmetrical. But this is really only necessary if the selvage is visible, as in a scarf, and will be indicated in red.

The chart on the left is for flat knitting; the chart on the right is for knitting in the round.

In this case the numbers in between indicate five different colour sequences with the numbers of rows to be repeated for each. The colour of a number indicates the colour to be used for this row. There are mostly either two or three colours required. You can of course indicate the colours you actually use on paper.

Having a go?

I recommend casting on at least 4 times the elements to repeat, plus 2 stitches for the edges. A lesser amount of repeats will not show the pattern clearly. It will also only show properly after a few vertical repeats. The reason is that it is the interaction of stitches with stitches below, above and beside each other that constitutes the structure of the pattern and the resulting colour effect. These “neighbours” are missing at the bottom, edges and at the end of the swatch.

Phew! It’s amazing how many words are needed to describe something pretty simple, which you will recognise if you give it a go and do one or two colour sequences. I’ll give a few more hints and tips later, which you might better understand afterwards.

When working the first colour sequence, the two sides of the swatch should look like this



The pattern will obviously show more boldly when heavier yarn is used.

Casting off

When casting off, don't knit every stitch before you pull the previous one over it. Just pull each stitch through the previous one, like in a crochet chain. Otherwise the cast off will be too loose. To have a thread to be pulled through the last loop, start casting off after you've knitted an even row. The other colour's thread can then be used for this.

Pictures of the results of the other colour sequences will be in my next post. If you are up for a little surprise, just try them out now!

To knit or not to knit

Knit one
purl one
knit none -
how done?

Pretend to purl,
but slip the one,
with yarn in view,
or out of sight -
it's fun!

I have invented this little poem - or riddle? - as a help to remember the few basic things needed for these patterns, which I need to explain in this first post, and as well for reading the charts which I will explain later.

Now, what is it about?

Many colour patterns in knitting are created in the fair-isle way, that means carrying two or more differently coloured threads along a row and use one of them to knit or purl a stitch according to the colour chart. This is not the case here. There is no fiddling with various threads and no tedious task to keep the right tension, when knitting the patterns you will find here.

There is always only one thread to deal with in each row.

Experienced knitters who have already done double knitting and mosaic knitting, will be familiar with this, and it is one reason why the colour stitch patterns here are easy to create, even for beginners.

If you have managed to knit and to purl, all you need to add now is not to do it, but instead just slip certain stitches from the left to the right needle.

All patterns are created by nothing else than a repeated sequence of knitted, purled and slipped stitches, combined with a colour sequence for entire rows.

Back to the riddle: "Knit none, how done? Pretend to purl, but slip the one"

To slip a stitch, insert the needle as if you intended to purl the stitch. But don’t purl it - just slip it over to the right needle. Stitches are always slipped in this way for these patterns: purl-wise, not knit-wise, which is also a possibility.

"With yarn in view, or out of sight"

When doing this, the question arises where to carry the thread in relation to this stitch. There are two possibilities to do this: At back or in front of the stitch as you look at it. See here:

On the left picture the stitch was slipped with the working thread behind the stitch, "out of sight", the right picture shows a slipped stitch with yarn in front of it, "in view" of you.

This is the only other thing that is really important for these patterns. And note:

It doesn’t matter on which side of the fabric you are working. Slipping with yarn at back means always that the yarn is behind the stitch, as you see it, and slipping with yarn in front means always that the yarn is in front of the stitch as you look at it.

"It's fun"

Yes, it is, but other than in mosaic and double knitting, where stitches are slipped in one way for an entire row, the patterns here often require a combination of four actions in one row - knitting, purling, slipping with yarn at back, and slipping with yarn in front. Thus the working thread needs to be brought forward and backward frequently, when it isn’t were it is needed for the required action. It might need a bit of exercise to get used to do this in a repeated steady flow. When knitting the samples in the next post, where I will explain reading the charts you should quickly get the feeling for it.

There is no need to watch the tension of the thread where it is not knitted. If you treat all stitches alike, including the slipped stitches, and keep a steady rhythm, the tension will be right. Do not attempt to deliberately influence the tension. It is not necessary, except sometimes at the selvages, which I will explain later.

So that was necessary for a start. If you got curious, then read my next post where I will explain reading the chart along with a first sample for you to give it a try. And you will later learn that one chart results in a variety of patterns, just by changing the colour sequence of the yarns chosen.