KNITTING

Knitting is a method by which thread or yarn may be turned

into cloth or other fine crafts. Knitting consists of consecutive
loops, called stitches. As each row progresses, a new loop is
pulled through an existing loop. The active stitches are held on effect of darts, flares, etc. can be obtained with short rows or
a needle until another loop can be passed through them. This by increasing or decreasing the number of stitches. Thread
process eventually results in a final product, often a garment. used in weaving is usually much finer than the yarn used in
knitting, which can give the knitted fabric more bulk and less
Knitting is a technique for producing a two-dimensional
drape than a woven fabric.
fabric made from a one-dimensional yarn or thread. In
weaving, threads are always straight, running parallel either
lengthwise (warp threads) or crosswise (weft threads). By
contrast, the yarn in knitted fabrics follows a meandering path
(a course), forming symmetric loops (also called bights)
symmetrically above and below the mean path of the yarn. If
loops are not secured, the loops of a knitted course will come
undone when their yarn is pulled this is known as ripping out,
unraveling knitting. To secure a stitch, at least one new loop is
passed through it. Although the new stitch is itself unsecured
(active or live), it secures the stitch(es) suspended from it. A
sequence of stitches in which each stitch is suspended from the Stretchability of knitted fabric
next is called a wale. To secure the initial stitches of a knitted
fabric, a method for casting on is used; to secure the final
stitches in a wale, one uses a method of binding off. During
knitting, the active stitches are secured mechanically, either
STITCHES OF KNITTED FABRIC:
from individual hooks (in knitting machines) or from a knitting
Knit and purl stitches:
needle or frame in hand-knitting.
In securing the previous stitch in a wale, the next stitch can
pass through the previous loop either from below or above. If
the former, the stitch is denoted as a knit stitch or a plain stitch
; if the latter, as a purl stitch. The two stitches are related in
that a knit stitch seen from one side of the fabric appears as a
purl stitch on the other side.

The two types of stitches have a different visual effect; the

knit stitches look like V's stacked vertically, whereas the purl
stitches look like a wavy horizontal line across the fabric.
Patterns and pictures can be created in knitted fabrics by using
knit and purl stitches as "pixels"; however, such pixels are
usually rectangular, rather than square, depending on the
gauge of the knitting. Individual stitches, or rows of stitches,
may be made taller by drawing more yarn into the new loop
(an elongated stitch), which is the basis for uneven knitting: a
These meandering loops can be stretched easily in different row of tall stitches may alternate with one or more rows of
direction , which gives knitting much more elasticity than short stitches for an interesting visual effect. Short and tall
woven fabrics; depending on the yarn and knitting pattern, stitches may also alternate within a row, forming a fish-like
knitted garments can stretch as much as 500%. For this reason, oval pattern.
knitting was initially developed for garments that must be
elastic or stretch in response to the wearer's motions, such as
socks and hosiery. For comparison, woven garments stretch
mainly along bias direction and are not very elastic, unless
they are woven from stretchable material such as spandex.
Knitted garments are often more form-fitting than woven
garments, since their elasticity allows them to follow the body's
curvature closely; by contrast, curvature is introduced into
most woven garments only with sewn darts, flares, gussets and
gores, the seams of which lower the elasticity of the woven
fabric still further. Extra curvature can be introduced into
knitted garments without seams, as in the heel of a sock; the
 Wales Courses distance between where the loop is drawn through the fabric
and where it is knitted, dip stitches can produce a subtle
stippling or long lines across the surface of the fabric, e.g., the
lower leaves of a flower. The new loop may also be passed
between two stitches in the present row, thus clustering the
intervening stitches; this approach is often used to produce a
smocking effect in the fabric. The new loop may also be passed
through two or more previous stitches, producing a decrease
and merging wales together. The merged stitches need not be
from the same row; for example, a tuck can be formed by
knitting stitches together from two different rows, producing a
raised horizontal welt on the fabric.

Not every stitch in a row need be knitted; some may be left as

is and knitted on a subsequent row. This is known as slip-stitch
knitting. The slipped stitches are naturally longer than the
Front view of plain knitted fabric: Wales knitted ones. For example, a stitch slipped for one row before
knitting would be roughly twice as tall as its knitted
counterparts. This can produce interesting visual effects,
although the resulting fabric is more rigid, because the slipped
stitch "pulls" on its neighbors and is less deformable. Slip-stitch
knitting plays an important role in mosaic knitting, an
important technique in hand-knitting patterned fabrics;
mosaic-knit fabrics tend to be stiffer than patterned fabrics
produced by other methods such as Fair-Isle knitting.

In some cases, a stitch may be deliberately left unsecured by

a new stitch and its wale allowed to disassemble. This is known
Back view of plain knitted fabric: Courses as drop-stitch knitting, and produces a vertical ladder of see-
through holes in the fabric, corresponding to where the wale
In the simplest knitted fabrics, all of the stitches are knit or
had been.
purl; these fabrics are denoted as stockinette and reverse
stockinette, respectively. Vertical stripes (ribbing) are possible
Right- and left-plaited stitches:
by having alternating wales of knit and purl stitches; for
example, a common choice is 2x2 ribbing, in which two wales Both knit and purl stitches may be twisted: usually once if at
of knit stitches are followed by two wales of purl stitches, etc. all, but sometimes twice and very rarely thrice. When seen
Horizontal striping (welting) is also possible, by alternating from above, the twist can be clockwise ,right yarn over left, or
rows of knit and purl stitches; the simplest of these is garter counterclockwise ,left yarn over right; these are denoted as
stitch, so-called because its great elasticity made it well-suited right- and left-plaited stitches, respectively. Hand-knitters
for garters. Checkerboard patterns (basketweave) are also generally produce right-plaited stitches by knitting or purling
possible, the smallest of which is known as seed stitch: the through the back loops, i.e., passing the needle through the
stitches alternate between knit and purl in every wale and initial stitch in an unusual way, but wrapping the yarn as usual.
along every row. By contrast, the left-plaited stitch is generally formed by hand-
knitters by wrapping the yarn in the opposite way, rather than
Fabrics in which the number of knit and purl stitches are not
by any change in the needle. Although they are mirror images
the same, such as stockinette, have a tendency to curl; by
in form, right- and left-plaited stitches are functionally
contrast, those in which knit and purl stitches are arranged
equivalent. Both types of plaited stitches give a subtle but
symmetrically (such as ribbing, garter stitch or seed stitch) tend
interesting visual texture, and tend to draw the fabric inwards,
to lie flat and drape well. Wales of purl stitches have a
making it stiffer. Plaited stitches are a common method for
tendency to recede, whereas those of knit stitches tend to
knitting jewelry from fine metal wire.
come forward. Thus, the purl wales in ribbing tend to be
invisible, since the neighboring knit wales come forward.
Conversely, rows of purl stitches tend to form an embossed
ridge relative to a row of knit stitches. This is the basis of
shadow knitting, in which the appearance of a knitted fabric
changes when viewed from different directions.

Typically, a new stitch is passed through a single unsecured

(active) loop, thus lengthening that wale by one stitch.
However, this need not be so; the new loop may be passed
through an already secured stitch lower down on the fabric, or
even between secured stitches (a dip stitch). Depending on the
Garter stitch: Faggoting stitch:
Garter stitch is the most basic form of welting (as seen from Faggoting is a variation of lace knitting, in which every stitch
the right side). In the round, garter stitch is produced by is a yarn over or a decrease. There are several types of
knitting and purling alternate rows. By contrast, in the flat, faggoting, but all are an extremely open lace similar to netting.
garter stitch is produced by knitting every stitch (or purling Like most lace fabrics, faggoting has little structural strength
every stitch, though this is much less common). and deforms easily, so it has little tendency to curl despite
being asymmetrical. Faggoting is stretchy and open, and most
In garter-stitch fabrics, the purl rows stand out from the knit faggoting stitches look the same on both sides, making them
rows, which provides the basis for shadow knitting. Garter- ideal for garments like lacy scarves or stockings.
stitch fabric has significant lengthwise elasticity and little
tendency to curl, due to the symmetry of its faces.

Faggoting stitch
Garter stitch
Tricot knitting:
Seed stitch:
Tricot is a special case of warp knitting, in which the yarn
Seed stitch is the most basic form of a basket weave pattern;
zigzags vertically, following a single column ("wale") of knitting,
knit and purl stitches alternate in every column ("wale") and
rather than a single row (course), as is customary. Tricot and its
every row ("course"). In other words, every knit stitch is
relatives are very resistant to runs, and are commonly used in
flanked on all four sides (left and right, top and bottom) by purl
lingerie.
stitches, and vice versa. Seed stitch is similar to Moss Stitch.

Seed-stitch fabrics lie flat; the symmetry of their two faces

prevents them from curling to one side or the other. Hence, it
makes an excellent choice for edging, e.g., the central edges of
a cardigan. However, seed stitch is nubbly, not nearly as
smooth as stockinette.

Tricot fabric

Seed stitch
TYPES OF KNITTING Weft-knit fabrics may also be knit with multiple yarns, usually
to produce interesting color patterns. The two most common
There are two major types of knitting: approaches are

Weft knitting  Intarsia

Warp knitting.  Double Knitting

Weft knitting: In the more common weft knitting, the In intarsia, the yarns are used in well-segregated regions, e.g., a
wales are perpendicular to the course of the yarn. Weft-knit red apple on a field of green. In that case, the yarns are kept on
fabrics may also be knit with multiple yarns, usually to produce separate spools and only one is knitted at any time.
interesting color patterns. The two most common approaches
are intarsia and stranded colorwork. In intarsia, the yarns are
In the more complex double knitting, two or more yarns
used in well-segregated regions, e.g., a red apple on a field of
alternate repeatedly within one row and all the yarns must be
green; in that case, the yarns are kept on separate spools and
carried along the row, as seen in Fair Isle sweaters. Double
only one is knitted at any time. In the more complex stranded
knitting can produce two separate knitted fabrics
approach, two or more yarns alternate repeatedly within one
simultaneously, e.g., two socks.However, the two fabrics are
row and all the yarns must be carried along the row, as seen in
usually integrated into one, giving it great warmth and
Fair Isle sweaters. Double knitting can produce two separate
excellent drape.
knitted fabrics simultaneously, e.g., two socks; however, the
two fabrics are usually integrated into one, giving it great
warmth and excellent drape. Intarsia:
Intarsia is a knitting technique used to create patterns with
multiple colours. As with the woodworking technique of the
same name, fields of different colours and materials appear to
be inlaid in one another, but are in fact all separate pieces, fit
together like a jigsaw puzzle.

Unlike other multicolour techniques (including Fair Isle, slip-

stitch colour, and double knitting), there is only one "active"
colour on any given stitch, and yarn is not carried across the
back of the work; when a colour changes on a given row, the
old yarn is left hanging. This means that any intarsia piece is
topologically several disjoint columns of colour; a simple blue
circle on a white background involves one column of blue and
two of white---one for the left and one for the right. Intarsia is
most often worked flat, rather than in the round. However, it is
possible to knit intarsia in circular knitting using particular
techniques.

Common examples of intarsia include sweaters with large,

solid-colour features like fruits, flowers, or geometric shapes.
Argyle socks and sweaters are normally done in intarsia,
although the thin diagonal lines are often overlaid in a later
step, using Swiss darning or sometimes just a simple backstitch.

Process of Intarsia:
Knitting in intarsia theoretically requires no additional skills
beyond being generally comfortable with the basic knit and
purl stitches. Materials required include multiple colours of
yarn, standard needles, and bobbins. Bobbins serve to contain
the inactive yarn and help keep it from getting tangled. Unlike
the narrow, wooden ones used to make bobbin lace, modern
intarsia bobbins resemble translucent plastic yo-yos that can
snap tight to prevent the yarn from unwinding.

Weft Knitted Fabric After winding a few yards of each colour onto its own bobbin
(and possibly several bobbins' worth of some colours), the
knitter simply begins knitting their pattern. When they arrive at
a point where the colour changes, the knitter brings the new they can simply be two unconnected fabrics. In principle, an
colour up underneath the old one (to prevent holes) and starts arbitrary number n of fabrics can be knitted simultaneously on
knitting with it. If flat knitting, at the end of the row, the piece one pair of knitting needles with n yarns, as long as one is
is turned round just as with regular knitting, and the knitter careful.
returns back the way they came.
Methods of Double Knitting:

There are several methods for double knitting, including flat

knitting on doubled-pointed knitting needles; after one row has
been knit with one yarn, the crafter slides the stitches to the
other end of the needle and begins the next row with the next
yarn. Only half the stitches are knit with any one yarn; the rest
are slipped. After both rows are done, you then turn the work
and begin another pair of rows.

Flat Knitting:

Flat knitting is a method for producing knitted fabrics in

Front on an intarsia knitted fabric which the work is turned periodically, i.e., the fabric is knitted
from alternating sides. The two sides (or faces) of the fabric are
usually designated as the right side (the side that faces
outwards, towards the viewer and away from the wearer's
body) and the wrong side (the side that faces inwards, away
from the viewer and towards the wearer's body). Flat knitting
can complicate knitting somewhat compared to circular
knitting, since the same stitch (as seen from the right side) is
produced by two different movements when knitted from the
right and wrong sides. Thus, a knit stitch (as seen from the right
side) may be produced by a knit stitch on the right side, or by a
purl stitch on the wrong side. This may cause the gauge of the
knitting to vary in alternating rows of stockinette fabrics;
however, this effect is usually not noticeable, and may be
eliminated with practice (the usual way) or by using needles of
two different sizes (an unusual way).
Back of an intarsia knitted fabric
In flat knitting, the fabric is usually turned after every row.
The simplest intarsia pattern is for straight vertical stripes. However, in some versions of double knitting with two yarns
After the first row, the pattern is continued by always working and double-pointed knitting needles, the fabric may turned
each stitch in the same colour as the previous row, changing after every second row. A "Flat" or Vee Bed knitting machine
colours at the exact same point in each row. To make more consists of 2 flat needle beds arranged in an upside-down "V"
elaborated patterns, one can let this colour boundary drift from formation. These needle beds can be up to 2.5 metres wide. A
row to row, changing colours a few stitches earlier or later each carriage, also known as a Cambox or Head, moves backwards
time. and forwards across these needle beds, working the needles to
selectively, knit, tuck or transfer stitches. A flat knitting
Intarsia patterns are almost always given as charts (which, machine is very flexible, allowing complex stitch designs,
because of the mechanics of knitting, are read beginning at the shaped knitting and precise width adjustment. It is, however
lower right and continuing upward boustrophedonically). The relatively slow when compared to a circular machine. The two
charts generally look like highly pixelated cartoon drawings, in largest manufacturers of industrial flat knitting machines are
this sense resembling dot-matrix computer graphics or Stoll of Germany, and Shima Seiki of Japan.
needlepoint patterns (though usually without the colour
Using flat knitting can produce some interesting results. For
nuance of the latter).
example, using different size needles as well as different
stitches can produce a unique look and feel to the gauge of the
Double Knitting: pattern. This is especially true when stockinette fabrics are
used as the basis or foundation for the knitting. Adding in a
garter stitch to produce an unusual flat knit will only enhance
Double knitting is a form of knitting in which two fabrics are the look and feel, although it does make the task of flat knitting
knit simultaneously with two yarns on one pair of needles. The a little more complicated.
fabrics may be inseparable, as in interlock knitted fabrics, or
 tricot and Milanese are resistant to runs, and are commonly
used in lingerie.
Circular Knitting:

Circular knitting or knitting in the round is a form of knitting

that creates a seamless tube. When knitting circularly, the
knitting is cast on and the circle of stitches is joined. Knitting is
worked in rounds (the equivalent of rows in flat knitting) in a
spiral. Originally, circular knitting was done using a set of four
or five double-pointed needles. Later, circular needles were
invented, which can also be used to do circular knitting: the
circular needle looks like two short knitting needles connected
by a cable between them. Machines also do circular knitting;
double bed machines can be set up to knit on the front bed in
one direction then the back bed on the return, creating a
knitted tube. Specialized knitting machines for sock-knitting use
individual latch-hook needles to make each stitch in a round
frame.

Many types of sweaters are traditionally knit in the round.

Planned openings (arm holes, necks, cardigan fronts) are
temporarily knitted with extra stitches, reinforced if necessary.
Then the extra stitches are cut to create the opening, and are
stitched with a sewing machine to prevent unraveling. This
technique is called steeking.

Warp Knitted Fabric

Types of Warp Knitting:

Warp knitting comprises several types of knitted fabrics,
including tricot, raschel knits, and milanese knits. All warp-knit
fabrics are resistant to runs and relatively easy to sew.

 Tricot is very common in lingerie.

 Milanese is stronger, more stable, smoother and
more expensive than tricot and, hence, is used
Circular Knitting in better lingerie. Milanese is now virtually
obsolete.
 Raschel knits do not stretch significantly and are
often bulky, consequently, they are often used
Warp knitting: as an unlined material for coats, jackets, straight
skirts and dress
In warp knitting, the wales and courses run roughly parallel.
In weft knitting, the entire fabric may be produced from a
single yarn, by adding stitches to each wale in turn, moving
across the fabric as in a raster scan. By contrast, in warp
knitting, one yarn is required for every wale. Since a typical
piece of knitted fabric may have hundreds of wales, warp
knitting is typically done by machine, whereas weft knitting is
done by both hand and machine. Warp-knitted fabrics such as
 Milanese Knits Raschel Knits Some people use the term "Fair Isle" to refer to any colour
work knitting where stitches are knit alternately in various
colors, with the unused colours stranded across the back of the
work. Others use the term "stranded colourwork" for the
generic technique, and reserve the term "Fair Isle" for the
Techniques of Knitting:
characteristic patterns of the Shetland Islands.
Drop-Stitch Knitting:
Technique:
Drop-stitch knitting is a knitting technique for producing
Basic two-colour Fair Isle requires no new techniques beyond
open, vertical stripes in a garment. The basic idea is to knit a
the basic knit stitch. (The purl stitch is not used.) At each knit
solid fabric, then (deliberately) drop one or more stitches (i.e.,
stitch, there are two available "active" colours of yarn; one is
draw a loop out from the loop below it, and so on repeatedly),
drawn through to make the knit stitch, and the other is simply
producing a run (or ladder) in the fabric. The run will continue
held behind the piece, carried as a loose strand of yarn behind
to the bottom (i.e., cast-on) edge of the garment, or until it
the just-made stitch. Knitters who are comfortable with both
encounters an increase, at which it stops.
English style and Continental style knitting can carry one colour
Drop-stich runs are an easy way to get the "see-through" with their right hand and one with their left, which is probably
effect of lace, but with a much more casual look. The designer easiest, although it is also possible to simply use two different
can make interesting arrangements of open stripes (of fingers for the two colours of yarn and knit both using the same
whatever length); the endpoints of the stripe are specified by style.
the initial increase and the point at which the first stitch was
The simplest Fair Isle pattern is as follows: using circular or
dropped. Drop-stitch stripes are usually vertical, since they
double pointed needles, cast on any number of stitches. Then,
follow the grain of the knitting, i.e., the wales, the columns of
just keep knitting round and round, always alternating colours
dependent loops. However, the grain of the knitting can be
every stitch. If you started with an even number of stitches,
made off-vertical, e.g., in interlace or by increasing on one edge
you will end up with a vertically striped tube of fabric, and if
and decreasing on the other.
you started with an odd number of stitches, it will be a diagonal
Instead of being left open, the cross-strands of runs (the grid that appears to mix the two colours.
"rungs" of the ladder) can also be modified in various ways. For
Traditional Fair Isle patterns normally had no more than two
example, using a crochet hook, one can re-work them into
or three consecutive stitches of any given colour, because they
larger knitted bights, e.g., by drawing four strands through the
were stranded, and too many consecutive stitches of one
four below them, and so on indefinitely. As another example,
colour means a very long strand of the other, quite easy to
the "rungs" can be bound up in different patterns using a
catch with a finger or button. A more modern variation is
contrasting yarn and a darning needle.
woven Fair Isle, where the unused strand is held in slightly
different positions relative to the needles and thereby woven
into the fabric, still invisible from the front, but trapped closely
against the back of the piece. This permits a nearly limitless
variety of patterns with considerably larger blocks of colour.

Traditional Fair Isle sweater construction usually involves

knitting the body of the sweater in the round, sewing or
otherwise fastening the work securely where the arm holes are
to go, and then cutting the knit fabric to make the armholes.
These cuts are known as steeks in American knitting
terminology, but not in the Shetland Isles where the Fair Isle
technique was developed.Beginning in the 1990s, the term
"Fair Isle" has been applied very generally and loosely to any
Drop Stitch Knitting
stranded color knitting which has no relation to the knitting of
Fair Isle or any of the other Shetland Islands.
Fair Isle Knitting:

Fair Isle is a traditional knitting technique used to create

patterns with multiple colours. It is named after Fair Isle, a tiny
island in the north of Scotland, between the Orkney and
Shetland islands. Fair Isle knitting gained a considerable
popularity when the Prince of Wales (later to become Edward
VIII) wore Fair Isle Tank tops in public in 1921. Traditional Fair
Isle patterns have a limited palette of five or so colours, use
only two colours per row, are worked in the round, and limit
the length of a run of any particular colour.
 The simplest intarsia pattern is for straight vertical stripes.
After the first row, the pattern is continued by always working
each stitch in the same colour as the previous row, changing
colours at the exact same point in each row. To make more
elabourate patterns, one can let this colour boundary drift from
row to row, changing colours a few stitches earlier or later each
time.

Intarsia patterns are almost always given as charts (which,

because of the mechanics of knitting, are read beginning at the
lower right and continuing upward boustrophedonically). The
charts generally look like highly pixellated cartoon drawings, in
Fair Isle Knitting this sense resembling dot-matrix computer graphics or
needlepoint patterns (though usually without the colour
nuance of the latter).

Intarsia:

Intarsia is a knitting technique used to create patterns with

multiple colours. As with the woodworking technique of the
same name, fields of different colours and materials appear to
be inlaid in one another, but are in fact all separate pieces, fit
together like a jigsaw puzzle.

Unlike other multicolour techniques (including Fair Isle, slip-

stitch colour, and double knitting), there is only one "active"
colour on any given stitch, and yarn is not carried across the
back of the work; when a colour changes on a given row, the
old yarn is left hanging. This means that any intarsia piece is
topologically several disjoint columns of colour; a simple blue
circle on a white background involves one column of blue and Intarsia Knitted Fabric
two of white---one for the left and one for the right. Intarsia is
most often worked flat, rather than in the round. However, it is Slip-Stitch Knitting:
possible to knit intarsia in circular knitting using particular Slip-stitch knitting is a family of knitting techniques that use
techniques. slip stitches to make multiple fabrics simultaneously, to make
extra-long stitches, and/or to carry over colors from an earlier
Common examples of intarsia include sweaters with large, row.
solid-colour features like fruits, flowers, or geometric shapes.
Argyle socks and sweaters are normally done in intarsia, Basic Methods:
although the thin diagonal lines are often overlaid in a later
In the basic slip stitch, the stitch is passed from the left needle
step, using Swiss darning or sometimes just a simple backstitch.
to the right needle without being knitted. The yarn may be
passed invisibly behind the slipped stitch (wyib="with yarn in
Technique: back") or in front of the slipped stitch (wyif="with yarn in
front"), where it produces a small horizontal "bar". The wyif
Knitting in intarsia theoretically requires no additional skills slipped stitch is less common, although several knitting
beyond being generally comfortable with the basic knit and patterns use it to produce a visual effect like woven cloth.
purl stitches. Materials required include multiple colours of Alternatively, the yarn can be "tucked", i.e., made into a yarn-
yarn, standard needles, and bobbins. Bobbins serve to contain over that is knitted together with the slipped stitch on the next
the inactive yarn and help keep it from getting tangled. Unlike row; like the simpler wyib, this is invisible.
the narrow, wooden ones used to make bobbin lace, modern
If knitted on the next row, the wyib slipped stitch is twice as
intarsia bobbins resemble translucent plastic yo-yos that can tall as its neighboring stitches. A vertical column of such
snap tight to prevent the yarn from unwinding. "double-height" stitches is a nice accent, e.g., on a scarf or in a
sweater, particularly in a contrasting color.
After winding a few yards of each colour onto its own bobbin
(and possibly several bobbins' worth of some colours), the
knitter simply begins knitting their pattern. When they arrive at
a point where the colour changes, the knitter brings the new Double Knitting with Slip Stitches:
colour up underneath the old one (to prevent holes) and starts
Slip stitches may be used for an easier method of double
knitting with it. If flat knitting, at the end of the row, the piece knitting that requires only one yarn be handled at one time. As
is turned round just as with regular knitting, and the knitter a concrete example, consider a two-color pattern with a
returns back the way they came. multiple of four stitches (labeled ABCD) being knit on double-
pointed circular needles. On the first row, using color 1, stitch A
is knitted, stitch B is purled, stitch C is slipped wyib and stitch D However, mosaic knitting has limitations relative to other
is slipped wyif. The knitter then slides the stitches back to the techniques for producing color patterns in knitting such as Fair-
beginning (recall that the needles are double-pointed). Then, isle knitting. Depending on the pattern, a mosaic-knit fabric
using color 2, stitch A is slipped wyib, stitch B is slipped wyif, may be stiff and tense, due to the many slipped stitches; such
stitch C is knitted and stitch D is purled. The knitter then turns fabrics may be better for coats and jackets, which do not
the work and repeats indefinitely. The knitted and slipped wyib require as much drape. The tension in the fabric may also
stitches come forward, whereas the purled and wyif stitches distort the rectilinear lines into curves. These problems may be
recede, resulting in a (very warm!) double-knit scarf alternating overcome by judiciously elongating the stitches. Some color
in the two colors with beautiful drape. The knit and purl patterns may be impossible for mosaic knitting, if they require
stitches produce the front and back fabrics, respectively, of the too many slipped stitches or if the colors do not line up
double-knitted fabric while the slipped stitches allow for the conveniently (as described above). Blocks of solid colors can be
alternation of color. done in mosaic knitting, but require many slipped stitches in a
row; hence, blocks of solid colors are usually broken up with
An even simpler slip-stitch pattern generates two fabrics at stippling, i.e., with regularly spaces spots of the opposing color.
once on the same needle. Consider the pattern: * knit 1, slip 1 On the other hand, mosaic knitting is significantly lighter than
wyif *. At the end of the row, turn the work. Then knit the Fair-isle knitting, which is nearly twice as thick and bulky. Long
stitches that were slipped and slip (again wyif) the stitches that horizontal bars of the same color are also more convenient in
were knitted. In the end, one should obtain a "pocket" that can mosaic knitting than they are in Fair-isle knitting (where such
be opened (be sure to use wyif slip-stitches during binding off bars require that the other colors be held at the back for long
as well!) The wyif slip stitch prevents the yarn from crossing runs).
over to the back fabric, so that only the front fabric is knitted in
any row. This is probably the secret technique of Anna A simple extension of mosaic knitting is to use multiple colors,
Makarovna from Leo Tolstoy's War and Peace, who always knit rather than just two, although the limitations on the pattern
two socks simultaneously. become even more severe. Another variant is to hold the yarns
on opposite edges (or to knit circularly), which allows the
knitter to knit only one row per color.

Slip Stitch – honeycomb design

Mosaic Knitting:
Mosaic knitting uses two colors (usually both held at one Mosaic Knitting
side), but only one yarn is handled at one time. Let the first and
second yarns be called "black" and "white" for specificity, Shadow Knitting:
although any two colors may be used. The knitter casts on an
entirely white row. The knitter then introduces the black yarn Shadow knitting also called "illusion knitting" is a knitting
and knits two rows, across and back. If a white stitch is desired technique that produces patterns that vary with the direction
at a given position, the stitch (from the white row below) is of viewing.
slipped wyib; by contrast, if a black stitch is desired, the stitch is
knitted using the black yarn. The second (return) row repeats Method Despite its impressive effect, shadow knitting is a
the slip/knit choices of the first row, effectively giving double simple technique. As in mosaic knitting, the knitter alternates
height. (Note that, on the return row, the stitches are slipped between two colors. Colors with good contrast are preferred,
wyif, since the fabric is being knitted from the wrong side.) The but not needed. The knitter knits two rows of color A, then two
knitter then takes up the white yarn and knits two rows, across rows of color B, then two rows of color A, etc. Only knit or purl
and back. Now if a white stitch is desired at a given position, stitches are used.
the stitch is knitted with the white yarn; by contrast, if a black
stitch is desired, the stitch is slipped from the row below (if it is Each row in the pattern represents four rows of knit or purl
black). If a black stitch is needed in a white-yarn row and the stitches, and each column represents one stitch. To follow this
stitch of the previous row was white (i.e., slipped), the pattern pattern you would use black and white, white being the
is impossible for mosaic knitting. Therefore, any black or white background color (BC), and black being the master color (MC).
vertical stripe must begin and end with the corresponding yarn,
which implies that the number of knitted rows in any vertical Start at row one, this could be thought of as Row 1-1 and is a
stripe must be 2 times an odd number, i.e., 2x1=2, 2x3=6, etc. right-side row (RS): with BC, knit.Row 1-2 (still following the
However, this constraint on possible patterns can be well- pattern at row 1) (WS): knit the blank boxes, purl the ones filled
hidden if the pattern is large enough. in.Row 1-3 (RS): change to MC, knit.Row 1-4 (WS): purl the
blank boxes, knit the ones filled in.Move to Row 2 on the
Mosaic knitting can produce many beautiful patterns, pattern and begin knitting the BC, this is row 2-1. Repeat for all
particularly geometrical or Grecian designs. Historically, mosaic rows and bind-off.
patterns are rather rectilinear, being composed mainly of thin
horizontal and vertical stripes that meet at right angles.
 The visual effect of shadow knitting is due to the different Cable knitting is usually less flexible and more dense than
height of the knit stitches on the wrong side rows. A knit stitch typical knitting, having a much more narrow gauge. This narrow
is flat, while a purl stitch is raised. Therefore, one can change gauge should be considered when changing from the cable
which color (dark or light) stands out by changing from knit to stitch to another type of knitted fabric. If the number of
purl. So the basic idea is to create a pattern in knit stitches in stitches is not reduced, the second knitted fabric may flare out
the colors one wants and purl stitches in the background color. or pucker, due to its larger gauge. Thus, ribbed cuffs on an aran
When looking straight at the knitted piece, the stitches look sweater may not contract around the wrist or waist, as would
approximately the same, but from an angle, only the raised normally be expected. Conversely, stitches may need to be
purl stitches are visible. added to maintain the gauge when changing from another
knitted fabric such as stocking to a cable pattern.
There are no constraints on the position of the purl/knit
stitches, so a nearly infinite variety of patterns can be made. Cables are usually done in stocking stitch, with a reverse
The pattern will not be apparent from every direction of stocking background, but any combination will do; for example,
viewing, since one ridge may "overshadow" another. Knitters a background seed stitch in the regions bounded by cables
often enjoy watching when the picture created becomes often looks striking. Another visually intriguing effect is meta-
visible. The stark contrast of alternating light and dark stripes is cabling, where the cable itself is made up of cables, such as a
also visually interesting. three-cable plait made of strands that are themselves 2-cable
plaits. In such cases, the "inner" cables sometimes go their
separate ways, forming beautiful, complex patterns such as the
branches of a tree. Another interesting effect is to have one
cable "pierce" another cable, rather than having it pass over or
under the other.

Two cables should cross each other completely in a single row;

for example, two cables three stitches wide should cross with
the three stitches of one cable passing over the three of the
other cable. It is very difficult to make an intermediate crossing
row of fewer stitches look good.

Cable Braids:
Cables are often used to make braid patterns. Usually, the
cables themselves are with a knit stitch while the background is
done in purl. As the number of cables increases, the number of
crossing patterns increases, as described by the braid group.
Various visual effects are also possible by shifting the center
lines of the undulating cables, or by changing the space
between the cables, making them denser or more open.

A one-cable serpentine is simply a cable that moves

sinusoidally left and right as it progresses. Higher-order braids
are often made with such serpentines crossing over and under
each other.

A two-cable braid can look like a rope, if the cables always

cross in the same way (e.g., left over right). Alternatively, it can
Shadow stitch
look like two serpentines, one on top of the other.

A three-cable braid is usually a simple plait (as often seen in

girls' hair), but can also be made to look like the links in a chain,
Cable Knitting: or as three independent serpentines.
Cable knitting is a style of knitting in which the order of A four-cable braid allows for several crossing patterns.
stitches is permuted.For example, let there be four stitches on
the needle in the order ABCD. The first two may be crossed in The five-cable braid is sometimes called the Celtic princess
front of the next two, forming the order CDAB braid, and is visually interesting because one side is cresting
while the other side is in a trough. Thus, it has a shimmering
Methods: quality, similar to a kris dagger.

Two different styles of cable needles. The stitches crossing The six-cable braid is called a Saxon braid, and looks square
behind are transferred to a small cable needle for storage while and solid. This is a large motif, often used as a centerpiece of
the stitches passing in front are knitted. The former stitches are an aran sweater or along the neckline and hemlines.
then transferred back to the original needle or knitted from the
cable needle itself. Other knitters prefer to transfer the stitches The seven-cable braid is rarely used, possibly because it is very
to a large safety pin or, for a single stitch, simply hold it in their wide.
fingers while knitting the other stitch(es). Cable stitches are
generally permuted only on the right side, i.e., every other row. It may be helpful to think of a cable pattern as a set of
Having a spacer row helps the fabric to "relax". serpentine or wave-like cables, each one meandering around
its own center line. A vast variety of cable patterns can be
invented by changing the number of cables, the separations of magazines where they were copied in Iceland with single ply
their center lines, the amplitudes of their waves (i.e., how far wool.
they wander from their center line), the shape of the waves
(e.g., sinusoidal versus triangular), and the relative position of Knitted lace with no bound-off edges is extremely elastic,
the crests and troughs of each wave (e.g., is one wave cresting deforming easily to fit whatever it is draped on. As a
as another is crossing its center line?). consequence, knitted lace garments must be blocked or
"dressed" before use, and tend to stretch over time
Cable Lattices:
Technique:
In some cases, one can form a lattice of cables, a kind of
ribbing made of cables where the individual cable strands can A hole can be introduced into a knitted fabric by pairing a
be exchanged freely. A typical example is a set of parallel 2- yarn-over stitch with a nearby (usually adjacent) decrease. If
cable plaits in which, every so often, the two cables of each the decrease precedes the yarn-over, it typically slants right as
plait separate, going left and right and integrating themselves seen from the right side (e.g., k2tog, not k2tog tbl; see knitting
in the neighboring cables. In the process, the right-going cable abbreviations). If the decrease follows the yarn-over, it typically
of one plait crosses the left-going cable of its neighbor, forming slants left as seen from the right side (e.g., k2tog tbl or ssk, not
an "X". k2tog). These slants pull the fabric away from the yarn-over,
opening up the hole.

Pairing a yarn-over with a decrease keeps the stitch count

Cable Textures: constant. Many beautiful patterns separate the yarn-over and
decrease stitches, e.g., k2tog, k5, yo. Separating the yarn-over
Many patterns made with cables do not have a rope-like from its decrease "tilts" all the intervening stitches towards the
quality. For example, a deep honeycomb pattern can be made decrease. The tilt may form part of the design, e.g., mimicking
by adjacent serpentines, first touching the neighbor on the left the veins in a leaf.
then the neighbor on the right. Other common patterns include
a "Y"-like shape (and its inverse) and a horseshoe crab pattern. There are few constraints on positioning the holes, so
practically any picture or pattern can be outlined with holes;
common motifs include leaves, rosettes, ferns and flowers. To
design a simple lace motif, a knitter can draw its lines on a
piece of knitting graph paper; right-slanting lines should be
produced with "k2tog, yo" stitch-pairs (as seen on the right
side) whereas left-slanting lines should be produced with "yo,
k2tog tbl" (or, equivalently, "yo, ssk" or "yo, skp") stitch pairs
(again, as seen on the right side). More sophisticated patterns
will change the grain of the fabric to help the design, by
separating the yarn-overs and decreases.

Cable Pattern

Lace Knitting:
Lace knitting is a style of knitting characterized by stable
"holes" in the fabric arranged with consideration of aesthetic
value. Lace is sometimes considered the pinnacle of knitting,
because of its complexity and because woven fabrics cannot
easily be made to have holes. True knitted lace has pattern
stitches on both the right and wrong sides; knitting with
pattern stitches on only one side of the fabric, so that holes are
separated by at least two threads, is technically not lace, but
often called "lacy knitting".

Eyelet patterns are those in which the holes make up only a

small fraction of the fabric and are isolated into clusters (e.g.,
little rosettes of one hole surrounded by others in a hexagon).

At the other extreme, some knitted lace is almost all holes, Lace Knitting
e.g., faggoting. Famous examples include the wedding ring
shawl of Shetland knitting, a shawl so fine that it could be
drawn through a wedding ring. Shetland knitted lace became
extremely popular in Victorian England when Queen Victoria
became a Shetland lace enthusiast. From there, knitting
patterns for the shawls were printed in English women's
Knitting Machines: