Round to flat, flat to round, part 2.

I thought I would expand some more on converting written stitch patterns back and forth between flat knitting and knitting in the round.

Just as a reminder, the basic concept is that you should read every other line from right to left, and invert the stitches so that they will look correct on the front of your knitting.

I’ll start with a really basic one: seed stitch. I don’t have a handy photo, but many knitters are familiar with it. It makes a little checkerboard of purl bumps on both sides of the fabric.

Here it is, written flat:

seed stitch
Row 1 (RS): *k1, p1.*
Row 2 (WS): *p1, k1.*

To convert it to knitting in the round, I’ll leave the first line the same, only changing the label from row to round and removing the RS/WS distinctions because it’s going to be all right side all the time.

seed stitch
Round 1: *k1, p1.*

Now the second line. Reading from right to left, the first stitch I come to isĀ k1 on the wrong side. Its right side equivalent is p1 (because a purl is exactly equivalent to a knit stitch worked so it faces away from the knitter).

Round 2: *p1,

The next stitch in Row 2 read right to left is p1. Its equivalent worked in the round is k1. So to give the whole stitch,

seed stitch
Round 1: *k1, p1.*
Round 2: *p1, k1.*

It’s amusing to me that seed stitch’s second round is the same as its second row, but there it is. It can still be useful to think it through as an exercise.

(Note, if working seed stitch in the round, it’s simplest and doesn’t make a jog if worked over an odd number of stitches. *K1, p1* until there are enough rows and all will be well.

The next example isn’t written identically as rows and rounds.

fabric or linen stitch

One of my stitch dictionaries calls this linen stitch; Barbara Walker calls it fabric stitch. I’ll go with Barbara Walker this time:

fabric stitch
Row 1 (RS): *k1, sl1 wyif.*
Row 2 (WS): *p1, sl1.*

So Round 1 will stay the same: knit one, slip one with yarn in front.

Now I read Row 2 from right to left to convert it to Round 1. The first instruction I see is slip one, with an implied with yarn in back. When I have the wrong side facing me and I slip a stitch with yarn in back, the yarn is actually traveling along the front of the fabric. So the equivalent stitch is slip one with yarn in front. The next instruction is p1, which is k1 from the front.

Round 1: *k1, sl1 wyif.*
Round 2: *sl1 wyif, k1.*

That’s it for now! Next week I’ll talk about lace and decreases.