Bonifate: a free lace knitting stitch pattern

This month, the random number generator chose bonifate, suggested by Ange on Patreon. According to my Oxford English Dictionary Bonifate is an obsolete (but very cool) word meaning “lucky, fortunate, well-fated”. Its derivation from Latin is pretty straightforward: boni- for good, and fate for fortune or fate.

Each month, my Patreon backers have the chance to suggest words for me to encode as knitting stitches. A random number generator helps me choose the word of the month, and then I get to work, first turning the letters into numbers, then charting the numbers onto grids in various ways. Finally, when I make the chart into lace, I turn the marked squares into yarnovers and work out where to place the corresponding decreases. (I usually make lace; occasionally I make cables instead.) I also make a chart for any craft that uses a square grid for designing; this goes in a separate post.

Bonifate: a free lace knitting stitch by Naomi Parkhurst

Bonifate: a free lace knitting chart, by Naomi Parkhurst
click to enlarge

Notes:

  • This is a stitch pattern such as might be found in a stitch dictionary. This is not a pattern for a finished object. You will need to add selvedges or some other form of knitted stitches to either side.
  • Bonifate is a multiple of 20+20 stitches and 24 rows.
  • I have made a stitch map for it.
  • Designers, please feel free to use it in your patterns. I’d like credit but won’t be offended if people don’t give it.
  • If you like my posts like this, please consider supporting me on Patreon or donating with my Paypal tip jar in the sidebar. Thanks!

Abbreviations:

  • 1/1 LC: Slip next stitch to cable needle and place at front of work, knit 1, then knit 1 from cable needle.
  • 1/1 RC: Slip next stitch to cable needle and place at back of work, knit 1, then knit 1 from cable needle.
  • CDD: centered double decrease: slip the next 2 stitches as if to knit 2 together, knit the next stitch, then pass the 2 slipped stitches over the third.
  • k: knit.
  • k2tog: knit 2 stitches together as if they were 1. (Right-leaning decrease)
  • k3tog: knit 3 stitches together as if they were 1. (Right-leaning double decrease)
  • p: purl.
  • ssk: slip each of the next 2 stitches as if to knit, then knit them together through the back loop. (Left-leaning decrease)
  • sssk: slip each of the next 3 stitches as if to knit, then knit them together through the back loop. (Left-leaning double decrease)
  • yo: yarnover.

Row 1 (RS): k3, k2tog, yo, k1, yo, ssk, k2tog, yo x 2, *ssk, k2tog, yo, k1, yo, ssk, k6, k2tog, yo, k1, yo, ssk, k2tog, yo x 2; work from *, ssk, k2tog, yo, k1, yo, ssk, k3. [40 sts]
Row 2 (WS): p9, *(k1, p1) in double yo, p18; work from *, (k1, p1) in double yo, p9.
Row 3: k3, k2tog, yo, k1, yo, ssk, k2, *k2, k2tog, yo, k1, yo, ssk, k6, k2tog, yo, k1, yo, ssk, k2; work from *, k2, k2tog, yo, k1, yo, ssk, k3.
Row 4: purl.
Row 5: k1, k3tog, yo x 2, (k1, yo) x 2, cdd, k1, *k1, cdd, (yo, k1) x 2, yo x 2, sssk, k2, k3tog, yo x 2, (k1, yo) x 2, cdd, k1; work from *, k1, cdd, (yo, k1) x 2, yo x 2, sssk, k1.
Row 6: p2, (k1, p1) in double yo, p6, *p6, (k1, p1) in double yo, p4, (k1, p1) in double yo, p6; work from *, p6, (k1, p1) in double yo, p2.
Row 7: k1, ssk, yo, k1, yo x 2, ssk, k2, ssk, *k2tog, k2, k2tog, yo x 2, k1, yo, k2tog, k2, ssk, yo, k1, yo x 2, ssk, k2, ssk; work from *, k2tog, k2, k2tog, yo x 2, k1, yo, k2tog, k1.
Row 8: p4, (k1, p1) in double yo, p4, *p4,(k1, p1) in double yo, p8, (k1, p1) in double yo, p4; work from *, p4, (k1, p1) in double yo, p4.
Row 9: k2tog, k1, ssk, yo x 2, k3, k2tog, yo x 2, *ssk, k3, yo x 2, (k2tog, k1, ssk) x 2, yo x 2, k3, k2tog, yo x 2; work from *, ssk, k3, yo x 2, k2tog, k1, ssk.
Row 10: p3, (k1, p1) in double yo, p4, *(k1, p1) in double yo, p4, (k1, p1) in double yo, p6, (k1, p1) in double yo, p4; work from *, (k1, p1) in double yo, p4, (k1, p1) in double yo, p3.
Row 11: k6, ssk, yo, k2, *k2, yo, k2tog, k5, 1/1 RC, k5, ssk, yo, k2; work from *, k2, yo, k2tog, k6.
Row 12: purl.
Row 13: yo, ssk, k2tog, yo, k1, yo, ssk, k3, *k3, k2tog, yo, k1, yo, ssk, k2tog, yo x 2, ssk, k2tog, yo, k1, yo, ssk, k3; work from *, k3, k2tog, yo, k1, yo, ssk, k2tog, yo.
Row 14: p10, *p9, (k1, p1) in double yo, p9; work from *, p10.
Row 15: k2, k2tog, yo, k1, yo, ssk, k3, *k3, k2tog, yo, k1, yo, ssk, k4, k2tog, yo, k1, yo, ssk, k3; work from *, k3, k2tog, yo, k1, yo, ssk, k2.
Row 16: purl.
Row 17: k1, cdd, (yo, k1) x 2, yo x 2, sssk, k1, *k1, k3tog, yo x 2, (k1, yo) x 2, cdd, k2, cdd, (yo, k1) x 2, yo x 2, sssk, k1; work from *, k1, k3tog, yo x 2, (k1, yo) x 2, cdd, k1.
Row 18: p6, (k1, p1) in double yo, p2, *p2, (k1, p1) in double yo, p12, (k1, p1) in double yo, p2; work from *, p2, (k1, p1) in double yo, p6.
Row 19: k2tog, k2, k2tog, yo x 2, k1, yo, k2tog, k1, *k1, ssk, yo, k1, yo x 2, ssk, k2, ssk, k2tog, k2, k2tog, yo x 2, k1, yo, k2tog, k1; work from *, k1, ssk, yo, k1, yo x 2, ssk, k2, ssk.
Row 20: p4, (k1, p1) in double yo, p4, *p4, (k1, p1) in double yo, p8, (k1, p1) in double yo, p4; work from *, p4, (k1, p1) in double yo, p4.
Row 21: yo, ssk, k3, yo x 2, k2tog, k1, ssk, *k2tog, k1, ssk, yo x 2, k3, k2tog, yo x 2, ssk, k3, yo x 2, k2tog, k1, ssk; work from *, k2tog, k1, ssk, yo x 2, k3, k2tog, yo.
Row 22: p5, (k1, p1) in double yo, p3, *p3, [(k1, p1) in double yo, p4] x 2, (k1, p1) in double yo, p3; work from *, p3, (k1, p1) in double yo, p5.
Row 23: k2, yo, k2tog, k5, 1/1 LC, *k5, ssk, yo, k4, yo, k2tog, k5, 1/1 LC; work from *, k5, ssk, yo, k2.
Row 24: purl.