Mars: a free lace knitting stitch pattern

The first word for this month is Mars, suggested by Kate on Patreon. This is a happy coincidence, given the recent successful landing of the InSight Mars Lander.

Each month, my Patreon backers have the chance to suggest words for me to encode as knitting stitches. I make two of these into knitting stitches each month: the first is drawn from the collection of new words; the second is drawn from the collection of unused words. A random number generator helps me choose this, 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.

The charts are not meant in any way to look like the original words; the words are the seeds of my creativity.

Notes:

  • These are stitch patterns such as might be found in a stitch dictionary. They are not  patterns for finished object.s You will need to add selvedges or some other form of knitted stitches to either side.
  • The repeats in the charts and the text aren’t in the same places. (The double YOs complicate writing the repeats logically in the text.)
  • Version 1 of Mars is a multiple of 24 stitches and 12 rows; version 2 is a multiple of 24+24 stitches and 24 rows. Aside from the extra rows in version 2 (rows 1-12 offset halfway), the decreases are slightly different between the first rows of each version.
  • I’ve made stitch maps for version 1 and version 2.
  • Designers, please feel free to use these stitches 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:

  • 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)
  • 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)
  • yo: yarnover.
Mars version 1: a free lace knitting stitch pattern chart by Naomi Parkhurst
Click chart to enlarge

Version 1 is at the  bottom of the swatch shown in the photo.

Row 1 (RS): k3, ssk, yo, k1, *k1, yo, k2tog, k6, ssk, yo, k1; work from *, k1, yo, k2tog, k3. [24 sts]
Row 2 (WS): purl.
Row 3: k2, 1/1 RC, k2, *k2, 1/1 LC, k4, 1/1 RC, k2; work from *, k2, 1/1 LC, k2.
Row 4: purl.
Row 5: k1, k2tog, yo, k1, yo, k2tog, *ssk, yo, k1, yo, ssk, k2, k2tog, yo, k1, yo, k2tog; work from *, ssk, yo, k1, yo, ssk, k1.
Row 6: purl.
Row 7: 1/1 RC, k3, *1/1 RC, k3, 1/1 LC, 1/1 RC, k3; work from *, 1/1 RC, k3, 1/1 LC.
Row 8: purl.
Row 9: k1, yo, DSD, yo, k2tog, *yo x 2, ssk, yo, sk2p, yo, 1/1 RC, yo, DSD, yo, k2tog; work from *, yo x 2, ssk, yo, sk2p, yo, k1.
Row 10: p5, (k1, p1) in double yo, *p10, (k1, p1) in double yo; work from *, p5.
Row 11: yo, ssk, k1, k2tog, yo, k1, *k1, yo, ssk, k1, k2tog, yo x 2, ssk, k1, k2tog, yo, k1; work from *, k1, yo, ssk, k1, k2tog, yo.
Row 12: p6, *p5, (k1, p1) in double yo, p5; work from *, p6.

Mars version 2: a free lace knitting stitch pattern chart by Naomi Parkhurst
Click chart to enlarge

Version 2 is at the top of the swatch shown in the photo.

Row 1 (RS): k1, yo, ssk, k3, *k3, k2tog, yo, k2, yo, ssk, k3; work from *, k3, k2tog, yo, k1. [24 sts]
Row 2 (WS): purl.
Row 3: k2, 1/1 LC, k2, *k2, 1/1 RC, k4, 1/1 LC, k2; work from *, k2, 1/1 RC, k2.
Row 4: purl.
Row 5: ssk, yo, k1, yo, ssk, k1, *k1, k2tog, yo, k1, yo, k2tog, ssk, yo, k1, yo, ssk, k1; work from *, k1, k2tog, yo, k1, yo, k2tog.
Row 6: purl.
Row 7: k4, 1/1 LC, *(1/1 RC, k3) x 2, 1/1 LC; work from *, 1/1 RC, k4.
Row 8: purl.
Row 9: yo, ssk, yo, sk2p, yo, k1, *k1, yo, DSD, yo, k2tog, yo x 2, ssk, yo, sk2p, yo, k1; work from *, k1, yo, DSD, yo, k2tog, yo.
Row 10: p6, *p5, (k1, p1) in double yo, p5; work from *, p6.
Row 11: k1, yo, ssk, k1, k2tog, *yo x 2, ssk, k1, k2tog, yo, k2, yo, ssk, k1, k2tog; work from *, yo x 2, ssk, k1, k2tog, yo, k1.
Row 12: p5, (k1, p1) in double yo, *p10, (k1, p1) in double yo; work from *, p5.
Row 13: k3, k2tog, yo, k1, * k1, yo, ssk, k6, k2tog, yo, k1; work from *, k1, yo, ssk, k3.
Row 14: purl.
Row 15: k2, 1/1 RC, k2, *k2, 1/1 LC, k4, 1/1 RC, k2; work from *, k2, 1/1 LC, k2.
Row 16: purl.
Row 17: k1, k2tog, yo, k1, yo, k2tog, *ssk, yo, k1, yo, ssk, k2, k2tog, yo, k1, yo, k2tog; work from *, ssk, yo, k1, yo, ssk, k1.
Row 18: purl.
Row 19: 1/1 RC, k3, *1/1 RC, k3, 1/1 LC, 1/1 RC, k3; work from *, 1/1 RC, k3, 1/1 LC.
Row 20: purl.
Row 21: k1, yo, DSD, yo, k2tog, *yo x 2, ssk, yo, sk2p, yo, 1/1 LC, yo, DSD, yo, k2tog; work from *, yo x 2, ssk, yo, sk2p, yo, k1.
Row 22: p5, (k1, p1) in double yo, *p10, (k1, p1) in double yo; work from *, p5.
Row 23: yo, ssk, k1, k2tog, yo, k1, *k1, yo, ssk, k1, k2tog, yo x 2, ssk, k1, k2tog, yo, k1; work from *, k1, yo, ssk, k1, k2tog, yo.
Row 24: p6, *p5, (k1, p1) in double yo, p5; work from *, p6.