Light: a free lace knitting stitch pattern

The word I drew from my word hoard for this stitch pattern is Light, suggested by Nim on Patreon. It’s winter in my hemisphere, so more light is welcome. Light is something that happens in summer, so it applies to the southern hemisphere in a different way entirely.

I like the way that the bottom version of this design looks like rays of light radiating outward, and that the upper part looks like candle flames.

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 these, 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 stitch patterns are not meant in any way to look like the original words; the words are the seeds of my creativity.

Light: a free lace knitting stitch pattern, by Naomi Parkhurst
Light: a free lace knitting stitch pattern chart, by Naomi Parkhurst
click chart 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.
  • 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.)
  • Light is a multiple of 24+24 stitches and either 6 or 12 rows. Version 1 repeats rows 1-6, version 2 repeats rows 1-12.
  • I’ve made stitch maps for version 1 and version 2.
  • Designers, please feel free to use these 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:

  • 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

Row 1 (RS): k1, (k2tog, yo) x 2, k5, yo, ssk, *k2tog, yo, k5, (yo, ssk) x 2, k2, (k2tog, yo) x 2, k5, yo, ssk; work from *, k2tog, yo, k5, (yo, ssk) x 2, k1.
Row 2 (WS): purl.
Row 3: k2tog, yo, k2tog x 2, (yo, k2tog) x 2, yo x 2, k2tog, *(yo x 2, ssk) x 2, yo, ssk, yo, ssk x 2, yo, ssk, k2tog, yo, k2tog x 2, (yo, k2tog) x 2, yo x 2, k2tog; work from *, (yo x 2, ssk) x 2, yo, ssk, yo, ssk x 2, yo, ssk.
Row 4: p8, (k1, p1) in double yo, p1, (k1, p1) in double yo, *p1, (k1, p1) in double yo, p16, (k1, p1) in double yo, p1, (k1, p1) in double yo; work from *, p1, (k1, p1) in double yo, p8.
Row 5: k1, k2tog, k4, yo, k5, *k5, yo, k4, ssk, k2, k2tog, k4, yo, k5; work from *, k5, yo, k4, ssk, k1.
Row 6: purl.
Row 7: k2tog, yo, k5, (yo, ssk) x 2, k1, *k1, k2tog, yo, (k2tog, yo, k5, yo, ssk) x 2, yo, ssk, k1; work from *, k1, (k2tog, yo) x 2, k5, yo, ssk.
Row 8: purl.
Row 9: yo, ssk, yo x 2, (ssk, yo) x 2, ssk x 2, yo, ssk, *k2tog, yo, k2tog x 2, (yo, k2tog) x 2, yo x 2, k2tog, (yo x 2, ssk) x 2, yo, ssk, yo, ssk x 2, yo, ssk; work from *, k2tog, yo, k2tog x 2, (yo, k2tog) x 2, yo x 2, k2tog, yo.
Row 10: p2, (k1, p1) in double yo, p8, *p8, [(k1, p1) in double yo, p1] x 2, (k1, p1) in double yo, p8; work from *, p8, (k1, p1) in double yo, p2.
Row 11: k5, yo, k4, ssk, k1, *k1, k2tog, k4, yo, k10, yo, k4, ssk, k1; work from *, k1, k2tog, k4, yo, k5.
Row 12: purl.