Zephyr: a lace knitting stitch pattern

The first word I drew from the words suggested on Patreon this month is Zephyr, suggested by Sarah Davis, a Patreon supporter.

Each month, my Patreon backers have the chance to suggest words for me to encode as knitting stitches. I make three of these into knitting stitches each month: the second and third (posted on the first day of the next month) are drawn from the collection of new words; the first 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.

photo of swatch for Zephyr: a lace knitting stitch pattern by Naomi Parkhurst

Notes:

  • This is a stitch pattern such as might be found in a stitch dictionary. It is not a pattern for a finished object. You will need to add selvedges or some other form of knitted stitches to either side.
  • Zephyr is a multiple of 14 stitches and 14 rows.
  • I’ve made a stitch map for it.
  • Designers, please feel free to use this in your patterns. I’d like credit but won’t be offended if people don’t give it.
  • My blog posts and free stitch patterns are supported by subscriptions on Patreon or donations to my Paypal tip jar in the sidebar. If you appreciate my work, please consider helping out. Thanks!

Abbreviations:

  • 1/1 RC: Slip next stitch to cable needle and place at back of work, knit 1, then knit 1 from cable needle.
  • DSD: double slip decrease: ssk, slip the resulting stitch back to the left needle, pass the next stitch over, then slip the result. Substitute knit 3 together if desired; they are similar but don’t look quite the same. (Right-leaning double decrease.)
  • k: knit.
  • k2tog: knit 2 stitches together as if they were 1. (Right-leaning decrease)
  • p: purl.
  • sk2p: slip 1, k2tog, pass slipped stitch over. (Left-leaning double decrease.)
  • 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): *k3, yo, k2tog, k4, ssk, yo, k3; work from *. [14 sts]

Row 2 (WS): purl.

Row 3: *k2, ssk, yo x 2, ssk, k2, k2tog, yo x 2, k2tog, k2; work from *.

Row 4: *p3, (k1, p1) in double yo, p4, (k1, p1) in double yo, p3; work from *.

Row 5: *k1, yo, k1, ssk, yo, k2tog, k2, ssk, yo, k2tog, k1, yo, k1; work from *.

Row 6: purl.

Row 7: *ssk, yo, k1, yo, k3tog, yo, k2, yo, sk2p, yo, k1, yo, k2tog; work from *.

Row 8: purl.

Row 9: *k3, k2tog, yo, k1, 1/1 RC, k1, yo, ssk, k3; work from *.

Row 10: purl.

Row 11: *k2, k2tog, yo, k1, k2tog, yo x 2, ssk, k1, yo, ssk, k2; work from *.

Row 12: *p6, (k1, p1) in double yo, p6; work from *.

Row 13: *k4, k2tog, yo, k2, yo, ssk, k4; work from *.

Row 14: purl.