Starfish: a lace knitting stitch pattern

The word I drew from my word hoard for this stitch pattern is Starfish, suggested by Lara, a Patreon supporter. For some reason, finding the right encoding to make a good stitch pattern was really difficult this time; I ended up having to encode each word separately, then stack the results one on top of the other. I haven’t swatched the words individually yet, but experience suggests that it should work out, though I might need to edit the decreases a bit. (I’ve generally had good luck with stitch patterns that are only two or three right-side rows high.)

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.

click chart to enlarge

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.
  • Rows 1-6 of the stitch pattern are the code for star; rows 7-12 are fish. (This kind of neat division doesn’t always happen when I work up stitch patterns for compound words.)
  • 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.)
  • Starfish is a multiple of 22 + 22 stitches and 24 or 24 + 12 rows (stop either after row 12 or row 24).
  • 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:

  • 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

Row 1 (RS): k1, k2tog, yo, k4, ssk, yo, k2, *k2, yo, k2tog, k4, yo, ssk, k2, k2tog, yo, k4, ssk, yo, k2; work from *, k2, yo, k2tog, k4, yo, ssk, k1.

Row 2 (WS): purl.

Row 3: yo, cdd, yo x 2, k2tog, k4, ssk, *yo x 2, k2tog, k4, ssk, (yo x 2, cdd) × 2, yo x 2, k2tog, k4, ssk; work from *, yo x 2, k2tog, k4, ssk, yo x 2, cdd, yo.

Row 4: p2, (k1, p1) in double yo, p6, (k1, p1) in double yo, *p6, [(k1, p1) in double yo, p1] × 2, (k1, p1) in double yo, p6, (k1, p1) in double yo; work from *, p6, (k1, p1) in double yo, p2.

Row 5: k3, yo, k1, ssk, k2, yo, k2tog, k1, *k1, ssk, yo, k2, k2tog, k1, yo, k6, yo, k1, ssk, k2, yo, k2tog, k1; work from *, k1, ssk, yo, k2, k2tog, k1, yo, k3.

Row 6: purl.

Row 7: k1, yo, ssk, yo, (k2, ssk) × 2, *yo x 2, (k2tog, k2) × 2, yo, k2tog, yo, k2, yo, ssk, yo, (k2, ssk) × 2; work from *, yo x 2, (k2tog, k2) × 2, yo, k2tog, yo, k1.

Row 8: p10, (k1, p1) in double yo, *p20, (k1, p1) in double yo; work from *, p10.

Row 9: yo, k2, ssk, k2, yo, ssk, k2tog, yo, k1, *k1, yo, ssk, k2tog, yo, k2, k2tog, k2, yo x 2, k2, ssk, k2, yo, ssk, k2tog, yo, k1; work from *, k1, yo, ssk, k2tog, yo, k2, k2tog, k2, yo.

Row 10: p11, *p10, (k1, p1) in double yo, p10; work from *, p11.

Row 11: k7, yo, ssk, yo, k2tog, *ssk, yo, k2tog, yo, k14, yo, ssk, yo, k2tog; work from *, ssk, yo, k2tog, yo, k7.

Row 12: purl.

Row 13: k2, yo, k2tog, k4, yo, ssk, k1, *k1, k2tog, yo, k4, ssk, yo, k4, yo, k2tog, k4, yo, ssk, k1; work from *, k1, k2tog, yo, k4, ssk, yo, k2.

Row 14: purl.

Row 15: yo, k2tog, k4, ssk, yo x 2, cdd, *yo x 2, cdd, (yo x 2, k2tog, k4, ssk) × 2, yo x 2, cdd; work from *, yo x 2, cdd, yo x 2, k2tog, k4, ssk, yo.

Row 16: p7, (k1, p1) in double yo, p1, (k1, p1) in double yo, *p1, [(k1, p1) in double yo, p6] × 2, (k1, p1) in double yo, p1, (k1, p1) in double yo; work from *, p1, (k1, p1) in double yo, p7.

Row 17: k1, ssk, yo, k2, k2tog, k1, yo, k3, *k3, yo, k1, ssk, k2, yo, k2tog, k2, ssk, yo, k2, k2tog, k1, yo, k3; work from *, k3, yo, k1, ssk, k2, yo, k2tog, k1.

Row 18: purl.

Row 19: yo, (k2tog, k2) × 2, yo, k2tog, yo, k1, *k1, yo, ssk, yo, (k2, ssk) × 2, yo x 2, (k2tog, k2) × 2, yo, k2tog, yo, k1; work from *, k1, yo, ssk, yo, (k2, ssk) × 2, yo.

Row 20: p11, *p10, (k1, p1) in double yo, p10; work from *, p11.

Row 21: k1, yo, ssk, k2tog, yo, k2, k2tog, k2, *yo x 2, k2, ssk, (k2, yo, ssk, k2tog, yo) × 2, k2, k2tog, k2; work from *, yo x 2, k2, ssk, k2, yo, ssk, k2tog, yo, k1.

Row 22: p10, (k1, p1) in double yo, *p20, (k1, p1) in double yo; work from *, p10.

Row 23: ssk, yo, k2tog, yo, k7, *k7, yo, (ssk, yo, k2tog) × 2, yo, k7; work from *, k7, yo, ssk, yo, k2tog.

Row 24: purl.