Cumulus: a lace knitting stitch pattern

The word I drew from my word hoard for this stitch pattern is Cumulus, suggested by Smart Mouth’d, a Patreon supporter. Cumulus clouds are those fluffy white clouds that often look rather like sheep.

This is one of my simpler lace patterns: no double yarnovers or double decreases. The purl columns aren’t part of the code, which is why I’ve made them purl, but you are welcome to make them into either knit columns or garter stitch columns if you prefer. (You’re welcome to make any changes you like, of course, but if you change the relative locations of the yarnovers on the chart, it will no longer be an encoded word.)

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.

sample swatch for Cumulus: a lace knitting stitch pattern, by Naomi Parkhurst

Notes:

  • The bottom part of the swatch is three repeats of version 1; the top is one repeat of version 2.
  • These are stitch patterns such as might be found in a stitch dictionary. They are not patterns for a finished object. You will need to add selvedges or some other form of knitted stitches to either side.
  • Cumulus is a multiple of 18 + 1 stitches and 12 rows for version 1, and either 24 or 24 + 12 rows for version 2 (end after either row 12 or 24).
  • Version two has slightly different decreases in rows 1 and 3
  • 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.
  • 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:

  • 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

Cumulus, version 1:

chart for Cumulus, verson 1: a lace knitting stitch pattern, by Naomi Parkhurst

Row 1 (RS): *p1, k2, ssk, k1, yo, k2tog, yo, k1, p1, k1, yo, ssk, yo, k1, k2tog, k2; work from *, p1. [19 sts]

Row 2 (WS): k1, *(p8, k1) × 2; work from *.

Row 3: *p1, k1, yo, k2tog, k1, k2tog, yo, k2, p1, k2, yo, ssk, k1, ssk, yo, k1; work from *, p1.

Row 4: k1, *(p8, k1) × 2; work from *.

Row 5: *p1, yo, k1, k2tog × 2, yo, k2tog, yo, k1, p1, k1, yo, ssk, yo, ssk × 2, k1, yo; work from *, p1.

Row 6: k1, *(p8, k1) × 2; work from *.

Row 7: *p1, k2, yo, k2tog × 2, yo, k2, p1, k2, yo, ssk × 2, yo, k2; work from *, p1.

Row 8: k1, *(p8, k1) × 2; work from *.

Row 9: *p1, k1, ssk, yo, k2tog, yo, k3, p1, k3, yo, ssk, yo, k2tog, k1; work from *, p1.

Row 10: k1, *(p8, k1) × 2; work from *.

Row 11: *p1, yo, k2tog × 2, yo, k2, k2tog, yo, p1, yo, ssk, k2, yo, ssk × 2, yo; work from *, p1.

Row 12: k1, *(p8, k1) × 2; work from *.

Cumulus, version 2:

chart for Cumulus, verson 2: a lace knitting stitch pattern, by Naomi Parkhurst

Row 1 (RS): *p1, k1, yo, ssk, yo, k2, k2tog, k1, p1, k1, ssk, k2, yo, k2tog, yo, k1; work from *, p1. [19 sts]

Row 2 (WS): k1, *(p8, k1) × 2; work from *.

Row 3: *p1, k2, yo, ssk, k1, k2tog, yo, k1, p1, k1, yo, ssk, k1, k2tog, yo, k2; work from *, p1.

Row 4: k1, *(p8, k1) × 2; work from *.

Row 5: *p1, k1, yo, ssk, yo, ssk × 2, k1, yo, p1, yo, k1, k2tog × 2, yo, k2tog, yo, k1; work from *, p1.

Row 6: k1, *(p8, k1) × 2; work from *.

Row 7: *p1, k2, yo, ssk × 2, yo, k2, p1, k2, yo, k2tog × 2, yo, k2; work from *, p1.

Row 8: k1, *(p8, k1) × 2; work from *.

Row 9: *p1, k3, yo, ssk, yo, k2tog, k1, p1, k1, ssk, yo, k2tog, yo, k3; work from *, p1.

Row 10: k1, *(p8, k1) × 2; work from *.

Row 11: *p1, yo, ssk, k2, yo, ssk × 2, yo, p1, yo, k2tog × 2, yo, k2, k2tog, yo; work from *, p1.

Row 12: k1, *(p8, k1) × 2; work from *.

Row 13: *p1, k1, ssk, k2, yo, k2tog, yo, k1, p1, k1, yo, ssk, yo, k2, k2tog, k1; work from *, p1.

Row 14: k1, *(p8, k1) × 2; work from *.

Row 15: *p1, k1, yo, ssk, k1, k2tog, yo, k2, p1, k2, yo, ssk, k1, k2tog, yo, k1; work from *, p1.

Row 16: k1, *(p8, k1) × 2; work from *.

Row 17: *p1, yo, k1, k2tog × 2, yo, k2tog, yo, k1, p1, k1, yo, ssk, yo, ssk × 2, k1, yo; work from *, p1.

Row 18: k1, *(p8, k1) × 2; work from *.

Row 19: *p1, k2, yo, k2tog × 2, yo, k2, p1, k2, yo, ssk × 2, yo, k2; work from *, p1.

Row 20: k1, *(p8, k1) × 2; work from *.

Row 21: *p1, k1, ssk, yo, k2tog, yo, k3, p1, k3, yo, ssk, yo, k2tog, k1; work from *, p1.

Row 22: k1, *(p8, k1) × 2; work from *.

Row 23: *p1, yo, k2tog × 2, yo, k2, k2tog, yo, p1, yo, ssk, k2, yo, ssk × 2, yo; work from *, p1.

Row 24: k1, *(p8, k1) × 2; work from *.