Holiday mesh: a lace knitting stitch pattern

Sometimes when I design a larger stitch pattern, there’s a part of it that I think would be good as a smaller pattern. I think of these as excerpts or outtakes. Often they work well as a coordinating stitch pattern for the original; this mesh is one such case. It’s a slightly modified version of the bottom four rows of Holiday lace.

(This excerpt isn’t a coded word anymore.)

knitted sample of holiday mesh
chart showing how to knit Holiday mesh with special symbols. Written instructions in blog post.
click 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.
  • Holiday mesh is a multiple of 8 + 9 stitches and 4 rows.
  • I’ve made a stitch map for Holiday mesh.
  • 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): (ssk, yo) × 2, *k1, yo, k2tog, yo, cdd, yo, ssk, yo; work from *, k1, (yo, k2tog) × 2.

Row 2 (WS): purl.

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

Row 4: purl.