Kelpies: a lace knitting stitch pattern

The word I drew from the words suggested on Patreon for this post is Kelpies, suggested by Antoinette, a Patreon supporter, inspired by the amazing Kelpies statue in honor of Scottish working horses. Kelpies are also shape-shifting water horses from Scottish folklore, and there are also herd dogs from Australia called kelpies.

Each month, my Patreon backers have the chance to suggest words for me to encode as knitting stitches. A random number generator helps me choose which word I will encode from 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 made a Kelpies needlework chart for any craft that uses a square grid for designing.

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.
  • Kelpies is a multiple of 8 + 9 stitches and 32 + 16 rows. (End after either row 16 or 32.)
  • Keep careful track of the rows; some of the rows repeat within a single repeat of the pattern in a non-regular way.
  • I’ve made a stitch map for Kelpies.
  • I’ve designed some coordinating stitch patterns.
  • 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:

  • BEY (bunny ears yarnover): This turns three stitches into three stitches with a yarnover in the middle. Knit 2 together, but only remove the first stitch from the needle; yarn over; then work ssk with the second and third stitches. The middle stitch of the original three has been knit together with each of its neighbors. Blog post about bunny ears yarnover.
  • CDD: slip the next 2 stitches as if to knit 2 together, knit the next stitch, then pass the 2 slipped stitches over the third. (Stands for centered double decrease.)
  • k: knit.
  • k2tog: knit 2 stitches together as if they were 1. (Right-leaning decrease)
  • k3tog: knit 3 stitches together as if they were 1. (Right-leaning double decrease)
  • p: purl.
  • p1‑below: purl one below. For this stitch pattern, it’s not quite the same as a regular p1‑below, because it’s actually purling the bar below a yarnover, but the action is much the same. From behind, pick up the bar below the yarnover with the right needle and place it on the left needle next to the yarnover; purl both those strands at the same time. This prevents the bar from making a horizontal line in front of the yarnover.
  • ssk: slip each of the next 2 stitches as if to knit, then knit them together through the back loop. (Or substitute your favorite left-leaning decrease)
  • sssk: slip each of the next 3 stitches as if to knit, then knit them together through the back loop. (Left-leaning double decrease; substitute sk2p if desired.)
  • yo: yarnover. Bring the yarn forward between the needles so that it will make a loop over the needle when the next stitch is worked. When there are two in a row, bring the yarn forward, wrap it once around the needle, and leave the yarn in front so it makes a second loop.

Row 1 (RS): yo, ssk, k3, *k2, BEY, k3; work from *, k2, k2tog, yo. (17 sts)

Row 2 (WS): p4, *p4, p1‑below, p3; work from *, p5.

Row 3: k1, yo × 2, sssk, k1, *k3tog, yo × 2, k1‑tbl, yo × 2, sssk, k1; work from *, k3tog, yo × 2, k1.

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

Row 5: k2tog, yo, k1‑tbl, yo, cdd, *(yo, k1‑tbl, yo, cdd) × 2; work from *, yo, k1‑tbl, yo, ssk.

Row 6: purl.

Row 7: k3, yo, cdd, *yo, k5, yo, cdd; work from *, yo, k3.

Row 8: purl.

Row 9: ssk, yo × 2, ssk, k1, *k2tog, yo × 2, cdd, yo × 2, ssk, k1; work from *, k2tog, yo × 2, k2tog.

Row 10: p1, (k1, p1) in double yo, p1, *p2, ((k1, p1) in double yo, p1) × 2; work from *, p2, (k1, p1) in double yo, p1.

Row 11: yo, ssk, k3, *k2, BEY, k3; work from *, k2, k2tog, yo.

Row 12: p4, *p4, p1‑below, p3; work from *, p5.

Row 13: k1‑tbl, yo × 2, sssk, k1, *k3tog, yo × 2, k1‑tbl, yo × 2, sssk, k1; work from *, k3tog, yo × 2, k1‑tbl.

Row 14: p1, (k1, p1) in double yo, p1, *p2, ((k1, p1) in double yo, p1) × 2; work from *, p2, (k1, p1) in double yo, p1.

Row 15: k3, yo, cdd, *yo, k5, yo, cdd; work from *, yo, k3.

Row 16: purl.

Row 17: k3, BEY, *k5, BEY; work from *, k3.

Row 18: p4, *p1‑below, p7; work from *, p1‑below, p4.

Row 19: k1, k3tog, yo × 2, k1‑tbl, *yo × 2, sssk, k1, k3tog, yo × 2, k1‑tbl; work from *, yo × 2, sssk, k1.

Row 20: p2, (k1, p1) in double yo, *p1, (k1, p1) in double yo, p3, (k1, p1) in double yo; work from *, p1, (k1, p1) in double yo, p2.

Row 21: k2tog, yo, k1‑tbl, yo, cdd, *(yo, k1‑tbl, yo, cdd) × 2; work from *, yo, k1‑tbl, yo, ssk.

Row 22: purl.

Row 23: ssk, yo, k3, *k2, yo, cdd, yo, k3; work from *, k2, yo, k2tog.

Row 24: purl.

Row 25: k1, k2tog, yo × 2, cdd, *yo × 2, ssk, k1, k2tog, yo × 2, cdd; work from *, yo × 2, ssk, k1.

Row 26: p2, (k1, p1) in double yo, *p1, (k1, p1) in double yo, p3, (k1, p1) in double yo; work from *, p1, (k1, p1) in double yo, p2.

Row 27: k3, BEY, *k5, BEY; work from *, k3.

Row 28: p4, *p1‑below, p7; work from *, p1‑below, p4.

Row 29: k1, k3tog, yo × 2, k1‑tbl, *yo × 2, sssk, k1, k3tog, yo × 2, k1‑tbl; work from *, yo × 2, sssk, k1.

Row 30: p2, (k1, p1) in double yo, *p1, (k1, p1) in double yo, p3, (k1, p1) in double yo; work from *, p1, (k1, p1) in double yo, p2.

Row 31: k2tog, yo, k3, *k2, yo, cdd, yo, k3; work from *, k2, yo, ssk.

Row 32: purl.

End after either row 16 or 32.