The Knitting Fiend

Can you believe only one color is worked each row?

This two color stitch pattern is easy to knit, doesn’t curl, looks terrific on the purl side and acceptable on the knit side! It would make a wonderful vest or scarf.

Here are the directions.

Blended Stripes¹
Multiple of 4 stitches plus 3.

• Cast on a multiple of 4 stitches plus 3 more. (Example 19 stitches = 4*4 stitches + 3 stitches.)
• Knit 1 row with color A. (Wrong side.)
• Row 1: Color B, k1, * sl 1 wyib, p3; repeat from *, end sl 1, k1.
• Row 2: Color B, k1, * sl 1 wyif, k3; repeat from *, end sl 1, k1.
• Row 3: Color A, p3, * sl 1 wyib, p3; repeat from *.
• Row 4: Color A, k3, * sl 1 wyif, k3; repeat from *.
• Repeat rows 1-4.

I hope the long abbreviations “sl 1 wyib” and “sl 1 wyif” haven’t scared off the beginners because they are easy. Here’s what they mean:

• “sl 1 wyib” means ” slip 1 with yarn in back”. This means, hold the yarn in back of the work, which where you normally hold the yarn when you knit a stitch, slip the next stitch. Do remember, the convention in knitting is: slip a stitch by inserting the tip as to purl unless otherwise stated.²
• “sl 1 wyif” means “slip with yarn in front”. This means hold the yarn in front of the work as you would to purl, slip the next stitch inserting the tip as to purl.

Oh, guess what? I made a “boo-boo”. If you look carefully, you’ll spot two light brown horizontal strands covering the vertical dark brown column to the left and near the bottom. Guess who mixed up “wyib” and “wyif” when knitting with light brown? And she did it twice!

Oh well. It was a swatch and this is a blog. Perfection is for other people.

To find my other stitch patterns, visit Knit stitch patterns.

Stitch patterns are also compiled at technorati’s knit stitch patterns page, where you’ll also find how to knit articles.