Knitting

Patterns, projects and techniques

Fun with Garter Stitch

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wacing fingers wildflower knitsWhen we’re new knitters, the first thing most of us do is knit something made with garter stitch. And we usually pretty quickly abandon “knit every stitch of every row” because, frankly, it can be kind of boring. But there are reasons to keep coming back to humble garter stitch: it’s fast, it has built-in texture, it doesn’t curl and you can do things to spice it up should you want to.

I happen to be working on a scarf right now (a rare non-book bit of knitting, for a good reason that I’ll share probably later this week) that I’m working in garter stitch with a row of elongated stitches every few rows to make the yarn go further, make the scarf a bit less stifling and to add interest in the knitting and the wearing.

I also just came across this cute Waving Fingers Scarf from Wildflower Knits, which uses regular cast ons and bind offs to make “fingers” of fringe along one edge of the scarf. The sample was worked in Plymouth Kudo (another self-striping beauty), but any self-striping yarn you like (including Noro!) would make quick and beautiful work of this easy scarf.

How do you feel about garter stitch? Spill it!

[Photo by Wildflower Knits.]

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Comments

  1. Hi Sarah!
    Just wanted to add that this is a great project for beginners because they get lots of practice casting on and binding off! Thanks for posting!
    Kennita

  3. There is so much to recommend about garter stitch – in addition to the list of positives you’ve already written I would add that garter stitch projects are fabulous for when you just want some “stitch therapy”. I just love pieces with big runs of knit stitch – time to zen out (zone out) and sort through the day.

Have you read?

Summer T-Shirt Knitting Patterns

Knitters are always looking for ways to continue to knit and to wear their knits even when it’s hot outside, so there are tots of great T0shirt knitting patterns to choose from. I love knitting short-sleeved shirts because they feel so much faster than sweaters, and you can wear them on top of dresses or even longer-sleeved items when it gets cooler.

There are lots of different styles of knit tops, from the basic to the more detailed. On the more basic side are things like the Perfect T-Shirt from Originally Lovely, a basic raglan tee with nine sizes and worked in worsted weight yarn; Paper Bloom by Yvonne Hugo (free on Ravelry), available in six sizes and worked with cotton and silk yarn for extra coolness; or Iris H’s Amelia Top, also on Ravelry, a slim fit, DK weight top with nine size.

Jazz it up with a bit of lace like on the Athens Lace Hem top by Sarah Hatton (Ravelry). This otherwise simple project has a bit of lace at the bottom, which is an easy way to make a project more interesting without a ton of work. This one uses fingering weight yarn and comes in nine sizes.

Another simple embellishment is to emphasize the lines of your top with different stitches. The Spring Lines top uses twisted ribbing at the center front and V-neck and along the raglan lines to give it a slimmer fit and more interest. This design from Turquoise Toque Designs has 11 size options and is available on Ravelry.

Silfurberg by Joji Locatelli uses both of these elements, with lace panels at the center front and back and purl ridges throughout to make it a little more fun to knit and to wear. The pattern uses fingering weight yarn and comes in 10 sizes. Learn more on Ravelry.

Keep it simple or add puffed sleeves (and/or long sleeves) to the slim fit Knitty Committee top by Lily Kate France. This one has two length options, waist shaping and optional bust darts to fulfill all your curvy top dreams, and it comes in nine sizes. You’ll find it on Ravelry.

Take it even more romantic with the Daphne Top from Friday Knits, which has puffed sleeves and applied I-cord to emphasize the bust and sweetheart neckline. It comes in eight sizes and uses DK weight yarn.

Or add some sweet flowers with the Gigio pattern from Emilie Luis. This pretty pattern found on Ravelry has cable panels running up the front with the option for adding sweet embroidered flowers. You can also add decorative buttons if you like. It comes in 11 sizes and calls for sport weight yarn.