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Book Review: Seed Stitch by Rosemary Drysdale

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seed stitch by rosemary drysdale book reviewMost people, when they learn to knit, seem to learn the knit stitch and then the purl stitch. We make endless Garter Stitch and Stockinette Stitch projects before combining knit and purl in the same row, usually to add ribbing to the edges of projects that are still mostly worked in Stockinette Stitch.

But of course it’s the combination of knits and purls that accounts for a lot of the interest that possible in a knit fabric, and one of the most basic ways to get there is through Seed Stitch (or what the British call Moss Stitch, which is a whole different thing this side of the pond).

Seed Stitch in its basic form is simple: knit 1, purl 1 across and then do the opposite on the next row.

Rosemary Drysdale took this simple stitch pattern and twisted it in all sorts of ways for her lovely and inspiring sourcebook Seed Stitch: Beyond Knit 1, Purl 1.

The book includes a primer on the basics of working with Seed Stitch, such as how the pattern is worked on even and odd numbers of stitches, flat and in the round, and how one increases and decreases in the pattern.

Readers will then find swatches and instructions for 60 variations on Seed Stitch including projects with multiple colors, chevrons, cables, lace and other design elements.

Thirty-one patterns using some of these stitch patterns round out the book. There are five cowls, four scarves, six pillows, two bags, one throw, two baby blankets, three baby hats and two versions of a pint-sized cardigan, as well as a couple of hats, a pair of mitts, a poncho and two tops. All of them are rated easy except one, the Open Squares Cowl, which is rated intermediate (it’s an eye-catching cowl made with Seed Stitch and open squares made by casting off stitches).

A few of the patterns that caught my eye include the Striped Wristers, which have a cute zig-zag pattern worked in tweedy yarn; the Cropped Pullover, worked in two color Seed Stitch Stripes; and the Narrow Zigzag Pillow, which uses a two-color vertical chevron design that’s one of my favorites of all the stitch patterns in the book.

If you’re already a fan of Seed Stitch you are sure to enjoy this book, and if you’ve never gotten into knit 1, purl 1 before this book will make you realize there’s a whole lot more out there that can be a lot more interesting to knit.

About the book: 144 pages, paperback with interior flaps. Published September 2017 by Sixth & Spring Books. Suggested retail $21.95.

 

Looking for more knitting patterns for knitted Cardigans? Check out these Knitting patterns we found on Etsy.

Specific to knitters, you can join our Knitting Patterns Only group to get, well, knitting patterns, ask questions and gain inspiration for what to knit next.

Looking for Yarn online? Check out Lionbrand our preferred source for purchasing yarn online.

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Pencil Knitting Patterns

Getting ready for back to school makes me think about pencil crafts, so let’s take a look at some pencil themed knitting patterns! 

I recently made a pencil on a circular knitting machine, and it was a fun, quick, easy project that uses little bits of leftover yarn (and if you don’t have yellow you can make it a colored pencil using whatever color’s your favorite). And if you want to make a bigger version check out this pattern from Orange Olive Road on Etsy.

If you want to knit a pencil pillow by hand, check out Sketchy, available on Ravelry from Shana S. Cohen. This one uses worsted weight yarn and has two size options and the choice to make a pencil with an eraser or a colored pencil. 

Pencil scarves seem to be the most popular kind of pencil knitting pattern, and there are lot of cute ones. This one from Cosy Craft UK mostly uses garter stitch, with some welts to add texture and what looks like an I-cord edging. It calls for DK weight yarn. 

If you want to go all garter stitch try this version from Emsley Co Creations, which uses five colors of DK weight yarn and just a little shaping to make the point of the pencil.

There’s also this fun, mostly stockinette so it looks like it curls a bit, pencil pattern that looks like it’s worked in chunky yarn from Little Knits Studio. This one uses just a little garter stitch and easy shaping for the point. 

If you don’t want a pencil scarf, how about some pencil socks? The No. 2 Pencil Socks from The Yarn Enabler are available from Ravelry and use five colors of sock yarn. They feature wide ribs to mimic the texture of a pencil and have options to be worked from the top down or the toe up. 

Needs Sharpening by Alexander Walker is a free pattern on Ravelry that uses five colors of sock yarn to make a sort of shortie sock. The little bit of black at the tips of the toes inspired the name. These, too, can be worked in either direction and are available in three sizes.