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Duplicate Stitch: A Clever Solution for Kilt Hose

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use duplicate stitch to change a color on socksThis is not exactly a knitting tutorial, but it may come in handy for knitters who make kilt hose or other tartan or argyle designs.

Nina at Nina Makes recently bought some kilt hose for her daughter, who has taken up Highland dancing, and while the colors were close to the tartan she’s wearing, the diagonal stripes on the socks were in gold, which stood out unpleasantly, especially because there was no gold in her red, white and black kilt.

Duplicate stitch to the rescue! Because these were purchased socks she had lines to follow, but this is a relatively easy way to jazz up plain knit socks as well. Just add some duplicate stitch in a contrasting color, whether in diagonal lines, diamond patterns, add an initial or a monogram, or anything else you like.

Do you ever use duplicate stitch to add color to a project? I’d love to hear about it.

[Photo via Nina Makes.]

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Comments

  1. Hi There

    I was attempting to knit an Argyle top for my grandson, but tension was far too tight. I ended up knitting it in one colour, and doing the Argyle pattern in duplicate stitch – success !

Have you read?

Stitch Your Favorite Fruit on a Sweater

The other day I saw a post from Pinterest about trends for summer and it said one of them was “cultivating whimsy.” 

Well, I don’t know where Pinterest has been all this time, but we’ve been cultivating whimsy here at Craft Gossip for a long time. I love sharing projects that are a little different, things that make you smile when you see them, and will make you smile when you knit them and wear them or use them. 

Such it is with the Tutti Frutti tee knitting pattern from Bea Creative Knits. 

This cute little baby tee is worked top down in the round with contiguous shoulder construction to shape the sleeve caps. There are short rows for the neckline and folded hems with picot edging at the hemline, neckline and edges of the sleeves. 

All of this would be great on its own, but then there’s the addition of a super cute fruit icon, which is added with duplicate stitch. There are a lot of options, including strawberry, banana, orange, cherries, watermelon, lemon, blueberries, kiwi, peach, dragon fruit, apple and pear, so it’s likely you can add on your favorite fruit. 

It is offered in eight sizes, to fit a bust measurement ranging from 28-30 inches (71-76 cm) to 56-58 inches (142-147 cm). The design is meant to be worn with around 6.3 inches/16 cm of negative ease, but you can choose the fit you prefer. There’s also optional bust and waist shaping included in the pattern if you want to make it even curvier.

This is considered an advanced beginner or intermediate project because of all the skills involved, but it’s sure to be a lot of fun even if some of these techniques are new to you.

Grab a copy of the pattern for yourself form Bea Creative Knits on Etsy. 

[Photo: Bea Creative Knits]