Knitting

Patterns, projects and techniques

Seed Stitch vs. Moss Stitch and How to Tell the Difference

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I was reading a knitting book the other day that made it sound like seed stitch and moss stitch were the same knitting stitch, but that’s not actually true. I feel like there’s a lot of confusion because the same stitch might have different names in different countries, or just depending on who you ask.

In my world, seed stitch is worked on an even number of stitches. You repeat knit 1, purl 1 on the first row, then purl 1, knit 1 on the second row, so the knits and purls alternate from row to row.

I’m American, so I call this seed stitch. British knitters would call this moss stitch. So you might see it referred to as British moss stitch in patterns from the UK or elsewhere.

What Americans call moss stitch is a repeat of four rows, where the knits stack on each other for two rows, followed by a stack of purls for two rows. In other words, if you have an even number of stitches, knit 1, purl 1 across on the first two rows, then purl 1, knit 1 across on the next 2 rows.

Because you’re switching sides this will cause the knits and purls to stack for two rows, then switch positions.

To make it more confusing, American moss stitch is also sometimes called Irish moss stitch. It can also be called double moss stitch, which I think again is a British term but I’m not sure. (That’s two color moss stitch on the scarf shown above, changing colors every two rows in addition to which way the stitches go.)

No matter what you call it, these are both fun and easy knitting stitch patterns that give your project a lot of texture without a lot of work. They also give you lots of practice switching between knits and purls if you’re a newer knitter. And they lie flat because they have a balance of knits and purls across the fabric, so they’re great for scarves and other projects that won’t be seamed.

Check out some seed stitch knitting patterns and moss stitch knitting patterns (American terms there!) to learn more and play with these fun stitches.

Do you have a preference? I think I like seed stitch better, but they are both great.

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Yarn Cozy Knitting Patterns

I’ve been toying with the idea of making a yarn cozy or yarn ball holder on the circular knitting machine, but I haven’t gotten to it yet. In the meantime, here are some yarn cozy knitting patterns you can make with knitting needles. Use yarn to hold you yarn!

In its simplest form, a yarn cozy is just a sleeve or a little basket that holds your yarn when you’re working with a center-pull ball so it doesn’t fall apart when you knit. The easiest ones I could find are from Love in Stitches KN, which has a regular size and a mini size. They’re worked with sock yarn and there are options for making them with ribbing, faux cables and with self-striping yarn.

For bigger cakes there’s a project called We call it the “bail holder” from Nicole LeBlanc. This pattern is available on Ravelry and you can use any yarn and make it any size you like. It features an I-cord edging that has a loop in it so you can thread they yarn through the loop to keep it extra contained as you knit.

Another large one that has a slightly fancier pattern is this one by Mareike Meye. You can use any yarn and any gauge, and slip stitch pattern worked in different colors on the sides makes it a little more fun and uses a bit more stash. A strap buttons across the top to hold the ball in place and you can add a buttonhole to the middle of the strap to thread the yarn through. Check this one out on Ravelry.

Adding lace to a yarn cozy makes it fit a wider variety of balls and expand or shrink a bit as needed. Jennifer Sugarman’s Ball Sack uses sock yarn and is made to hold sock yarn. It has the option of making I-cord or using ribbon or cord you already have to make a drawstring at the top. You can find this pattern on Ravelry.

Another lacy option is the yarn ball holder from Frugal Knitting Haus. This one uses worsted weight yarn and has an easy mesh lace pattern and an I-cord drawstring that’s sewn together at the ends so you could loop it over your wrist while you knit if you like. This pattern is also on Ravelry.

Speaking of wrist yarn holders, I also found this one form Knituition. This one uses sport weight yarn and has a spiral rib pattern on the body. The strap is attached to the bag with D-rings, or you could make it a little longer and just sew it into the bag.