Knitting

Free Patterns, Tutorials and Project Ideas

Video Tutorial: The Seafoam Stitch

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It’s a lot of fun to intentionally drop stitches when you’re knitting. Dropped stitches open up the work without actually increasing or decreasing at all, so it’s a great skill for newer knitters who might be afraid of yarnovers and decreases. I actually just used a simple version of this technique a few weeks ago when I knit my Garter Dropped Stitch Scarf you can check out at About.

seafoam scarfPurposefully dropping stitches can get a little fancier than that, though, if you wrap the yarn around the needle more than one extra time and/or use different numbers of wraps on different stitches across the row. That’s how the Seafoam Stitch is made, and it looks like a lot of fun.

You can check out a video of the technique at Knitting Daily. The demo shows it as the edging of a shawl, but wouldn’t it make a great season-shifting scarf or wrap all on its own? For example, this really cute Seafom Scarf from Put a Sock in It?

Have you ever used dropped stitches in a pattern? Spill it!

[Photo by Put a Sock in It.]

Comments

  2. I have made a couple of scarves using a dropped stitch. It IS fun! and creates a lovely lacy effect. Found the patterns on Lion Brand’s website I think.

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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.