Garter Stitch can teach us a lot about knitting. It is usually the first stitch that most of us try when we are introduced to the art and is worked by knitting into every stitch on both the right side and the wrong side.
It is at this point that we learn one of the first rules of knitting: that whatever stitch you work on one side shows as the opposite on the other. So your carefully worked knit stitches that you just completed on the wrong side now show as a line of bumps on the front!
It is at this point that we learn one of the first rules of knitting: that whatever stitch you work on one side shows as the opposite on the other. So your carefully worked knit stitches that you just completed on the wrong side now show as a line of bumps on the front!
But there’s a second thing Garter Stitch can teach us: that the side of the stitch with the ‘bump’ showing tries to push outwards. This can be both a good thing and a bad thing.
The good part is that it gives a fabric texture. In the stitch pattern I featured yesterday, for example, you can see the purl bumps of the Horizontal Parallelogram Check standing out strongly from the knit stitches behind giving the pattern a wonderful depth and character.
However, the bad aspect is that it can introduce curl into a fabric if there are too many purl stitches on one side compared to the other. Have you ever seen a length of Stocking Stitch as it is being worked on a knitting machine? If so, you may have noticed that it emerges as a tightly rolled tube of fabric with the purl side on the outside. It can take a fair bit of unrolling and blocking to get the fabric flat enough to seam it together into a sweater! Well, that is because all the purl stitches are on one side and force the fabric into a tube.
In Garter Stitch, each row of purl ‘bumps’ push outwards, first to one side and then to the other. This gives a strong horizontal patterning with deeply‐indented spaces between the rows but each one is perfectly balanced by the next, so the overall fabric lies perfectly flat! True, the rows are highly compressed, but the finished result is neat, stable and flat.
The good part is that it gives a fabric texture. In the stitch pattern I featured yesterday, for example, you can see the purl bumps of the Horizontal Parallelogram Check standing out strongly from the knit stitches behind giving the pattern a wonderful depth and character.
However, the bad aspect is that it can introduce curl into a fabric if there are too many purl stitches on one side compared to the other. Have you ever seen a length of Stocking Stitch as it is being worked on a knitting machine? If so, you may have noticed that it emerges as a tightly rolled tube of fabric with the purl side on the outside. It can take a fair bit of unrolling and blocking to get the fabric flat enough to seam it together into a sweater! Well, that is because all the purl stitches are on one side and force the fabric into a tube.
In Garter Stitch, each row of purl ‘bumps’ push outwards, first to one side and then to the other. This gives a strong horizontal patterning with deeply‐indented spaces between the rows but each one is perfectly balanced by the next, so the overall fabric lies perfectly flat! True, the rows are highly compressed, but the finished result is neat, stable and flat.
Garter Stitch can, therefore, be used as a border to stabilise other designs such as lace scarves and shawls. However, it is also a well‐loved pattern in its own right, and appreciated not just because it is easy to work but also for its strong lines and detailed patterning.
In this series of twelve blogposts, I am focusing on one stitch from each of the chapters in our Reversible Knitting Stitches book, and featuring a knitting pattern that has been inspired by each one. Today it’s the turn of the humble Garter Stitch from Chapter 6 of the book, and one of Anna‘s colourful patterns, the Autumn Scarf.
In this series of twelve blogposts, I am focusing on one stitch from each of the chapters in our Reversible Knitting Stitches book, and featuring a knitting pattern that has been inspired by each one. Today it’s the turn of the humble Garter Stitch from Chapter 6 of the book, and one of Anna‘s colourful patterns, the Autumn Scarf.
This is a modern design with bold diagonal blocks of colour in three different shades: a deep orange, a rich yellow and a strong contrasting grey. However, the yarn is available in a wide range of colours and the scarf would look great with other colour combinations too.
The result is eye‐catching and the scarf can look very different depending on how it is worn. If it is wrapped casually around your neck in a college‐style fashion, then the bold colours will show separately over your shoulder. However, a more complex wrapping style would bring the colours into closer proximity, giving a fun result.
The scarf uses a lovely soft chunky yarn so is quick to work and it won't be long until you have a new scarf to keep those wintry winds at bay!
The result is eye‐catching and the scarf can look very different depending on how it is worn. If it is wrapped casually around your neck in a college‐style fashion, then the bold colours will show separately over your shoulder. However, a more complex wrapping style would bring the colours into closer proximity, giving a fun result.
The scarf uses a lovely soft chunky yarn so is quick to work and it won't be long until you have a new scarf to keep those wintry winds at bay!
If you would like to read more about the Autumn Scarf pattern, then please click here, and to read more about our the Reversible Knitting Stitches book, please click here.
If you would like to go back to the first of this blogpost series, then please click here and follow the links at the bottom of each page until you get back to this point again.
I’ll be back next time with a true story of a pair of Swedish hikers and their close encounter with a knitter preparing for winter…
Until then – Happy Reversible Knitting!
Moira
If you would like to go back to the first of this blogpost series, then please click here and follow the links at the bottom of each page until you get back to this point again.
I’ll be back next time with a true story of a pair of Swedish hikers and their close encounter with a knitter preparing for winter…
Until then – Happy Reversible Knitting!
Moira
 | Last Blogpost: Mathematics and Knitting 12 for 12 Series Introduction: It's all about the 12's Next Up: Yes that was me! Our book: Reversible Knitting Stitches My Website: www.wyndlestrawdesigns.com |
Keywords: 12 for 12 Series – Twelve Reversible Stitches & Patterns,
Book/Reversible Knitting Stitches, Patterns/Women’s Scarves & Wraps,
reversible knitting, reversible stitches, knitting stitches, scarf, scarves, autumn, Garter Stitch, texture.
Book/Reversible Knitting Stitches, Patterns/Women’s Scarves & Wraps,
reversible knitting, reversible stitches, knitting stitches, scarf, scarves, autumn, Garter Stitch, texture.
