The Knitting All Around Stitch Dictionary

We love a stitch dictionary.

I have honed and polished my knitting library down to only the most useful, precious books that spark joy. Apart from sentimental favorites, such as all of Kaffe Fassett and our own two books (three if you count A Coloring Book for Knitters, which I totally do count), my bookshelf is a shrine to stitch dictionaries. I’ve got all the greats: Barbara Walker, Lesley Stansfield, Cecilia Campochiaro (kind of a stitch dictionary, kind of something completely different), and a stack of Japanese stitch dictionaries that are a dogeared, mind-blowing legacy from Belinda Boaden, who knew a good Japanese cable when she saw one.

Why do I have all these stitch dictionaries, when I so rarely design anything?

They just fascinate me. You can learn a lot from a stitch dictionary. Stitch dictionaries demystify the brickwork that supports the architecture of knitting. Like mathematical texts, they show off the brainy underpinnings of our craft, our collective curiosity and ingenuity. Just having them makes me feel like I know what I’m doing, or at least could find out.

One thought that seeps in, on occasion, is the question: why aren’t stitch dictionaries more beautiful? Most of them are page after page of stitch grids (marked by hand in the older dictionaries), abbreviations, and grainy black-and-white or washed-out color photos. They are not very inviting.

Another thing that is often lacking is recognition that a stitch pattern can be worked any other way than flat (back and forth), and from the bottom up. Knitters don’t always knit that way. Sometimes you want to knit a sweater from the top down, and in the round, like the cool kids do. It’s work to rejigger a flat, bottom-up stitch pattern so that it works in that situation.

In The Knitting All Around Stitch Dictionary, Wendy Bernard has elegantly solved both of these problems. The book is beautiful, with clear, colorful photos that make a pattern suddenly seem fresh as paint. You want to dive right in. You can see these patterns as hats, mittens, sweaters, and cushions, and the book provides basic patterns for several of these. Plus, all patterns are given bottom up, top down, flat and in the round. No more mental gymnastics to adapt a stitch pattern to the thing you want to make. One less thing to worry about.

For a bit of fun, Wendy Bernard has let us share the instructions for Geometric Curlicues, a mosaic knitting pattern, aka a two-color slip-stitch pattern. Behold:

This pattern makes me think of three things: Orla Kiely, dishcloths, and cushions. For a dishcloth, work it in garter. For a cushion, work it big, and in stockinette.

The black squares represent the color you designate as dark, and the white square the color designated as light.

Here are the written instructions, with L representing light and D representing dark.

Version 1: Flat

(multiple of 16 sts + 3; 32-row repeat)

Using L, CO or work 1 row.

ROW 1 (RS): Using D, k1, *k7, slip 3, k6; repeat from * to last 2 sts, k2.

ROW 2 AND ALL WS ROWS: Using current color, knit or purl the purl sts and slip the slipped sts as they face you.

ROW 3: Using L, k1, *slip 1, k5, slip 1, k9; repeat from * to last 2 sts, slip 1, k1.

ROW 5: Using D, k1, *k1, slip 1, k3, slip 1, k1, slip 1, k5, slip 3; repeat from * to last 2 sts, k2.

ROW 7: Using L, k1, *[slip 1, k1] 4 times, [slip 1, k3] twice; repeat from * to last 2 sts, slip 1, k1.

ROW 9: Using D, k1, *k1, slip 1, k5, slip 1; repeat from * to last 2 sts, k2.

ROW 11: Using L, k1, *[slip 1, k3] twice, [slip 1, k1] 4 times; repeat from * to last 2 sts, slip 1, k1.

ROW 13: Using D, k1, *k5, slip 3, k1, slip 1, k3, slip 1, k1, slip 1; repeat from * to last 2 sts, k2.

ROW 15: Using L, k1, *k8, slip 1, k5, slip 1, k1; repeat from * to last 2 sts, k2.

ROW 17: Using D, k1, *slip 2, k13, slip 1; repeat from * to last 2 sts, slip 1, k1.

ROW 19: Using L, k1, *k2, slip 1, k5, slip 1, k7; repeat from * to last 2 sts, k2.

ROW 21: Using D, k1, *[k1, slip 1] twice, k3, slip 1, k1, slip 3, k4; repeat from * to last 2 sts, k2.

ROW 23: Using L, k1, *[slip 1, k1] 4 times, [slip 1, k3] twice; repeat from * to last 2 sts, slip 1, k1.

ROW 25: Repeat Row 9.

ROW 27: Repeat Row 11.

ROW 29: Using D, k1, *k1, slip 3, k5, slip 1, k1, slip 1, k3, slip 1; repeat from * to last 2 sts, k2.

ROW 31: Using L, k1, *slip 1, k9, slip 1, k5; repeat from * to last 2 sts, slip 1, k1.

ROW 32: Repeat Row 2.

Repeat Rows 1–32 for Geometric Curlicues Flat.

Version 2: In the Round

(multiple of 16 sts; 32-rnd repeat)

Using L, CO or work 1 rnd.

RND 1: Using D, *k7, slip 3, k6; repeat from * to end.

RND 2 AND ALL EVEN-NUMBERED RNDS:

Using current color, knit or purl the knit sts and slip the slipped sts as they face you.

(RND 3: Using L, *slip 1, k5, slip 1, k9; repeat from * to end.

RND 5: Using D, *k1, slip 1, k3, slip 1, k1, slip 1, k5, slip 3; repeat from * to end.

RND 7: Using L, *[slip 1, k1] 4 times, [slip 1, k3] twice; repeat from * to end.

RND 9: Using D, *k1, slip 1, k5, slip 1; repeat from * to end.

RND 11: Using L, *[slip 1, k3] twice, [slip 1, k1] 4 times; repeat from * to end.

RND 13: Using D, *k5, slip 3, k1, slip 1, k3, slip 1, k1, slip 1; repeat from * to end.

RND 15: Using L, *k8, slip 1, k5, slip 1, k1; repeat from * to end.

RND 17: Using D, *slip 2, k13, slip 1; repeat from * to end.

RND 19: Using L, *k2, slip 1, k5, slip 1, k7; repeat from * to end.

RND 21: Using D, *[k1, slip 1] twice, k3, slip 1, k1, slip 3, k4; repeat from * to end.

RND 23: Using L, *[slip 1, k1] 4 times, [slip 1, k3] twice; repeat from * to end.

RND 25: Repeat Rnd 9.

RND 27: Repeat Rnd 11.

RND 29: Using D, *k1, slip 3, k5, slip 1, k1, slip 1, k3, slip 1; repeat from * to end.

RND 31: Using L, *slip 1, k9, slip 1, k5; repeat from * to end.

RND 32: Repeat Rnd 2.

Repeat Rnds 1–32 for Geometric Curlicues in the Round.

(Phew!)

Mosaic knitting is so easy, but I never would have thought of it myself, in a million years. Have at it!

Congratulations, Wendy Bernard, on another beautiful book that knitters will turn to for years to come.