Loop Yarn Stitch Guide
Whether you're new to loop yarn knitting or you're just looking for some new loop yarn stitches or techniques to add to your repertoire, you may find this a useful resource!
Below, I've compiled a guide of loop yarn stitches, along with descriptions, as well as links to videos and tutorials (stitch names that are highlighted are linked to tutorials).
This guide will be a work in progress, as I add more tutorials, stitches and techniques.
STITCH NAME |
VARIATIONS |
DESCRIPTION |
|
Knit stitch |
N/A |
Pull the loop of your working yarn up through your stationary loop, from back to front. |
|
Purl stitch |
N/A |
Place your working yarn in front of your stationary loop, and push the working yarn loop through the front to the back of your stationary loop. |
|
Ribbed stitch (aka. ribbing) |
N/A | The rib stitch effect is created by alternating knit and purl stitches. By repeating the same order of stitches in each row, you will achieve a double-sided effect of ribbing. |
|
Garter stitch |
Garter stitch | The garter stitch is similar to the ribbed stitch, but the knit and purl stitches are alternated by row instead of side-by-side. You perform a row of knit stitches, then a row of purl stitches, and so-on. Like the ribbed stitch, this also creates a double-sided blanket. |
| video tutorial | Twisted garter stitch | Instead of knit stitches, alternate rows of twisted stitches with purl stitches. |
|
Seed stitch |
N/A | The seed stitch effect is created by alternating knit and purl stitches, as well as alternating the order of your stitches every row. (i.e. knit-purl repeat in odd rows, purl-knit repeat in even rows) |
|
Twisted stitch |
Twisted knit stitch |
Twist your stationary loop once to the left. Pull the loop of your working yarn up through the your stationary loop from back to front. NOTE: Loops can be twisted right or left according to instructions and for different effects. |
| Twisted purl stitch |
Twist your stationary loop once to the left. Place your working loop in front of your stationary loop, and push the working loop through the front to the back of your stationary loop. NOTE: Loops can be twisted right or left according to instructions and for different effects. |
|
|
Criss-cross stitch (aka. cross over) |
Cross over right |
With the next two stitches, lay the right-hand stitch over the left-hand stitch. Pull the next two loops of the working yarn up through these loops while keeping the stationary loops crossed. |
| Cross over left |
With the next two stitches, lay the left-hand stitch over the right-hand stitch. Pull the next two loops of the working yarn up through these loops while keeping the stationary loops crossed. |
|
|
Flat cable stitch |
(see Staghorn cable below) | This pattern uses a 2-row repeat and combines criss-cross and knit stitches. Row 1: Cross over left. Repeat to the end of the row. Row 2: Perform knit stitches for the entire row. |
|
Chunky cable stitch |
Cable over right |
With the next four stitches, lay the two right-hand stitches together over the two left-hand stitches together. Pull the next four loops of the working yarn up through these loops while keeping the stationary loops crossed. NOTE: For thicker cables, you can also use six stitches and cross three over three stitches. |
| Cable over left |
With the next four stitches, lay the two left-hand stitches together over the two right-hand stitches together. Pull the next four loops of the working yarn up through these loops while keeping the stationary loops crossed. NOTE: For thicker cables, you can also use six stitches and cross three over three stitches. |
|
| Fishtail cable stitch | N/A | Cross over left, then cross over right. Repeat the same two stitches for the rest of your row. Then repeat the same criss-cross stitch pattern for every row - this will create rope-like cables which fan out in opposite direction from each other like the tail of a fish. |
|
Staghorn cable stitch |
N/A | This pattern uses a 2-row repeat and combines criss-cross and knit stitches. Row 1: Cross over left, cross over right. Repeat to the end of the row. Row 2: Perform knit stitches for the entire row. This pattern is similar to the flat cable stitch, but it uses mirror image flat cables side by side to create the 'staghorn' look. |
| Fish scale stitch | N/A | This pattern uses a 4-row repeat. Row 1: Knit a row of criss-cross stitches all pointing to the right (cross over left. Row 2: Knit a row of criss-cross stitches all pointing to the left (cross over right). Row. 3: Perform a single knit stitch, then cross over left for the rest of the row, ending with a knit stitch for the last stitch. Row 4: Perform a single knit stitch, then cross over right for the rest of the row, ending with a knit stitch for the last stitch. |
|
Honeycomb stitch (aka. hexagon) |
N/A | This pattern uses a 4-row repeat. Row 1: Perform knit stitches for the entire row. Row 2: Alternate criss-cross stitches for the entire row (e.g.) cross over left, cross over right, repeat). Row 3: Perform knit stitches for the entire row. Row 4: Alternate criss-cross stitches for the entire row in the opposite direction to your criss-cross stitches from row 2. |
|
Decrease stitch |
Double-knit right over left or left over right (ie. reduce stitch by 1) |
Feed your loop of working yarn through two (or more) loops of stationary yarn. To double-knit right over left, you will pull your working yarn through your left stationary loop first, and right loop second. To double-knit left over right, you will pull it through the right loop first, and left loop second. NOTE: Each variation of decreasing stitches yields a specific look or texture to your blanket, such as in the edge or tip of leaf motifs. |
| Double-purl right over left or left over right (ie. reduce stitch by 1) |
Place two loops of stationary yarn one on top of the other, and push your working yarn through both, from front to back. To double-purl right over left, place your right stationary loop over your left stationary loop, then push your working loop through both stationary loops, from front to back in a purl stitch. To double-purl left over right, place your left stationary loop over the right, and push your working loop through both loops. NOTE: Each variation of decreasing stitches yields a specific look or texture to your blanket, such as in the edge or tip of leaf motifs. |
|
|
|
Triple-knit stitch (ie. reduce stitch by 2) |
Feed your working loop up through the next three stationary loops, from back to front. NOTE: Each variation of decreasing stitches yields a specific look or texture to your blanket, such as in the edge or tip of leaf motifs. |
|
Increase stitch |
N/A |
Pull more than one working loop of up through your stationary loop, from back to front. NOTE: The number of loops pulled through your stationary loop can vary, but the technique remains the same. |
|
Skip working stitch |
N/A | Leave the working loop free/unworked. This will leave a hole in your blanket below the working loop. The loop will be worked into the project on the next row. |
|
Eyelet stitch |
N/A |
Perform a knit stitch by pulling your working yarn up through your stationary loop, from back to front, then pull the stationary loop of your previous stitch through your current loop from back to front (this is a similar technique to binding-off). |
|
Bobble stitch (aka. pom-pom stitch) |
N/A |
Pull your working loop up through your stationary loop, from back to front. Then pull the next working loop through the previous working loop. Repeat this one more time (you will have made a chain of loops, consisting of the stationary loop and three successive working loops). Now take that final loop and fold the chain down (towards you), tucking the top loop of your chain through the front of the first stationary loop. (You are essentially performing a purl stitch with your chain of loops). You now have a bobble. When you knit your next row of your project, be sure not to miss incorporating these loops, as they will tend to stick backward, rather than up. NOTE: Different patterns may have greater or fewer numbers of loops in the chain that forms your bobble. |
|
Star stitch |
N/A |
This is an appliqué technique. Cut a strand of loop yarn eight loops long. Cut open the first and last loops. You should now have a strand with six loops. Pull the first five loops up through your work from back to front, where you want the five points of your star to be. Now pull the sixth loop up through the centre of those five loops. This will be the centre of your star. Pull the centre loop through the top left loop. Now pull that same loop through the top loop. Continuing clockwise, pull the same loop through the top right loop, then the bottom right loop, and finally the bottom left loop. All your loops should now be connected in the centre by the centre loop. Now pull your centre loop down through your work and tie it with your cut ends of yarn. |
|
Horizontal chain stitch (original ILMB technique) |
N/A |
Turn your work 90 degrees (to the left if you are on an even row, to the right if you are on an odd row), so that your next stitch is upward from your previous stitch. Take the next working loop and place it over your stationary loop so that they cross like a +. Now take the next working loop after that and pull it up through both the stationary loop and the previous working loop, from back to front. |
| Hitch knot stitch (original ILMB technique) | N/A | Instructions available with purchase of 'Hitch Knot Blanket Pattern'. |
|
Herringbone stitch |
N/A | Please refer to the video tutorial for instructions from Alize Yarns. |
|
Double-knit stitch |
N/A |
The same as a knit stitch, but you will use two colours of working yarn. Layer the working loop of one colour on top of the other colour, and pull both up through your stationary loop from back to front. (The instructions will advise which colour goes on top and which goes on the bottom.) NOTE: This technique is used when combining two separate strands of coloured yarn in Intarsia or Fair Isle knitting. |
|
Seam stitch |
Side seam stitch |
This technique binds two separate pieces of knitting together. Place your working loop on top of the stationary loop of the edge you wish to bind to, then take your next working loop and pull it up through both loops, from back to front. |
| Top seam stitch | Pull the unfinished loops along the top edge of your work up through the edge you wish to bind to, then bind-off your stitches from one end to the other. | |
|
Chain stitch |
N/A |
Pull your second loop through the first loop from back to front. This is similar to a knit stitch, but instead of pulling working yarn through stationary yarn, you are using working yarn only and creating a chain of stitches. |
|
Bind-off
|
N/A |
To finish your edge, pull the second free loop through the first loop, from back to front. Pull the third loop through the second loop. Pull the fourth loop through the third loop. Continue in this manner until you have completed the entire length you wish to bind off. NOTE: Binding off any edge of your work is done in the same fashion, but if you do not have free loops to bind (such as on the finished sides or bottom of a blanket), then you will first need to feed loops of your working yarn through the sides). |