Creating Patterns with Slipped Stitches

Want to create vertical stripes of color in your knitting?  Love Fair Isle but feel daunted trying to knit with two colors at the same a time?  Then slip stitches are just the thing for you!  Sometimes called Color Slip Stitching or Mosaic Knitting by some authors, this is an easy technique using 2 or more colors but only one color per row of knitting to create color patterns.

If you've knit a striped project you're half way there and if you've knit a ball band washcloth then you already know how to do it!

The technique can be worked the in the round or flat.

To work a flat practice swatch very much like a ball band washcloth choose two contrasting colors, one light and one dark.

• To begin, cast on normally and work two rows with your dark color.
• Join light color yarn
• *With the light color k5, the next stitch you want to remain dark so slip this stitch purlwise.
• K5 with the light color and repeat slipping the next stitch purlwise.
• Repeat across your row. For simplicity, end with some knit stitches. Turn
• Work back, purling the light colored stitches and slipping the dark colored stitches. Turn
• Work this row with the dark color, K across. Turn
• Purl across. Turn.
• K2, *slip 1 pw, k5,*repeat across. Turn
• Work back, purling the light colored stitches and slipping the dark colored stitches. Turn
• With dark color, K across. Turn
• Purl across. Turn.
•  Repeat from* for as long as you want the swatch to be.

 That's all there is to it!  So between learning how to carry yarns for stripes in last Friday's blog and today, you are all set to knit this month's free pattern by Kristen Ashbaugh-Helmreich, Ruby Crest Hat and Mitts!

 As always if you have questions or comments please send me an email to askTerry at jimmybeanswool.com

Happy Knitting!
Terry