Posted on 8-2-2021 by Janita van Rijnsbergen
Have you got the winter blues? February might be the shortest month of the year, but it does sometimes feel like it drags on and on. The festivities around Christmas and New Year are well and truly behind us, but spring still feels so far away. We have the perfect antidote: Stay in and knit, knit, knit! Yes, cold days and dark nights are the perfect excuse for cozying up indoors and putting in some extra handcrafting hours. Perfect for learning a new knitting stitch, like the double seed stitch!
Over the past year, people have been discovering and exploring knitting and crochet in their droves. And that’s wonderful to see! So, especially for all you newbie knitters, this month’s Stitch of the Month is the double seed stitch. It’s the perfect next step once you’ve mastered the basic stitches.
Indeed, for the double seed stitch, you only need to use knit and purl stitches in a simple 4-row repeat. The resulting fabric is reversible, meaning that the right and wrong sides look identical. It’s very sturdy, but at the same time, lovely and stretchy. The bold, chunky look of this stitch means it’s ideal for knitting home décor (think cushions!), sweaters with a cool, masculine vibe, and accessories, such as scarves, hats and headbands. It’s also great for household aides, like potholders and dishcloths.
Before we dive into the free knitting pattern and video tutorial, let’s quickly talk about the name. In the US, double seed stitch is better known as (American) moss stitch or Irish moss stitch. Occasionally, you’ll find it called double moss stitch, but that term more usually refers to a (knit 2, purl 2) / (purl 2, knit 2) repeat across the rows. So, if you come across any of these stitches in your pattern, it’s always a good idea to double-check the pattern instructions to see exactly which stitch is meant.
Free Knitting Pattern: Knit the Double Seed Stitch
To knit the double seed stitch, cast on an uneven number of stitches. For our swatch, we use 31 stitches.
Rows 1 and 2: Knit 1, *purl 1, knit 1*. Repeat *-* until the end of the row.
Rows 3 and 4: Purl 1, *knit 1, purl 1*. Repeat *-* until the end of the row.
Repeat rows 1 – 4.
Video Tutorial: How to Knit the Double Seed Stitch
Knitting Projects Using Double Seed Stitch
Have you fallen in love with this luxurious, textured stitch? Then you’ll definitely want to jump from test swatch to proper knitting project. For example, there’s plenty of double-seed-stitch fun to be had with the Yarn and Colors Moss and Cross Cushion Knitting Kit. Enjoy!
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