The “Stitch of the Month” is back! If you’re a beginner knitter or Haakster and would like to master some new stitches, you’re in for a treat! Every month, we’ll be spotlighting a different stitch. The ajour stitch, the peacock stitch, the butterfly stitch, Apache tears… by the end of this year, you’ll be a pro at them all thanks to Yarnplaza’s extensive stitch library. In this blog, we’ll teach you how to knit the ajour stitch.
We’re kicking off the month of April with the ajour stitch. Ajour knitting is also known as “hole knitting” or lace knitting. Without dropping any stitches, you create a pattern of holes. This pattern can take on all kinds of shapes—from simple vertical stripes to an elegant floral detail. The ajour stitch is often used in summer projects. That makes sense, because the hole pattern makes your project nice and airy.
The Basics of Ajour Knitting
Knitting with openwork really isn’t as hard as it looks. With a few basic techniques and a little patience, you’ll definitely get the hang of it. Take your time reading the openwork chart. You read it from the bottom right to the top left. It’s a little different from what you’re used to, but it actually makes perfect sense. The chart tells you exactly what to do. In all lace Knitting Patterns, there are numbers next to the rows so you know exactly where to start. The legend explains what each symbol means.
It’s helpful to know that the lace pattern is created by knitting stitches together (that is, knitting two stitches at once) and wrapping the yarn around the needle either before or after knitting them together. You can check your progress while knitting by counting the number of stitches. The number of yarn overs (increases) and knit-tog/slip-tog (decreases) is equal, so the number of stitches remains the same. We’d love to show you how to knit a diamond pattern in ajour stitch with a clear pattern and video. Want to join us?
Free Openwork Diamond Pattern
Number of stitches for symmetry: a multiple of 12 + 7 + 1 edge stitch on each side.
Stitches
Used: Lace Stitch = Lace Stitch
R = right
Av = Backward
Cover = cover
Samenbr = knitting together
St = stitch
Nld = needle
1st row (right side of work) and 5th row: 1 edge st, * 2 sts K, K2tog, 1 yo, 8 sts K *; repeat from * to *, ending with 2 sts K, K2tog, 1 yo, 3 sts K, 1 edge st.
2nd and all even rows: Begin and end with a selvedge stitch; knit the stitches in between and the yarn overs.
3rd row: 1 edge st, * 1 knit st, knit 2 together, 1 yarn over, knit 2 together, 1 yarn over, 7 knit sts *; repeat from * to *, ending with 1 knit st, knit 2 together, 1 yarn over, knit 2 together, 1 yarn over, 2 knit sts, 1 edge st.
7th and 15th rows; Knit all stitches.
Rows 9 and 13; 1 edge st, *8 knit sts, knit 2 sts together, 1 yarn over, 2 knit sts*; repeat from * to *, ending with 7 knit sts, 1 edge st.
11th row: 1 edge st, * 7 sts, k2tog, 1 yarn over, k2tog, 1 yarn over, 1 st, * repeat from * to *, ending with 7 sts, 1 edge st.
Repeat these 16 rows over and over!
Video tutorial on knitting a diamond pattern
Ajour Knitting Kits
Have you mastered openwork knitting and want to get started with this unique stitch as soon as possible? Then check out our openwork knitting kits for Ladieswear.
Have fun knitting! We'd love to see your openwork knitting on our Facebook page or on Instagram using #Yarnplaza.
