The Crossed Ribs Stitch is a beautiful example of the 2×2 Rib Stitch that has been varied with some Cabling techniques.
The “base” of the stitch is founded in a straight-forward 2×2 Rib Stitch, i.e. knit two, purl two. This ribbing is then offset by the use of cable six forward/backward techniques to producing the crossing effect.
Be careful when doing the cabling! It is a little more complicated than your standard Cable Six. You will slip four onto the cable, knit two and then slip two stitches back onto the left-hand needle again and purl them before knitting the last two off the cable needle.
Ready to get going?
Instructions
Cast on any multiple of sixteen plus two stitches for your project.
Start the first row on the wrong side of the fabric. Repeat a knit two, purl two repeat along the row until you reach the final two stitches and knit both. You will repeat this pattern for all the alternate rows i.e. rows three, five, seven, nine, etc. and so on.
The second-row continues with a purl two, knit two repeat until you reach the final two stitches and purl two. Keep repeating and alternating between rows one and two until you reach the tenth row.
The tenth row begins by purling two and then starts a repeat of cable six forwards. To do this cable six forward, start by slipping four stitches onto your cable stitch and hold it in front of the work, then knit two from the left-hand needle. Slip two stitches from the cable needle back onto the left-hand needle and then purl them. Follow by knitting the two remaining stitches on the cable needle. Follow this by twice, purling two then knitting two and then finish by purling two. Repeat from the start of the cable till you reach the end of the row.
Go back to alternating between rows one and two from row eleven until you reach the end of the nineteenth row.
For the twentieth (and last row), start a repeat by purling two, knitting two (twice), then purl two stitches again and then cable six backward. To do the cable six backward, start by slipping four stitches from your left-hand needle onto the cable needle then knit two, slip two of the stitches back onto the left-hand needle from the cable needle and purl both. Finally, knit the last two stitches from the cable needle. Keep repeating this until you have reached the last two stitches in the row and purl both.
Once you have completed row twenty, continue repeating rows 1-20 until you have the desired size.
Difficulty level:
Traditional Instructions
Row 1 & all alt rows (WS): *k2, p2; repeat from * till last two stitches, k2.
Rows 2, 4, 6 & 8: *p2, k2; repeat from * till last two stitches, p2.
Row 10: p2, *C6F, (p2, k2) twice, p2; repeat from * till the end of the row.
Rows 12, 14, 16 & 18: *p2, k2; repeat from * till last two stitches, p2.
Row 20: *(p2, k2) twice, p2, C6B; repeat from * till last two stitches, p2.
Repeat rows 1-20 to desired length.
Crossed Ribs Stitch Chart
Crossed Ribs Stitch Swatch Examples
