Slip Stitches
Slip Stitches Library
Taking an error and turning it into an art form - in the early days of knitting, missing (or slipping a stitch) by mistake may have caught the eye of the curious knitter and they began to experiment with this technique which developed into a whole catalogue of Slip Stitches designs.
A slip stitch is when the yarn is not pulled through the stitch, but the yarn is floating between the preceding and proceeding stitches. The yarn is either held forward (wyfd) or behind (wyb), the stitch is slipped to the right-hand needle either purlwise or knitwise* and the row is continued.
Whilst it is possible to go your entire knitting life using only Knit & Purl stitch patterns, knitting becomes exceedingly more exciting and varied in it's pursuit. There are several reasons to incorporate slip stitches into your knitting projects:
- Adding texture - from creating slip-stitch patterns, producing horizontal cables, three dimensional fabrics and more...
- Adding colour - slip stitches allow you to use flashes of colour or intricate patterns such as in Fair Isle Knitting
- Shaping - for gathering fabric or increasing/decreasing
- Finishing - for edging, pleats and hems
As you can see Slip Stitches are very versatile, not just in creating beautiful patterns or textures but can also aid in the shaping and finishing of our knitting projects. Interested in trying out this family of knitting, then feel free to browse our collection of Slip Stitches below.
* In all our instructions we consider a standard slip stitch to be worked purlwise, if it is the stitch is to be done knitwise you will see instructions to do so. If there are no additional instructions you should assume the stitch is done purlwise.
Slip Stitches Collection
This simply beautiful slip stitch gets it's name for it's resemblance to a bee's hive.
Similar to the Bow Stitch in appearance but with an extra strand pulled through.
Gives a much lighter, softer and stretchier stitch compared to most ribbing, making it ideal for items such as hats.
The benefit of slip stitches is evident in this great stitch pattern which gives us a diagonal rib effect.
We are continuously adding new stitches to the collection, so be sure to check back in again! If you wish to request a specific stitch then please use the Contact Form to get in touch.
Tried all of the above? Then why not check out the full stitch dictionary?
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