Lace Twist-Stitch Argyle Pattern: Chart, Directions, Stitch Key

By Kind Request

One of my beloved commenters requested a stitch pattern for the "Lace Twist-Stitch 'Argyle' Pattern" (please, for the love of Pete, think of a better name). I created this pattern a while ago, and knitted it from a rough diagram whose mysterious symbols were known only to me. With this post and the accompanying PDF files (see below) I hope I've given the instructions in a shape that other people can follow.

Image by fuzzyjay via Flickr

The goal in designing this fabric was to see if I could line up the twist stitches with the yarnovers in an interesting and pleasing way, using texture to give an argyle effect that's usually given with color. (Somebody, please, make some socks from this pattern!) To get the columns of stitches to line up right, I had to do some fancy twist-stitches and twist-decreases, so I made them up. I've actually used them for other fabrics, such as the Double Lattice Pattern, which see. In addition to using twist stitches of my own unvention, of course I use idiosyncratic charting methods. (What would the world be with only five thousand charting methods?) I use only one square for the symbol for twist stitches, since to me it shows better how the stitch columns line up in the fabric. Diagramming them this way definitely made designing the fabric easier.  If it helps to keep track, the stitch key's right column shows for all of the chart symbols the number of loops used from the row before and the number of loops that result from working each symbol.

Stitch-Pattern Diagram

Close-up Fabric Photograph

Written-out Directions

Cast on a multiple of 12 stitches plus 1. Stitch count varies. Stitch abbreviations are explained in the stitch key below.

Row 1: (And all wrong-side rows.) Purl.

Row 2:LT, *k4, YO-k1b-YO, k4, LT3, repeat from *, ending last repeat with LT.

Row 4: K1, *LT, k1, k2tog, YO, sl1-k2tog-psso, YO, ssk, k1, RT, k1, repeat from* to end of row.

Row 6: K2, *LT-dec, YO, k3, YO, RT-dec, k3, repeat from *, ending last repeat with k2.

Row 8: K1, *k2tog, YO, LT, k3, RT, YO, ssk, k1, repeat from * to end of row.

Row 10: K2tog, *YO, k2, LT, k1, RT, k2, YO, sl1-k2tog-psso, repeat from *, ending last repeat with ssk.

Row 12: K1b-YO, *k4, RT3, k4, YO-k1b-YO, repeat from *, ending last repeat with YO-k1b.

Row 14: K2tog, *YO, ssk, k1, RT, k1, LT, k1, k2tog, YO, sl1-k2tog-psso, repeat from *, ending last repeat with ssk.

Row 16: K2, *YO, RT-dec, k3, LT-dec, YO, k3, repeat from *, ending last repeat with k2.

Row 18: K2, *RT, YO, ssk, k1, k2tog, YO, LT, k3, repeat from *, ending last repeat with k2.

Row 20: K1, *RT, k2, YO, sl1-k2tog-psso, YO, k2, LT, k1, repeat from * to end of row.

Repeat rows 1-20.

Stitch Symbol Key

Symbol	Stitch name/Stitch operation	Loops used from row below, loops resulting
	Yarn over (YO).	0-1
	Yarn over, knit-1-back, yarn over (YO-k1b-YO).	1-3
	Knit-1-back, yarn over (k1b-YO).	1-2
	Yarn over, knit-1-back (YO-k1b).	1-2
	Knit 1 (k1).	1-1
	Knit 2 together (k2tog).	2-1
	Slip-Slip-Knit (ssk): Slip 2 as if to knit, insert left needle into front of stitches just slipped, and knit the 2 stitches together.	2-1
	Slip 1 as if to knit, knit 2-together, pass slipped stitch over the stitch just made (sl1-k2tog-psso).	3-1
	Right Twist (RT): Knit 2-together, then knit again into the first stitch on the left needle before withdrawing left needle.	2-2
	Left Twist (LT): Slip 2 as if to knit, return to left needle, Knit 1-back into 2nd stitch from end of left needle, then Knit 2-together through back loops before withdrawing left needle.	2-2
	Right 3-3 Twist (RT3): Slip 2 as if to knit, then transfer back to left needle by inserting left needle from right to left into both stitches at once and withdrawing the right needle. (Counting from the end of the left needle, the stitch order was 1-2-3, and now it's 2-1-3.) Knit 3 together, yarn over, knit 2 together before withdrawing left needle.	3-3
	Left 3-3 Twist (LT3): Slip 1 as if to knit, slip 2 as if to knit 2-together. Return the 3 stitches to the left needle, then knit 2-together through the back loops of the 2nd and 3rd stitches on the left needle, yarn over, then knit 3 together through the back loops of all three stitches before withdrawing left needle.	3-3
	Right-Twist Decrease (RT-dec): Slip 2 as if to knit, then transfer back to left needle by inserting left needle from right to left into both stitches at once and withdrawing the right needle. (Counting from the end of the left needle, the stitch order was 1-2-3, and now it's 2-1-3.) Knit 3 together, then knit 2 together before withdrawing left needle.	3-2
	Left Twist Decrease (LT-dec): Slip 1 as if to knit, slip 2 as if to knit 2-together. Return the 3 stitches to the left needle, then knit 2 together through the back loops of the 2nd and 3rd stitches on the left needle, then knit 3-together through the back loops of all three stitches before withdrawing left needle.	3-2

PDF is a nice format. I like it.

If you'd like to preview the PDF file (better by far than this web page for printing), follow this link to view a preview on my Posterous blog. And if you'd like to skip a step and directly download the PDF file to look at or print, just download the PDF with diagram, instructions and stitch symbol key to "Lace and Twist-Stitch 'Argyle' pattern." (97k)  If you do make anything out of this, I would love to see it. So far, I've made only swatches.

Speaking of exotic charting methods

I've got a million of them. Here's one I posted before. Stop me if you've seen these:

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