Spine Stitch

Continuing with the theme of Spine Rib, what happens if we leave out the purl columns? It's no longer ribbing, of course. On the right side, the fabric is flatter and the spines are less prominent, but it still bears a resemblance to the ribbing. The wrong side, both unblocked and blocked, has a lovely texture, but it's just texture; there are no outstanding features.

Instructions for Spine Stitch

Very loosely cast on a multiple of 3 sts plus 2. (The extra 2 stitches are for a plain 1-stitch selvedge on either side.)

Preparation row (RS): Knit all stitches.

Row 1: Purl all stitches.

Row 2: K1. *Insert the LN from front to back into the stitch 2 rows below the last one worked. Insert the RN as well and knit up a st. Slip the new stitch to the left needle, then slip 2 together k-wise. (This will be the new stitch with the one immediately to the left of it.) Insert the RN from front to back into the st below the next st on the LN and knit up a stitch. Pass the 2 slipped stitches over the new stitch. K1.* Repeat from * to * across row, end k1.

Repeat Rows 1 and 2 for the pattern. Bind off very loosely in pattern.

 

I always have such fun with patterns that change colors every two rows, that I decided to try it with this one. Not very impressive. Still, there was something about it, so I tried separating the contrast stripes by six rows (three repeats). Much more interesting! The right side made me think of sparks, so I tried it in a sparkly yarn. It didn't look right with the plain wool, but I think exploration with a more appropriate background would be productive.

What can I say about the wrong side? It certainly will keep other knitters guessing how it's done! It has a surprisingly different look when it's upside down! Actually, it has me wondering how to use it in opposing stripes. Hmmmmm . . .

Until next time!