Creating open spaces or a loose, airy fabric in knitting, often referred to as "open knitting," is typically achieved using specific stitch patterns that involve deliberate holes. These patterns commonly incorporate yarn overs (yo) paired with decreases.
Key Principle: To create an open space (a hole), you make a yarn over (adding a stitch). To maintain the overall stitch count, you then usually work a decrease (removing a stitch) elsewhere in the same row or round.
Techniques for Creating Open Knitting
Open knitting relies on manipulating the yarn and needles to create stitches with gaps.
1. Using Yarn Overs (yo)
A yarn over is the most common way to create a hole. It involves bringing the yarn forward or backward over the needle between stitches. When you knit or purl into the yarn over on the next row, it creates a small hole.
- Creating a Yarn Over on a Knit Row: Bring the yarn forward between the needles, then knit the next stitch.
- Creating a Yarn Over on a Purl Row: Bring the yarn back between the needles, then bring it forward over the needle again before purling the next stitch. This is the action described in the reference: "So you have to get it to the back onto the front again so you can purl. Again." This motion effectively wraps the yarn over the needle, forming the yarn over stitch, which is then followed by a purl.
2. Combining Yarn Overs with Decreases
Simply adding yarn overs would increase your stitch count rapidly, making the fabric wider. To keep the width consistent while creating holes, you pair yarn overs with decreases such as:
- Knit Two Together (k2tog): A right-leaning decrease on a knit row.
- Slip, Slip, Knit (ssk): A left-leaning decrease on a knit row.
- Purl Two Together (p2tog): A right-leaning decrease on a purl row.
- Slip, Slip, Purl (ssp): A left-leaning decrease on a purl row (less common than k2tog/ssk pairings).
Common Open Knitting Stitch Patterns
Many stitch patterns incorporate yarn overs and decreases to create openwork:
- Lace: Complex patterns often forming intricate designs (e.g., faggoting stitch, Shetland lace patterns).
- Mesh/Net: Simple patterns creating a grid of holes (e.g., eyelet mesh).
- Simple Eyelets: Isolated small holes within an otherwise solid fabric (often achieved with
yo, k2togorssk, yo).
Example: Simple Eyelet Row
A very basic open knitting technique involves knitting a row with periodic eyelets:
- Row 1 (Right Side): *Knit X stitches, yarn over (yo), knit two together (k2tog)*; repeat from * across the row.
- Row 2 (Wrong Side): Purl every stitch, including the yarn overs from the previous row.
This creates a row of small holes. Repeating this row after several plain knit rows creates a simple eyelet pattern.
Achieving a Looser Fabric
Beyond specific openwork stitch patterns, you can create a generally more "open" or looser knitted fabric by simply using needles that are larger than recommended for your chosen yarn weight. This results in larger stitches and a more airy drape, although it doesn't create deliberate holes like lace or mesh patterns do.
In summary, knitting open fabrics involves techniques that purposefully create gaps. This is most commonly achieved through the strategic placement of yarn overs, often combined with decreases to maintain stitch count. The reference highlights a specific action ("get it to the back onto the front again") necessary for creating a yarn over on a purl row, a fundamental step in many open knitting patterns.
