Needlecrafts - Knitting Stitch Primer, Ripples

Helen Rodel | website here
M Missoni Online | website here
Ermanno Scervino | website here

Ripple Stitch Patterns also known as Old Shale Stitch, Feather and Fan Stitch, Wavy Stitch with most of their variations have been around forever.
This family of stitches, like other familiar stitches, were predominately used throughout the whole garment, usually in a standard style with flat yarn.
Variegated yarns, eyelash type yarns and mohair gave the stitch some variety but it still was used in standard stripes.
What is truly exciting about the new generation of knitters is the fearless willingness to experiment with guage, texture and form.
Mixing yarns, whether it's weight or texture or throwing out old notions of colour combinations, isn't a problem.
Ripples can be very effective design elements in small areas such as cuffs, neckbands, buttonbands, borders and used as edgings.
Any design with a knitted rectangle would benefit from this stitch such as shrugs.
Colour blocking with this stitch would definitely take the design to a new level and perhaps mixing that with narrow ripple stripes.

Read further for further inspiration, variations of this stitch and free patterns featuring the Ripple Stitch.

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Needlecrafts - Knitting Stitch Primer, Drop Stitch

Making Waves | Ravelry-ForestWeave,purchase pattern here
Cables and Twists | vogue.com
Leafy Vines | no further info
Sheer Delight | here

It's always interesting to see how any trend evolves. Patchwork, colour blocking, combining knits with wovens and creating sheerness with different guages.
Machine knitting allows the knitter to create see-through areas easily, mixing heavier yarns with very fine guages.
Handknitting is a different story. You can use a heavier guage yarn such as a chunky weight and use the same needle size for a fingering weight. This will lighten the yarn and provide some sheerness.
Another way is through stitch patterns called Drop Stitches, which can be used in a variety of ways.
While knitting you wrap a stitch once, twice and even three times, letting the wraps go on the next row.
This stitch is especially effective and pretty with tape yarns.

Read further for further inspiration, stitch tutorials and free patterns featuring the Drop Stitch.

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Needlecrafts - Knitting Stitch Primer

Large Image | here
Side Images | style.com

Ever since Mark Fast and Tess Giberson presented cables in what looked to be fresh and new, I became fascinated with open cable stitch patterns.
The stitch pattern can be as simple as separating the parts of the cable creating a hole between the twists or knitting strips and twisting them into cables between solid fabric.
Mark Lupfer has used the open cable throughout his garment, while other designers have used this stitch as an accent border.
Read further to get more inspired, tutorials on different versions of the open cable stitch pattern and two knitting patterns that feature the open cable pattern .

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Needlecrafts - Knitting Stitch Primer

Top Left Image | here
Top Right Image | here
Bottom Left Image | here
Bottom Right Image | here

Bobbles are so much fun to make. Up until recently bobbles have been decorative little balls, added texture on cable patterns or adorable additions on children's patterns.
The little bobble has become big and bold, in some cases like they are on steroids. Weight of yarn has a lot to do with how big the bobble will be, even if you are working the traditional 3 or 5 stitch bobble.
The tempting selection of bulky, yet lightweight, roving type yarns has allowed designers to experiment with outrageous texture. Supersized bobbles and cable designs are simple, no need for complicated patterns.
The designs above and below the jump illustrate how these big bumps add style.

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