Sideways Stitch Tutorial

Looking at the Slanting Plaid Stole in Fall 2010 of Interweave Knits, I think the one technique that really needs a tutorial is the sideways stitch in lace. This technique is usually used in ganseys and mittens, where you can see what you are doing a little better. Written directions make it sound much more complicated than it is.

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I used size 6 needles and sock yarn for the tutorial here, to mimic the yarn weight and needle size used in the pattern. For clarity in the pictures, I do the braid after a row of stockingette stitch, while in the pattern this row is done after lace rows, as it is done from the wrong side row. If each loop of a yarnover or double yarnover is treated as one stitch, it all goes fine. I found myself chanting, “slip, second, first, slip, second, first…” so I didn’t lose my place.

The “slip, second, first,” can be expanded into five little steps

1: slip the last stitch on the right needle to the left needle.

2: insert the right needle into the second stitch on the left needle as if to purl

3: purl, without dropping the stitch

4: insert the right needle into the first stitch on the left needle as if to purl

5: purl, dropping both the first and second stitch from the left needle.

Repeat from the top.

Now with pictures

Step 1: slipping the last stitch on the right needle over to the left needle.

Step 2: insert the right needle into the second stitch on the left needle as if to purl.

Step 3: purl, without dropping any stitches off the left needle

This is what it looks like after step 3 and before step 4.

Step 4: insert the right needle into the first stitch on the left needle, as if to purl.

Step 5 (a): purl…….

Step 5 (b): dropping both the first and the second stitches off the left needle.

Start over!

It takes a little practice, but if you do a little swatch, you’ll have it by the end of a row. Slip, second, first, slip, second, first….