Dropped stitches are a great way to add visual interest to a piece of knitwear, as well as flexibility and stretch to the fabric. They’re great in tops, scarves, shawls, you name it. And they’re really easy to do!
First, decide how many stitches you want between each drop, and cast on a multiple of that number — in this case, four. This is the pattern I followed:
Cast on 20 stitches
R1: (K4, yo) to last 4 stitches, K4
R2 and all other WS rows: (P4, K1) to last 4 stitches, P4
R3 and all other RS rows: (K4, P1) to last 4 stitches, K4
Repeat this until the piece is desired length. Alternately, you can work the whole piece in stockinette and use stitch markers to indicate where stitches will be dropped.
Cast off to first P (or marker), drop stitch off left needle, and let it drop down (you will be left with a space that looks like a ladder). Pick up the bar in the space where stitch was dropped (top rung of the “ladder”), Ktbl and bind off, repeat across row. Go through and make sure all your dropped stitched have dropped all the way to the bottom.
That’s it!
Want to try it with a pattern? Here are a few ideas:
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You don’t really go into what to do with that dropped stitch. We’re only dropping one stitch every 4 when we bind off. Maybe I missed something in the directions…
Once you drop the stitch in the bind-off process, all of the stitches below it will also drop on their own — giving you the effect shown in the pictures.
You didn’t miss a thing! Like Caroline said, you drop it at the end and let it go all the way down.
More complete instructions would be most helpful for those of us who are not experienced knitters. Do you plan to include videos with the written instructions at some point? If you don’t, and we can view them elsewhere there would be no reason for us to come back to your website for the instructions…meaning less traffic for your website.
Those are complete instructions — the technique is much simpler than it looks. There’s a setup row and the drop row as you bind off, but everything in between is just knitting.
this might be useful :
http://www.garnstudio.com/lang/en/video.php?id=192&sort=2&thumbnails=on
I did not understand directions – looks like you only “drop stitch” when you are binding off – did I miss something? Please explain – this looked interesting.
See my response to Victorja above — the dropped stitch in the bond off row takes care of the rest 🙂
Exactly what Caroline said — you don’t drop anything until the last row, then it travels all the way down.
Could you please post a video showing what you mean in the bind-off directions? I cannot visualize this. Thank you!
When you drop a stitch, there will be a sort of bar left where it used to be. You put your left needle under the top one of those, from front to back, and then knit into that through the back. It’s a similar motion to an M1 increase, if you’re familiar with that.
It would be helpful if this information was part of the written instructions. I worked up a swatch based on the instructions and didn’t know if I should be picking up the ladder from the front or back. Also, the stitch didn’t just drop down. I had to tug on the fabric to get that to happen. That should also be part of the instructions. I would think knitters with less experience would be most likely to use these instructions, so the instructions should be as complete and clear as possible. Just trying to give you some helpful feedback!
How do you figure the difference in width after the stitches are dropped; when you are casting on?
My answer is one no knitter wants to hear — swatch! If you’ve been practicing for awhile you may learn to eyeball the difference, but making a swatch and measuring the difference in width is the only way to be totally certain how it changes things.
What do you do with the dropped stitch at the ribbing rows? How do you keep the dropped stitch from going all the way to the cast on stitches and creating a space in the ribbing?
That’s what the yarnover at the beginning is for — it keeps the stitch from dropping any lower.
I’m like these other ladies, it makes little sense if none at all and to keep saying I just explained that above when obviously the explanation did not help. I was interested in this until I read instructions or lack of
Are you working it along with the post? This technique can be hard to visualize until you try it.
ILOVE this pattern, but I have to say I am with these other ladies, I am one of those people who just can’t seem to learn things by reading a lot of times. I need visual aids also.
I am dyslexic so sometimes reading I just can not make it work. and this is one of them. I alsohave had a closed head injury, and sometimes things just won’t click in my head I am trying very hard to understand this but it just isn’t working.
This is very easy, for those having trouble – get a swatch going and do a little square. I bet you go ahh-ha!
Thanks, Wendi! As with many crafting techniques, once you try them, it clicks.
I have always wondered how this was done! Came across technique in several other patterns, but it was never explained how to accomplish. Maybe state at YO that it is the stop point of the run. We all drop stitches when knitting, and know what happens when they aren’t “caught” in time. Same results, but are stopped from progressing by the YO. Thanks! Now can maybe work on the other projects! And yes, Swatches make the difference.
Can you please tell me what Ktbl means and how to do it. Thanks
Hi Dolores,
Ktbl (or kbl) means to knit through the back loop of the stitch. Here is a link to the description in our learning center!
Worst instructions ever. I am a beginner and the instructions never mention what you do when you reach the YO stitch on Row 2. It should be noted as it happens, ie. P4 K1 (release YO), continue to end. I had to go on youtube to see how it was done –Good Grief 🙂
Sorry you had a hard time. The K1 is how you work the yarn over. You don’t drop the yarn over off until the end, then you let it fall all the way to the bottom, which is what creates the effect pictured.
Seeking out videos to supplement what you read is always helpful!
It’s a bit mean to say “worst instructions ever.” Perhaps a more constructive comment would have been to say why you personally were confused and how perhaps they could be improved? There is another human on the other side of the screen, after all, and you never know how much it might hurt to have something you spent time on to be branded as “worst ever.” Just some food for thought. 🙂 The crafting community should be kind and helpful, not judgmental and mean-spirited. 🙂