Learn Slip-Stitch Knitting – The Zigzag Stripes Motif

Slip-stitch knitting refers to patterns that use slipped stitches but that, unlike mosaic knitting, don’t always follow the rule of working even on the wrong side.

On slip-stitch knitting you need to pay attention to both the right and wrong sides, because the patterns are different. This extra flexibility allows for pretty and interested stitch combinations that go beyond what you can do with true mosaic knitting.

In this chapter, you’ll practice a motif where you also work stripes of one color at a time (the basic mosaic concept) but this time, you’ll also do the following:

1. You’ll work four rows in each color, not just two.
2. You’ll twist the yarns every 2 rows to keep the edges even.
3. You’ll have to pay attention on the purl side because there are pattern rows on both sides.
4. You’ll be slipping more than 1 stitch at a time so you’ll need to pay attention to float tension.

The Zigzag Stripes Motif shown above is the basic pattern you’ll use on the pillow project in the next section.

But before you jump right in to making the pillow, make the practice swatch on the next page. Like in the last section, I recommend you try to knit this swatch on your own before watching the videos.

Zigzag Stripes Motif – Video

In this demonstration, I use white for the main color (MC) and green for the contrasting color (CC).

Zigzag Stripes Swatch

With MC, CO 21 sts or a multiple of 4 sts + 1.

Setup Rows
Row 1 (RS): K.
Row 2: P.

Pattern Rows
Row 1: K1, (Sl 3, k1) across.
Row 2: P2, (Sl 1, p3) to last 3 sts, end Sl 1, p2.
Row 3: Twist yarns once around each other. Continuing in same color as Rows 1-2, K across.
Row 4: P across. Switch yarns.
Repeat Pattern Rows 1-4 until knitting reaches desired length, switching colors after every Row 4.
BO.

Fixing Mistakes – Advanced Mosaic Troubleshooting

If you make a mistake on this motif, you’ll find out as soon you get to the end of the row, because you won’t have the right number of stitches to complete the instructions. For example, it might say “P2” but you’ll have only stitch left.

Looking back over the stitches in the row, it will be easy to see where you went wrong just by the colors of the stitches on your needle.

If this happens to you, back up to the point in the row where you made the mistake and work the stitch correctly instead.