The drop stitch in knitting is a technique used to create an elongated stitch in your project. To do a drop stitch, knit a stitch, then drop the stitch from the previous row off the needle. This creates a ladder-like effect in the fabric. Drop stitch patterns can be used to create scarves, shawls, or other accessories.
In this article, you’ll learn how to do a drop stitch, which is a great way to add texture and visual interest to your projects.
It’s actually quite simple once you get the hang of it: all you have to do is knit one stitch, then drop the previous row off the needle.
Don’t worry if that sounds confusing – we’ll walk you through every step so that by the end of this tutorial, you’ll be a pro at creating drop stitches in your knitting projects.
Let’s get started!
What You'll Learn
Gather Your Materials
Gather up your yarn, needles, and a comfy chair to get ready for some creative fun!
Before you begin, it’s important to choose the right yarn for this project. Choose a lightweight yarn that has good elasticity – this will make it easier to create the drop stitch effect. Make sure you also check the yardage of the yarn so you can count your stitches accurately.
Once you’ve selected the perfect yarn, it’s time to cast on your stitches.
Cast On Your Stitches
After all that hard work of gathering your materials, it’s a breeze to just ‘cast on’ some stitches! Before you begin, it’s important to check the gauge using your gauge swatches. That way you can ensure the final product will be the size you want.
Casting on is done by looping yarn around two double-pointed needles or one circular needle and then slipping each stitch off the other needle onto itself. This creates a tight edge along the bottom so that your stitches don’t slip off while you’re knitting.
You can cast on either with long-tail cast on or with knitted cast on. For long-tail cast on, start by making a loop in your yarn and placing it over one of your needles—this will be referred to as Needle 1. Then put a second needle through this loop—this is Needle 2—and wrap the tail piece of yarn around both needles and pull gently until you have one stitch on each needle.
From here, continue wrapping yarn around Needle 2 and pulling it up through the existing stitches until you have enough for your project pattern requirements (don’t forget about row counting!).
Knitted cast-on is much simpler; simply use Needle 1 to knit into each stitch from left to right (or from right to left if preferred), creating a new stitch at every pass until desired stitch count has been reached.
Remember: when casting on for drop stitching, always add more than what’s called for in order account for any dropped stitches later down the line!
With both methods complete, you now have an initial chain of loops ready for working into rows—the first step towards dropping those beautiful drop stitches!
Work Your First Row
Now that you’ve cast on your stitches, it’s time to work the first row and start dropping those gorgeous drop-stitches! You’ll need to make sure you have a good grip on your knitting basics as well as proper tension control.
To begin, take one stitch from the left needle and slip it onto the right needle. Now take another stitch from the left needle and knit it using the same technique used for casting on. Continue this process until all of your stitches are transferred to the right needle.
Once all of your stitches are on your right hand needle, turn your work so that you can begin working back in the opposite direction. Begin by taking one stitch from the left hand needle and slipping it onto the right hand needle without knitting it. Once again continue this process until all of your stitches have been transferred back onto their original side.
This is now considered one row worked in stockinette position with no patterning involved yet — just plain old knit stitching across each row.
Now comes an important part: dropping those drop-stitches! Take one stitch off of either end of both needles, allowing them to unravel down several rows before snipping them off at their base or knotting them securely if they’re too long or unravelling too quickly for comfort. Be careful not to pull too hard or tug any other stitches along while doing this as that could cause damage beyond repair!
Once done, continue knitting normally till you reach desired length then bind off as usual — congratulations, you’ve just worked a drop-stitch into existence! The process may seem intimidating but is actually quite simple once mastered; next up is finding out how exactly these dropped stitches will be incorporated into patterns or designs for more embellished pieces — stay tuned for our next tutorial!
Work Your Drop Stitch
You’ve already mastered the previous row, so now it’s time to show off your skillz and work that drop stitch!
Let’s get creative – it’s time to start droppin’ some serious stitches and make something truly unique.
To begin working the drop stitch, you’ll need to keep a consistent tension in your knitting. If you’re unsure of how much tension to use, experiment with different yarns until you find one that works for your project. You can also adjust the tension by using a larger or smaller needle size if needed.
Once you have chosen the right yarn and tension combination, you can move onto creating the drop stitch pattern.
The first step is to knit a single stitch as usual; however, instead of slipping this stitch back onto the left-hand needle, let it remain on the right hand-needle while you repeat this process along the entire row.
When all of your stitches are on the right-hand needle they should form what looks like a ladder of loops across your workpiece.
Now comes the fun part – dropping each loop off its corresponding rung in order to create long vertical stitches throughout your fabric!
To complete this step simply take hold of each loop from its rung and gently pull downwards so that it slips down over itself and off the needle altogether.
As more loops are dropped away from their respective rungs, more ladders will form across your workpiece which will eventually join together as one continuous line when viewed from afar.
Be sure not to miss any loops during this process as it could cause an uneven appearance later on in your knitting project!
Once all of your loops have been successfully dropped from their rungs, take a moment to admire what has become an intricate lace-like pattern across both sides of your fabric – congratulations!
Moving forward with this technique requires some patience but with practice comes perfection – just remember not to be too hard on yourself because there’s always room for improvement!
With that being said, let’s get started on completing our pattern!
Complete the Pattern
Having worked the drop stitch, it’s time to take your knitting skills a step further and complete the pattern with finesse! To do this, you’ll need to alternate patterns and try out different stitch variations.
For example, if you’re working in ribbing, try switching up the pattern by alternating knit stitches and purl stitches. This will create an interesting texture in your fabric.
You can also add extra interest to your project by experimenting with cable or lace stitches. Cables are created by crossing two or more strands of yarn over each other, while lace involves increasing or decreasing stitches to create a lacy design. Both techniques will help you create beautiful fabrics with stunning texture and visual appeal.
When incorporating new techniques into your project, be sure to follow the instructions carefully so that you don’t end up making mistakes that could ruin the look of your work. You may need to practice a few times before mastering these techniques. But once you have them down pat, they can really elevate the look of your knitting projects!
Completing patterns with sophisticated finishes is a great way to add depth and detail to any project – whether it’s a scarf, shawl or sweater. With some practice and patience, you’ll be able to craft beautiful pieces that stand out from the crowd!
Transitioning into finishing up requires just one more step: sewing in all those loose ends!
Finishing Up
Finishing up requires careful sewing in of all those loose ends, giving your project a polished and professional look. To ensure that your finished piece looks its best, there are several blocking techniques that you can use to get the desired shape and size.
Needle sizes also come into play when finishing up; make sure to use needles that are slightly smaller than what was used for knitting in order to create an even finish.
The final step is weaving in the remaining yarn tails using a tapestry needle. Thread the tail onto the needle, then insert it from back to front through each stitch on one side of the fabric. Next, insert it from front to back again on the other side of your fabric before cutting off excess yarn tail close to the knot so as not to leave any unsecured loops or holes in your work. Repeat this process until all yarn tails have been woven in securely and you have achieved uniform tension throughout your project.
Now that you’ve done all these steps, take a moment to admire your hard work! You should be proud of yourself for creating something beautiful with just two simple stitches – knit and drop stitch! It’s amazing how these popular knitting techniques can be used together to create such stunning pieces!
Conclusion
You’ve now mastered the drop stitch technique! You can use this skill to make unique and beautiful patterns.
Coincidentally, you can also create a wider range of textures and styles with the same basic method.
Now that you know how to do a drop stitch in knitting, get creative and explore new possibilities!
Who knows what amazing things you’ll discover?
