Your cart

Domino Knitting - How to pick up stitches.

 How to pick up knitting stitches

Why pick up stitches?

Many of my blanket patterns have continuous joining as knitting of the blanket progresses. New stitches for each square are created by picking up stitches from the edge of previous squares.

This style of knitting is often called Domino Knitting as each block joins onto and is dependent on previous blocks.

How to pick up the stitches

The technique used uses a crochet hook in creating the new stitches. A crochet hook is an extremely useful tool in knitting. It is also useful for picking up dropped stitches.

Stretching the knitted piece to assist in picking up the stitches.

The edge where the stitches are being picked up is stretched out (Figure 1). This makes it easier to exactly place the crochet hook for the stitch. In the stitch picking up being done in this piece, the hook is pushed through just below each “little knob” along the edge. This is every second row of the garter stitch. The yarn is then “hooked” and drawn back through to create the stitch on the crochet hook (Figure 2).

Every second row of garter stitch is used to create a new stitch.

This blanket is using the continuous rib decrease so that a continuous diagonal ridge runs across from square to square. The last stitch from the previous block has been retained using a stitch marker (Figure 3).

The stitch saved on the stitch marker is knitted onto the crochet hook.

The retained stitch is then knitted onto the crochet hook. Doing this creates a continuation of the dominant diagonal ridge to the next new square. The continuous decrease ridge is a lovely design feature when using this decrease technique. The picked up stitches on the crochet hook are then slipped from the "handle" end of the crochet hook to your knitting needle.
The stitches are now picked up along the edge of the adjoining square using the crochet hook. (Figure 4).
Picking up the stitches on the second square edge using the crochet hook.
Finally, the stitches are transferred to the knitting needle and all stitches are ready for knitting the new square. (Figure 5).
Final transfer of stitches from the crochet hook to the knitting needle.
The technique of using a crochet hook to pick up knitting stitches is used in many of the Sip Knit Yarn knitted blanket patterns. Domino knitting blanket patterns and domino knitting ideas are featured in the pattern book Squares and Stripes Forever. The technique can be used wherever picking up stitches along and edge is required. For example, it is used when knitting the border along the panel edge in my knitted blanket pattern Lorraine's Rug.

 

Leave a comment

← Back to Knitting Tutorials