Come winter and it is time of the year again to beat the chilly weather in style by flaunting your woolly knitted garments that had been stacked away in a forgotten corner of the house before the onset of the season that heralds the end of a hard working year.
Although knitted sweaters that are available in shops and online shopping sites are a handy gift to receive from your loved ones during winter, the joy of getting a hand-knitted sweater from someone we love is however, much insurmountable and makes us appreciate and note more carefully the intricate knitting stitches that had gone behind the creation of the warm woolly magic. The history of knitting techniques is not so fully known but all types of knitting are practiced everywhere nowadays.
Let us look at the different kinds of knitting stitches that goes behind creation of warm garments for us to protect from the chill of winter-
Garter Stitch
A kind of basic knitting technique, Garter Stitch is created by forming overlapping or braided loops in horizontal direction. The process is continued till the desired size of a winter garment is met. This kind of knitting is mostly taught to the beginners of a knitting lesson. Garments with Garter Stitch are thick, strong and easily stretchable.
Stockniette Stitch
Another kind of basic knitting technique, Stockniette Stitch is done by alternating a knit row with a purl row. A knit stitch is knitted into the front of the stitch and the loose yarn is wound around the needle from back to front and when the stitch is taken off the needle, the bump lies behind a fabric. While knitting a purl stitch, the needle goes into the stitch from back to front and the yarn is wound from front to back and when the stitch is taken off the needle the bump lies in the front. Stockniette Stitch looks like a beautiful stretch of inverted Vs that brings a woolen garment to life.
Reverse Stockniette Stitch
As the name suggests, Reverse Stockniette Stitch is the alternate form of Stockniette Stitch. A fabric stitched in Reverse Stockniette Stitch looks like rough and thick knots sewn together that looks promising to make the wearer of such fabric all comfortable and warm. Reverse Stockniette Stitch is made by purling every stitch. In this knitting technique, the purl stitches are done on the right side and the knit stitches are on the wrong side.
Cable Stitch
A form of twisted knitting technique, Cable Stitch is the most sensory appealing form of knitting design that is much favoured by the masses. With the beautiful and continuous cross layering pattern that continues throughout the length of a garment, shoppers are always attracted to cable knitted sweaters while shopping for the chilly winter. The more intricate and pretty the crossing layering pattern , the more likely the potentiality of its sale. Cables are knitted in simple manner and are easy to make yet it looks difficult to the eyes. The stitches that have been made on the front and back side are simply knitted together to form a cable.
Faggoting Stitch
Crisscross patterns of stitches generally constitute the faggoting stitch technique. A kind of lace stitching technique, faggoting stitched garments is airy due to the presence of a wide gap between the knotted fabrics. Although faggoting stitches looks like thin threads interlinked together, garments having these kinds of stitches are highly stretchable and are much less tear prone than other knitted fabrics. Faggoting is all about two essentials-a yarn-over stitch and a decrease.
Raspberry Stitch
The knitting stitch that looks like a kite pattern interlinked together, raspberry stitch is actually used to create a uniform bobble structure to create voluminous types of winter garments. This kind of stitch is used for creation of caps, scarves, blankets rather than body wear. Also known as the Trinity Stitch , Raspberry Stitch consists of four steps of knitting in a repeating mode.
Tricot Stitch
Tricot Stitch can be termed as a vertical form of Garter Stitch. In this kind of stitch, overlapping or braided loops are formed in vertical direction. Also thick, strong and easily stretchable, you should definitely possess one garment with tricot stitch if you have one garter stitched garment. Just say it can fulfill the myth that opposites do attract each other , ha ha..
Seed Stitch
Although a kind of complex knitting technique, Seed Stitch literally defines ethereal simplistic beauty. A garment knitted in seed stitch looks like tiny delicate flowers sewn together from afar. With this kind of pretty vision that the Seed Stitch presents, there is no question why you should not possess one garment brought to life by this knitting technique. Seed Stitch consists of single knits and purls that alternate horizontally and vertically.
Basket Stitch
As the name suggests, the Basket Stitch looks like thin strands of wool combined together to resemble a pocket in appearance. The voluminous pocket like patterns that are either in horizontal and vertical directions is synonymous with Basket Stitch. Although the knitting technique looks complex in appearance, it actually consists of a series of knits and purls and is quite easy to create. You should definitely possess a garment created using Basket Stitch to make a bold statement this winter as its voluminous texture is sure to turn heads in a crowd.
Herringbone Stitch
The knitting technique which comprises of cross stitches cut across in quarters, Herringbone Stitch is so called as it resembles the bones extending from the spine of a herring fish. Also known as Mossoul Stitch, Catch Stitch and Witch Stitch, it generally symbolizes good luck for a fisherman in Britain and is mostly found in woolen garments of that country.
Rib Stitch
Comprising of a uniform layer of textured vertical stripes, the Rib Stitch consists of columns of knit stitches alternating with columns of purl stitches. A garment of Rib Stitch creation surely has the quality of captivating everyone with its knots of surreal beauty running along the length of a fabric.
Guys, before the winter gets over, take out your knitting needles and start creating some woolly beauties for your lovelies!
