Openwork on the Bias - The Knitter's Planner

By Tabetha Hedrick

Instagram handle: @tabismiles

Tabetha Hedrick is a knitwear designer and writer raising a family just outside the Great Smoky Mountains in eastern Tennessee. As the design director for SweetGeorgia Yarns, her days (and heart) are filled to the brim with knitting, art, writing, editing, planning, and finding ways to put it all together. In the midst of that fiber-filled life, you’ll find her living simply in the sweet spot where creativity, discovery, parenthood, and life intertwine.

Inspiration: I love openwork, especially when it takes on a modern appeal. Worked on the bias, this stitch pattern stays intriguing and fun on every single row. The end result—diagonal lines of lovely eyelets—is elegant and works well for sweaters and accessories in nearly any weight of yarn.

Tip: Got a knitting deadline coming up? My favorite way to plan is to take the total amount of yarn in grams (you’ll need a scale) and divide it by the number of days I have to knit. The result is how many grams a day to work to finish in time!

Finished Stitch Block Measurements

8 x 8 inch/20 x 20cm stitch block square, blocked (including garter stitch borders)

Materials

Worsted weight yarn

Size 7 (4.5mm) needles

Gauge

18 sts and 32 rows = 4 inches/10cm in Openwork on the Bias stitch pattern

Special Techniques

Yo Twice: Work two yarn overs in a row (wrapping the needle twice). On the following row, you’ll work into the back loop of the second wrap.

Openwork on the Bias Pattern (multiple of 4 sts + 6)

Row 1 (RS): K2tog, *ssk, yo twice, k2tog; rep from * across, yo.

Row 2 (WS): P1 tbl, *p2, p1 tbl, p1; rep from * to last st, p1.

Row 3: K2tog, k1, yo, k2tog, *ssk, yo twice, k2tog; rep from * to last st, k1, yo.

Row 4: P1 tbl, p1, *p2, p1 tbl, p1; rep from * to last 4 sts, p2, p1 tbl, p1.

Row 5: K2tog, yo, k2tog, *ssk, yo twice, k2tog; rep from * to last 2 sts, k2, yo.

Row 6: P1, p1 tbl, p1, *p2, p1 tbl, p1; rep from * to last 3 sts, p2, p1 tbl.

Row 7: K2tog, k1, *ssk, yo twice, k2tog; rep from * to last 3 sts, ssk, yo, k1, yo.

Row 8: [P1 tbl, p1] twice, *p2, p1 tbl, p1; rep from * to last 2 sts, p2.

Rep Rows 1-8 for patt.

Stitch Block Instructions

Top Garter Stitch Edging

CO 35 sts.

Knit 5 rows.

Square Body

Row 1 (RS): K2, work Openwork on the Bias patt Row 1 to last 3 sts, k3.

Row 2 (WS): K3, work Openwork on the Bias patt Row 2 to last 2 sts, k2.

Continue in Openwork on the Bias pattern rows as established in Rows 1-2 for each RS and WS row, repeating Rows 1-8 of patt, until block measures a finished length of 7½ inches/19cm in length, ending with a RS row.

Bottom Garter Stitch Edging