STITCH DIRECTORY
Did you know?
The five weights of Toft yarn can be used in almost any knitting pattern, just make sure you check your tension and the total meterage needed for any project. If you would like some help with substitution of our yarns into a a non-Toft pattern just get in touch and we would be happy to help
STOCKING STITCH(st st) 
It’s one of the two basic stitch patterns using both the knit stitch and the purl stitch to create two different sides of knitting. It is the most commonly used knitting stitch and once you’ve mastered these two stitches you can do anything, because all knitting is made up of variations of knit and purl stitches. Our BEGINNER KNITTING HELP VIDEOS can show you how to knit this stitch
Did you know?
To knit stotcking stitch in the round you simply knit every stitch in every round like in our BULB BAG.
GARTER STITCH
Even easier than stocking stitch, garter stitch is just knitting, every stitch, every row. Garter stitch creates a piece of knitting that will lie flat and look the same on both sides so it’s a great first project stitch when you are learning to knit.
Our BEGINNER POM POM SCARF is an easy knitting pattern in chunky garter stitch.
Did you know?
To knit garter stitch in the round you must knit and row and then purl a row This is used in our POM POM HAT and TUNIC VEST.
MOSS STITCH
This stitch uses both stocking stitch and garter stitch one after the other, in stitches rather than rows, knitting on purls and purling on knits to create this beautiful textural stitch. American patterns often call this seed stitch. Once you’ve learnt enough about knitting to recognise a knit stitch from a purl stitch Moss stitch is a great next step.
Did you know?
This stitch looks just as good in Toft’s FINE alpaca yarn as it does in our CHUNKY alpaca yarn.
DOUBLE CROCHET
The basic crochet stitch, from this every other crochet stitch grows into a treble, half treble, you name it. It looks great used alone for beginner crochet projects and is also used in most crochet patterns as a linking stitch.
Did you know?
All of Toft’s yarns are great for crocheting , patterns like our NET AND FLOWER SCARF use FINE alpaca yarn and the CHAIN SCARF uses ARAN.
As with knitting Toft’s yarns can be substituted for use in almost any crochet pattern, just get CONTACT US if you need some help deciding.
Want to learn to crochet? Why not come on one of our WORKSHOPS?
LADDER STITCH 
Using a method of yarn over this pattern makes extra stitches in one row and then drops those same stitch several rows afterwards, thereby creating a ‘ladder’. The stitches won’t run the whole length of the knitting, only to the point that they were created. Toft’s LADDER STITCH SCARF makes the perfect lightweight scarf when knitted in our SURI LACE YARN.
Did you know?
Yarn overs are the most common method of making a button hole. By making a yarn over (bringing the yarn over the needle when having the working yarn in the purl position for a knit stitch) and then dropping that extra ‘stitch’ in the next row a hole is made.
SWISS DARNING
You are replicating a knit stitch using a needle and thread over the top over of some stocking stitch knitting. It can be used to add delicate patterns to plain knitting and sometimes it’s also used to darn socks. If you were knitting intarsia and just one stitch per pattern repeat was required in one particular colour you might ignore it whilst knitting and then go back and swiss darn it afterwards.
Not sure? See our SWISS DARNING HELP VIDEO.
Swiss darnning is used in our JUBLIEE JUMPER PATTERN.
STRIPES or COLOUR
One of the great ways to make your stocking stitch or garter stitch more exciting, particularly if you are a beginner knitter who isn’t quite ready for a new stitch yet, is to add stripes to your knitting. Once you have finished a wrong side row leave your current colour and just begin knitting with the new colour. Leave a short tail that you can sew in later, knit one stitch with the working yarn and the second stitch with both the working yarn and the tail to secure the new colour. Stripes are used every 8 rows in our STRIPED DECK JUMPER pattern.
Did you know?
This is the same method to use when you are starting a new ball of yarn after coming to the end of another. Tying knots in the middle of a row is messy and potentially ruinous if it comes undone!
BOBBLES
These are often called blackberry stitch if used one after the other. Essentially you are making say five stitches from one stitch, knitting just these stitches for a few rows and then decreasing again before carrying on with the rest of your knitting.
See Toft’s knitting help videos for how to make the perfect bobble as used in our BOBBLE HAT and BOBBLE HOTTIE.
CABLES
Cable knitting can be as easy or complex and intricate as you want to make it.
Patterns such as our CABLE WRISTWARMERS make a perfect beginner cable knitting project. The one way twist cable pattern is simple and yet looks professional and unique, especially when knitted in luxury knitting yarns such as our DK. When cabling you are in effect twisting the stitches and knitting them in the wrong order and to do this you will almost always need to use a cable needle held to the front or the back (although a pencil or large hair pin can be a good substitute!). See our BASIC CABLE STITCH LEARN TO KNIT VIDEO.
WRAP CABLE
As used in our CABLE CUSHION pattern this cable takes some stitches (usually at a central point of the cable) onto the cable needle, they are then physically wrapped with the working yarn several times under the cable needle before being slipped back onto the left hand needle before being knitted.
HOLLOW OAK CABLE
As used in our BOBBLE LEGWARMERS this more advanced cable (sometimes called ‘sands through the hourglass’ cable) uses a combination of cables, MOSS STITCH and BOBBLES to great effect.
TRINITY STITCH 
Often confused with blackberry stitch his knitting stitch lends itself to being knitted in most yarns including chunky as seen in our TRINITY COWL KNITTING KIT.
It's created much like a bobble or blackberry stitch in that a few stitches are made from one and then to keep the same amount of stitches per row the next three stitches are knitted together.
HYACINTH STITCH
This beautiful lace stitch is quite time consuming but worth the effort. Like most lace knitting patterns it uses wraps, decreases and increases to create loopy stitches, gathers and fans. The end result is a pattern that looks like a hyacinth flower repeated again and again. It works well in Toft’s fine and lace yarns as well as DK, thicker yarns wouldn’t work so well - the delicate stitch definition might be lost and purling 5 stitches together could become quite tricky. See our STITCH VIDEO.
Did you know?
If you find purling 5 stitches together quite difficult you could always slip 4 stitches purlwise then purl 1 stitch and slip the previous 4 slipped stitches over it.
EYELET STITCH
A great little knitting lace pattern this is a lace stitch that could be used for both ladies and men’s patterns. Yarn around the needle between purl two together stitches creates small eyelets every 4 rows rows.
Did you know?
Yarn around the needle differs from yarn over because the working yarn is taken right the way around the needle back to the correct position (either knit or purl side depending on what row you are working).
WAVE STITCH
This lace stitch is quite unusual because it actually looks far more effective when knitted in chunky yarns than in finer ones. It uses wraps around the needle during a knit stitch and the wraps are then dropped on the following purl rows. It is a beautifully unstructured quite organic looking stitch (and if you happen to make a mistake it will be very difficult to notice!).
CAT'S PAW 
Also known as ‘crowns of glory’ this lace stitch looks great knitted in our Fine yarn. It is one of the more advanced stitches used in our SUMMER SCARF. Like so many lace patterns it is well worth the effort you put in. The small and large eyelets are created as you might expect from yarn overs and decreases.
Did you know?
To bring out the very best of your lace knitting, once an item is completed hand wash it carefully and then block it, stretching it out using blocking wires and pins if you have them, or use a towels to pin it stretched out.