Watch how to knit the smocking pattern (video & written pattern)

Knit in a solid worsted weight wool, Smocking has a classic look that makes one think of vintage knits from the English countryside. It’s a great stitch for a panel on an Aran knit sweater or blanket. This stitch pattern is somewhat unusual in its construction in that a stitch is created over the length of six other stitches and then used to cinch in those six stitches. It’s almost as if you’re lassoing your work!

It can be fun to play with tension in this pattern when making your lasso-loop. The best Smocking is created with even tension across all stitches, especially those little lassoes: Too tight a loop will pull your knit stitches so much that you’ll have holes and puckers in your work and too loose a loop will not cinch them in enough and create a lag in the stitch or two that follows.

Materials
Yarn in any weight
Knitting needles in the size indicated on your yarn label

Abbreviations
k - knit
k2tog - knit 2 together
p - purl
sl - slip
sts - stitches
wyib - with yarn in back

Pattern
Smocking is worked over a multiple of 8 stitches, plus 2, over an 8 row repeat. Row 1 below begins on the wrong side of your work.

Rows 1 and 3: k2, * p2, k2; repeat from * to end of row
Row 2: p2, * k2, p2; repeat from * to end of row
Row 4: p2, * wyib insert right-hand needle between the 6th and 7th stitches on your left-hand needle and wrap yarn around the right-hand needle, pulling the wrap to the front of your work to form a loop, sl loop onto left-hand needle and k2tog (the loop and the 1st st); k1, p2, k2, p2; repeat from * to end of row
Rows 5 and 7: repeat Rows 1 and 3
Row 6: repeat Row 2
Row 8: k2, p2, k2, * create loop between 6th and 7th stitches as instructed in Row 4, sl loop onto left-hand needle and k2tog (the loop and the 1st st), then k1, p2, k2, p2; repeat from * to last 4 sts, k2, p2

Repeat these 8 rows until your piece reaches desired length or as indicated in pattern.