Dutch Knitting Stitch
Dutch Knitting Stitch is a lovely little lace pattern characterized by staggered eyelets. Worked over a 6-row repeat, its combination of simple techniques create a breezy fabric less fussy than your average lace! Here’s our Dutch Knitting Stitch tutorial, where we show you how to do it.
Dutch Knitting Stitch is worked over a multiple of 3 plus 2 stitches. (For example, our Terrace Wrap has a cast on of 119 stitches: 3 times 39 equals 117, plus 2 equals 119.) The wrong-side rows are all just purl stitch, and the right-side rows are very similar, making the overall stitch pattern a cinch!
If worked in swaths (like a long scarf or generous wrap), this fabric may bias slightly with wear. That’s okay, it’s just as beautiful! If you make a garment in pieces, Dutch Knitting Stitch’s biasing should be counteracted by seaming and blocking.
Watch our video tutorial for the ins and outs, or skip ahead to the written instructions, below!
Click To See Video Transcript
I am going to show you how to work the right side row of Dutch Knitting Stitch. So you can see here I have a swatch. The stitch pattern creates this kind of staggered eyelet look. It’s a six-row repeat, and all the wrong-side rows are the same. You just purl and all the right side rows are very similar. And that’s what I’m going to show you how to do right-side row. To start this right-side row, I’m going to knit three stitches just to begin and then I’m going to jump into the repeat.
So the first thing you do with the repeat is you yarn over. So I’m going to bring my working yarn from the back of my work to the front of my work by bringing it between the needles. The next thing you do is knit three stitches. In order to do this, I’m going to take my working yarn over the top of my right needle to knit that first stitch. Then my working yarn is naturally in the back and I’m going to knit two more stitches. The next thing I do is use the tip of my left needle to pick up that first of the three stitches I just knit. And I’m going to gently pull it up and over those next two stitches and off of that right needle. Now you can see when I do that, you kind of get this horizontal dash from that stitch you just pulled off the needle. So lemme show you how to do that again. Yarn over knit three, and then use that left needle to pick up the first of the three stitches and pull it off of the right needle. And that’s really it. You just repeat that. And the only difference between the right side rows is how many stitches are at the beginning and the end of the row. So now you can do Dutch Knitting Stitch.
Stitch Pattern
Row 1 and all subsequent wrong side rows: Purl.
Row 2 (right side): K3, *yarn over (yo), k3, pass the first knit stitch over the other 2, repeat from * to last 2 stitches, k2.
Row 4: K5, *yo, k3, pass the first knit stitch over the other 2, repeat from * to last 3 stitches, k3.
Row 6: K4, *yo, k3, pass the first knit stitch over the other 2, repeat from * to last stitch, k1.
Repeat Rows 1-6.
Practice with a Pattern
Terrace Wrap
Now that you’ve added Dutch Knitting Stitch pattern to your repertoire, put it to use while making our Terrace Wrap in Cattail Silk or Good Wool!
Looking for more inspiration? Explore all of our free knitting patterns and knitting tutorials, buy one of our many knitting kits and yarn bundles, and shop for beautiful yarn. We have over 35 gorgeous natural fiber yarns in 100’s of magnificent colors, designed to bring integrity, beauty, and joy to your next knitting project and only available at Purl Soho!
I enjoy all your videos, thanks. What I would find particularly helpful to add, please, would be a look at the back of the work. I hope you will consider adding this detail in future videos. Thanks for considering!
Julie
Hi Julie,
Thanks for writing in! We will certainly take your suggestion into consideration for the future!
Best,
Cassy
That’s an excellent suggestion, Julie!
what a beautiful pattern and idea for a wrap, for summer this
will be perfect and sitting outside in cool summer evenings.
thank you for this great idea.
Can you use linen quill for this scarf
Hi Lori,
Thanks for the question. Yes, for the Terrace Wrap you can use Linen Quill as a substitute. It will be both textural and soft.
All the best,
Adam
In your nice video, you bring the working yarn to the front before starting the stitch repeat. I don’t see that in the pattern instructions above. You use a yarn over instead. Is the result the same?
Hi Debby,
Thanks for writing in! To work a yarn over between 2 knit stitches as in this pattern, you will bring the working yarn from the back to the front of the work and then back over the right hand needle. We also have a tutorial for yarn overs that can be found here: https://www.purlsoho.com/create/yarn-over-yo/
I hope that this helps clear things up!
Cassy
What does ‘biasing’ mean?
Hi Linda,
Thanks for writing in! Biasing is the process of a fabric going from square to slightly diagonal. In this case the wrap will not appear as a rectangle when laid flat but rather the ends will be at parallel diagonals and the sides will remain parallel to each other.
I hope that this clears things up!
Cassy
Hi,
I’m interested in adding this stitch into a blanket I’m already working on, with different stitches as a border. It seems like this stitch essentially drops a stitch to create the eyelet effect. Could you explain how to add the stitches back to get to a knit border with the original stitch count? Does that make sense? 8-/
Hi Jessie,
Thanks for writing in! You certainly can add this stitch pattern into another project. I would just note that the stitch pattern does have the tendency to bias the fabric so that your blanket may not come out as straight as if you used an alternate stitch pattern. The stitch pattern itself does not drop a stitch but rather reduces a stitch and creates a stitch for a net result that is the same number of stitches as you began with thus there is no need to add a stitch back in. So long as you work over a multiple of 3 plus 2 stitches, you should be set!
Best,
Cassy
Thanks!
When working the row 5, do you purl the two stitches that are “wrapped” as one, or do you purl them separately?
Hello Nika,
Great Question! For every wrong side row you will purl each stitch in your row.
Warmly,
Marilla
Hello! The pattern works really well however fhe finished scarf is totally slanted. The corners aren’t right angles. Can anyone help? I don’t know what I am doing wrong.
Hi Clarissa,
Thanks for writing in and notifying us about this. The sample in the shop slants a bit too, so this is normal. This often happens with silk and plant fibers. If you’d like, you can aggressively block the wrap to try to straighten out the bottom edge.
All the best,
Adam
Thank you for this lovely pattern what type of cast-on do you recommend?
Hi Cathy,
Thanks for writing in! In general, when not noted, we use the long tail cast on and it would work well here. You could also use the backwards loop cast on here as well!
Best,
Cassy
Very good video, Cassy. I’m wondering — do you have any guidance for trying patterns in a different shape? I’d love to try this pattern in a triangle shawl.
Thank you!
Paula
Hello Paula,
Great question! I think this stitch could be a beautiful triangle scarf. I would keep in mind that that the stitch pattern does have the tendency to bias the fabric so that your scarf may not come out straight. To create a triangle you will need to add increase or decreases, depending on which edge you cast on. As long as you end up with a multiple of 3 plus 2 stitches, you should be ok. I would experiment with adding increases or decreases to a couple of swatches and see how it comes out.
Good luck and let us know if you have any further questions!
warmly,
Marilla
Thanks for the lovely pattern . However , I have a question : Does it curl or not ?
Thanks again in advance
Hi Anne,
Thank you for writing in! As we have achieved this pattern in our Cattail Silk, we have noticed no curling. That is not to say that in an animal fiber that it might behave the same. I’d give it a try in a small swatch and see how it behaves there.
Best,
Cassy
Love this pattern! Do you have any suggestions as to another yarn that might be used? If another yarn is used will it bias as much as the silk yarn does? I agree with Paula; I’d love to see this pattern as a triangle scarf.
Hi Linda,
Thanks for writing in! For our Terrace Wrap using the Dutch Stitch, you can certainly use an alternate yarn. I think that Linen Quill would be lovely here. I would suggest going up to a US 5 and using 3 skeins. However, the yarn choice will most probably not mitigate the biasing as the stitch pattern and not the yarn causes the biasing in the final wrap.
We would love to see your final project if you do use an alternate yarn!
Happy knitting!
Cassy
I didn’t see anyone ask this and I feel sort of silly, but when you say that the item will “bias” — does this mean that it stretches on the bias? The description says it still looks beautiful but I’m just curious if that would make me want to keep it shorter rather than the longer length to try and avoid that? Or would using a different yarn change that?
Thanks for your help!
Hello Anastasia,
Thank you for your question! You are correct; it will stretch on the bias creating a triangular point on each side of the wrap. This is really the nature of the stitch, but If this stitch worked in smaller pieces and pieced together for a garment, the biasing should be counteracted by seaming and blocking.
I hope this helps please let us know if you have any further questions!
Warmly,
Marilla
This may seem like a stupid question but after you pick up the stitch and cast off and you have the two stitches that are bonded together do you start the repeat of six stitches over and then bind off again – it’s looking like there is a long space between holes
Hello Linda,
Thanks for writing us! After you pass the first knit stitch over the other 2 you begin the sequence again starting with your Yarn Over. The complete sequence that you will be repeating is as follows; yarn over (yo), k3, pass the first knit stitch over the other 2.
I hope this clears things up! Happy knitting,
Marilla
Yikes, I must be doing something very wrong. I simply cannot pick up that 1st of 3 stitches (in the dutch knitting pattern) to lift it over the other 2. I started out using Hiya Hiya sharps and thought maybe they just were too smooth. Frogged that, started again on bamboo, frogged that and just now giving up on using Brittany wooden needles. I cannot get any purchase on the yarn fyberspates gleem lace. I’ve watch ed the tutorial multiple times…. any thoughts on where I may be going wrong? Not a novice knitter but first time using lace weight.
Hello Catherine,
Thanks for writing us! This stitch can take a bit of time to get used to. I have found that the Addi Rocket needles work best as they are a pointier which makes it a little easier to pick up your stitch. I hope this helps! Let us know if it still gives you trouble.
Warmly,
Marilla
I’ve been looking for a pattern to make a wrap using some material I already bought. Phoenix trendsetter 66% viscose and 34% cotton, 20 stitches=4 inches, recommend 6-8 needle. I love the Terrace Wrap pattern, do you think it will work for me?
Any suggestions!
Thanks,
Mel
Hello Melonie,
Thank you for reaching out! Our Cattail Silk, which is what we knit this up in, has a gauge of 6 – 7.5 stitches per inch in stockinette and is a fingering weight yarn. This means that Phoenix will not work for the Terrace wrap in terms of gauge. You could certainly make a wrap using the Dutch Knitting Stitch. You will just want to knit up a little gauge swatch to figure out a good cast no number.
I hope this helps and happy knitting!
-Marilla
I’m having to unknit most of a row and having trouble. Can you point me to a good description of unknitting the Dutch Knitting Stitch?
Thanks
Hi Molly,
Thanks for writing in! While we do not have a resource to refer you to for advice to unknit the Dutch Stitch, I am happy to help! The most complex part will be unknitting the passed over stitch. You will want to insert your left hand needle into the bar that is the passed over stitch and move it back on the right hand needle. You can then rearrange it by pushing it back to be behind the 2 stitches that you passed it over. You will then unknit the 3 knit stitches and let the YO fall off of the needle.
I hope that this helps!
Cassy
Hi! I’d want to make a dish cloth using the Dutch knitting stitch. Is there a pattern or can someone tell me how many stitches I would need to cast on for a 10 inch square?
I like this video of the Dutch stitch! Is there anyway to save the video and pattern?
Hello Ellen,
Thank you for reaching out! This pattern is worked over a multiple of 3 plus 2 stitches. For example, 3 times 39 equals 117, plus 2 equals 119. This means that if you would like a width of 10″ with a gauge of 24 stitches per 4 inches in stitch pattern your cast on will be 62 stitches. One thing I would not before starting is that this stitch pattern may bias slightly with wear.
If you’re on a desktop version of the site, you will find a “print” icon in the right column just below the date and tags. If you’re on a mobile version of the site, you will find a “print” icon below the pattern and above the comments.
Follow the easy on-screen instructions to delete whichever parts of the pattern you don’t want to print or save. For example, you may decide to shorten the pattern by omitting certain images or the list of materials. To remove images, click the drop down next to the image icon and change from 100% to 0%.
I hope this helps and happy knitting!
-Marilla
Thank you for this lovely pattern.
Yours sincerely,
Anette in Denmark
Row 1,2,4,5
Can’t find row 3 and row 5…listed in the pattern??????.
Wrong rows, so I should purl!
Just making sure I am reading this correctly
Hi Patricia,
Thanks for reaching out! It sounds like you’ve got it! Yes, all wrong side or odd numbered rows of this pattern should be purled.
I hope that clears things up!
Julianna
I LOVE the way this turned out. Would love to make a cardigan sweater using this yarn and dutch knitting stitch. Do you know of a pattern for that? I am not a good enough knitter to figure out how to do that myself!
Hi Sarah,
Thanks so much for the kind words and for reaching out! I don’t know of any existing sweater patterns that use this stitch, and although I agree it is quite lovely, I am not sure if the Dutch Knitting Stitch would be a good choice for a garment due to how strongly it biases. However, I will certainly pass your request along to the design team!
Best,
Julianna
hi. are all the yo back to front like in the demo?
thanks.
Hi Berrit,
That’s a great question! All of the yarn overs are worked the same way in this pattern. To work a yarn over between knit stitches as in this pattern, you will bring the working yarn from the back to the front of the work, while making sure it is between the tips of the two needles and then back over the right hand needle. I hope this helps!
Happy Knitting!
Jessica
Made this in a blanket .
Added 6 sts. On each side
119+12 sts.
Bias…YES
Wanted to send pic .
Didn’t know how to enter it.
Can this be knitted with out a bias?
Beautiful stitch
Hi Linda,
Thank you so much for reaching out! We would love to see your blanket! You can always send pictures of your finished projects to [email protected]. Unfortunately, Dutch Knitting biases by its very nature and it cannot be avoided, but I’m happy to hear that you are still enjoying your blanket! You might be interested in the stitch we used for our Cat Eye Lace Wrap, which is somewhat similar to a more open version of Dutch Knitting, but does not bias.
Happy knitting!
Julianna
What size needle do I use on this pattern with the recommended cat tail silk yarn
Pj
Hi Pj,
We used size US 4 needles for the Terrace Wrap! But as always, this is just a suggestion, and we recommend knitting a gauge swatch before casting on your project. You may need to size up or down your needles in order to get the correct gauge! If you would like to learn more about this, we have a handy tutorial called All About Gauge, which you can find right here: https://www.purlsoho.com/create/2020/08/20/all-about-gauge/. Hope this helps!
All the best,
Lili
Hi! I love this stitch and have started using it on a few projects, but when I search online for “Dutch Knitting Stitch”, I can’t find anyone else using the same or a similar stitch by that name. This got me wondering: is this stitch an original or semi-original creation for this pattern, is it inspired by a historically Dutch knitting style or the Dutch stitch in needle point, or is it just typically referred to by another name? Just curious!
Also, a quick tip for anyone having trouble getting the first stitch over the other two on the right-side rows (like I did): I’ve started using a Tunisian crochet hook in my right hand for the right-side rows which lets you pull the second and third stitches through the first one in a single movement without having to pick up the third stitch with your other needle. If you’ve got a USE4/3.50mm Tunisian crochet hook handy, give it a try on the Terrace Wrap pattern!
Hi Daniel,
Thanks of much for reaching out, and I’m happy to hear that you’re enjoying this stitch! It’s based on a stitch pattern found in Barbara G. Walker’s book Charter Knitting Designs: A Third Treasury of Knitting Patterns, which is also called Dutch Knitting. Unfortunately, Walker doesn’t give any further history of this stitch, so I’m afraid I don’t know the details. But I’m super curious as well, so I’ll keep this question in mind and will be sure to update you if I uncover anything else in the future!
All the best,
Lili
I have just started this, but seem to end up with an extra stitch on each yarn over row. What am I doing incorrectly?
Hi Lori,
Thanks for writing in! It’s hard to tell exactly what’s happening, but perhaps you’re working an extra yarn over before the final knit stitches on those rows. Would you mind sending a photo of your work to us directly though so we can take a closer look? You can send it to [email protected]. It’ll be helpful for us to see a photo of the stitches on your needles right when you finish an even-numbered row!
All the best,
Lili