The Garter Drop Stitch is a knitting pattern that creates a fabric with an open, airy texture and horizontal dropped-stitch “bars”. The base of the fabric is garter stitch (all rows knit), which provides a stable and slightly textured background. The dropped stitches are created by winding the yarn around the needle multiple times on one row, and then deliberately dropping those extra loops on the following row. This produces elongated stitches that run horizontally across the fabric, creating the “dropped” effect.
The first four rows establish the garter stitch base. Row 5 introduces the dropped stitches by creating the extra yarn loops. Row 6 is where the magic happens: as you knit across the row, you drop the extra loops created in Row 5, resulting in the elongated, dropped stitches. The repetition of these six rows creates the continuous pattern of garter stitch and dropped stitch bars.
Abbreviations:
- K: Knit
- rep: Repeat
- st(s): Stitch(es)
- to end: Repeat instructions until the end of the current row.
- * … *: This indicates the section of the row that is repeated.
- winding yarn twice round needle: This is the key to the dropped stitch. Instead of wrapping the yarn around the needle once for a regular knit stitch, you wrap it around twice. This creates an extra loop that will be dropped on the next row.
- dropping the extra loops: On row 6, purpoesfully drop the extra loop made on the row before.
Cast On:
Any number of stitches.
Pattern Directions:
Work 4 rows in garter stitch (every row knit).
Row 5: *K1 winding yarn twice round needle; rep from * to end.
Row 6: K to end, dropping the extra loops.
Rep these 6 rows.
