Knitting hourglass pattern - instructions with pictures
- Material and preparation
- Small hourglass pattern
- Large hourglass pattern
- Possible variations
You've never heard of an hourglass pattern ">
A three-color pattern sounds very difficult? Try our hour glass samples! In each row you knit only one color and get along without annoying tension threads. The patterns consist almost only of right and left stitches and are therefore well feasible for beginners. What else you need to know, we explain in this guide.
Material and preparation
For an hourglass pattern you will need wool in three different colors. Make sure that the run length of the yarns is similar. This information can be found on the banderole. Initially, use plain wool with no effects and medium thickness, such as four to five gauge needle size. With such a thread, the pattern succeeds easily and unfolds its effect nicely.
Tip: Use thicker needles one size than recommended on the banderole of the yarn to prevent the fabric from becoming too tight. The lifting straps for the vertical straps must be able to extend.
Choose a color for the (dark blue) grid. These are called color A in the following. The other two are called B and C. The individual threads are knotted as soon as you need them for the first time. Then do not cut the yarn off, but let it hang while knitting with a different color.
Tip: Have you already come up with the secret of the name? The surfaces in the same colors look together with the vertical strut in between and some fantasy like hourglasses.
You need:
- Medium weight wool in three colors
- Pair of knitting needles in matching thickness
Technique: lift off the stitches
This simple trick creates the vertical stripes. Lift the stitch on the right needle without knocking it off. If a left lifting strap is required, the thread is before work, with a right behind it.
Small hourglass pattern
The pattern is elaborate, but consists only of stripes and lifted stitches. The number of stitches must be divisible by four. First knit a row in color A on the left before starting the pattern.
Tip: For beautiful edges, you can make two edge stitches in addition and knit them in rows with an odd number to the right and in even rows to the left.
To knit the small hourglass pattern:
1st row (color A): knit right
2nd row (color A): knit on the left
3rd row (color B): Take off 1 stitch on the right, knit 3 stitches on the right
4th row (color B): Knit 3 stitches on the left, 1 off the left stitch
5th row (color B): same as 3rd row
6th row (color B): same as 4th row
7th row (color A): knit right
8th row (color A): knit left
9th row (color C): knit 2 sts on the right, 1 st from the right, knit 1 stitch on the right
10th row (color C): Knit 1 st on left, 1 st on left, knit 2 sts left
11th row (color C): like 9th row
12th row (color C): like 10th row
Repeat the twelve pattern rows over and over again.
On the back you can see the stripes that make up the pattern.
Large hourglass pattern
This pattern follows the same principle as the small version. The lifted stitches, however, bridge more rows and have to stretch more. Therefore, the areas are hexagonal instead of square. In Color A, strike a mesh number that is divisible by eight. As with the small pattern, you can add two edge stitches. Start with a series of left stitches before knitting the pattern rows.
To knit the large hourglass pattern:
1st + 2nd row (color A): knit right
3rd row (color B): Knit 6 stitches on the right, lift off 2 stitches on the right
4th row (color B): Take off 2 stitches on the left, knit 6 stitches on the left
5th row (color B): same as 3rd row
6th row (color B): same as 4th row
7th row (color B): like 3rd row
8th row (color B): as 4th row
9th + 10th row (color A): knit right
11th row (color C): Knit 2 stitches on the right, take off 2 stitches on the right, knit 4 stitches on the right
12th row (color C): Knit 4 sts left, 2 sts left, knit 2 sts left
13th row (color C): like 11th row
14th row (color C): as 12th row
15th row (color C): like 11th row
16th row (color C): same as the 12th row
Repeat these 16 rows continuously.
The stripes on the back are similar to those on the small pattern, but are twice as wide.
Possible variations
1. Once you master the pattern safely, you can experiment with the effect of special yarns. For example, test the border (color A) in fleece wool.
2. Knit two-tone patterns by combining colors B and C. In this case, the grid is created in front of a monochrome ground.