How to Knit a Box Stitch
A box stitch is nothing more than an arrangement of knit and purl stitches that create boxes. It's a great stitch to practice knitting once you've mastered garter and stockinette. Gauge can be tricky since purl stitches are wider than knit ones, so you should make a 5-inch swatch if fit is crucial. Since the stitch is reversible, however, it's a good one to use for dishcloths, scarves, baby blankets and afghans.
Other People Are Reading
Instructions
-
-
1
Choose a worsted, double-knit (DK) or baby weight yarn to practice the box stitch. It's best to choose a light color so you can see what you're doing.
-
2
Pick knitting needles that match the recommendation on the yarn band. For this trial, the gauge isn't crucial but you want to be sure you use a comfortable needle size.
-
-
3
Cast on 24 stitches loosely for your practice swatch. The box stitch pattern is based on a repeat of four stitches plus four extra. When making a scarf, for instance, use anywhere from 36 to 56 stitches, depending on how wide you want it.
-
4
Use garter stitch by knitting all stitches for the first two rows so you don't have to struggle with first-row tightness when adjusting to the pattern.
-
5
Knit four stitches. Then alternate between purling and knitting four stitches until you end with four knitted stitches.
-
6
Begin the next row by purling four stitches. Then knit four and purl four until you end the row by purling four stitches.
-
7
Repeat Step 5 and Step 6. You should have boxes of four stitches and four rows each of knit and purl stitches.
-
8
Do Step 6 (beginning with four purl stitches) for the next row. Then repeat Step 5 (starting with four knit stitches). Knit Step 6 and Step 5 again. Your swatch should show two rows of alternating knit and purl boxes.
-
9
Finish your practice box stitch swatch by knitting Steps 5 through 8 for another 20 rows. End with two rows of garter stitch if you want to create a symmetrical swatch.
-
1
