Making Filled Squares in Filet Lace Knitting

The how and why of using yokp elongated stitches to make filled squares in filet lace knitting

The second 2-stitch sequence used in knitting filet lace for this month’s KAL project I Heart Filet Lace, is the yokp, k1. This is used to make the filled squares of filet lace that define the solid-filled heart portion of the heart motif (i.e. the positive space).

Note: If you have not already done so, you can read about the other 2-stitch yo, ktd  sequence that is used to create the lace mesh portions of filet lace (i.e. the negative space of the design).

How to make the yokp elongated knit stitch

The yokp is a simple combination of stitch movements you probably already know: 

yarn over, k1, pass the yo over the k1 stitch

Normally you think of a yarn over as making a stitch. In this case, even though you do a yarn over, by passing the yarn over the next knitted stitch, it immediately eliminates the yarn over. You can think of it as a Phantom Yarn Over; i.e. you do a yarn over but then it goes away in almost a blink of the eye (or at least as fast as you can knit the next stitch and pull the yarn over that stitch).

Passing the yarn over the k1 stitch of the yokp does create a bit of texture in the stitch pattern. Do you see the little horizontal bar in the solid stockinette stitch areas of the photo above?

Tip: When making the yo, keep it loose so it is easy to insert your left-hand needle point to pass ot over the knit stitch.

Tip: If you are still having trouble getting your left-hand needle point into the yarn over stitch (especially if you don’t have pointy needles), use your left thumb and index finger to pull down on the yarn over loop so it opens wider. Then you can more easily insert your left-hand needle point into the opening below the needle.

Why do the Phantom Yarn Over yokp?

Why do the extra steps of a yarn over and passing the yarn over the next knitted stitch? After all, you still just end up with 1 stitch. Am I just making you work harder than you need to? Why not just do a plain knit stitch and leave it at that?

Aaah … I am glad you asked. Believe me, I would not be adding to your knitting work if I did not have a (hopefully!) good reason.

This is the trick to add some extra height to the knitted stitch, thus overcoming the challenge we mentioned previously in the Introduction to  Getting Started with Filet Lace Knitting. The extra yarn length of the pseudo-yarn over stitch coerces the knitted stitch into a square where width equals height.