Knitting Tutorial: Tied or Smocked Stitches

Smocking is primarily considered a sewing technique, but did you know you can also create smocked stitches in knitting? When worked across even intervals, smocking can add extra interest to ribbing by creating a decorative, gathered effect.

Before You Begin

To smock a group of stitches, you simply transfer the stitches onto a cable needle, tapestry needle or dpn, wrap your yarn around the group of stitches, then return the stitches to your knitting needles. Depending on the pattern, stitches can be smocked before or after they have been worked. 

Materials

• cable needle, tapestry needle or dpn

Thanks to Skacel for providing the CoBaSi by HiKoo yarn and addi Natura Olivewood Circular Needles used in this tutorial. These products are available locally at many yarn shops and online at Makers' Mercantile.

Smocked Stitches

Recommended Pattern

Ready to try this technique in a pattern? The Wallflower Sweater Pattern shown in this lesson has videos to help you learn more about:

• The Importance of Swatching
• Tracking Progress in Complex Knitting Patterns
• Open Bar Increase (a.k.a. Open Make 1 Increase)
• Decrease Slant and Stitch Charts - 3 Helpful Tips
• Smocked, or Tied, Stitches
• Dividing the Body and Casting On Underarm Stitches for Top Down Sweaters
• Picking Up Underarm Stitches for a Gap Free Sleeve
• Suspended Bind Off (Purlwise)

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