Twist Stitch Tam

On the sixth day of Christmas, Tin Can Knits gave to me…

a twist stitch tam,

booties warm and wee!

hip slouchy hat,
honey flavoured mitts,
sea inspired socks,
and cabled mittens for under the tree!

delicate texture created by tiny twists

Working twisted stitch patterns is easier than you might think, and this technique is used in many delicate and beautiful patterns.  When I first knit the Koolhaas hat by Jared Flood, I worked each of the twist stitches just like a tiny cable, using a cable needle.  It took FOREVER.  I simply wasn’t aware that there was another way to do it!

But when I designed Sitka Spruce, and the Urban Hiker cardigan (with a matching stitch panel), I realized how simple and effective twisted stitch patterns could be. So grab the pattern, and try this lovely technique out today.

Sitka mittens

Urban Hiker

Sitka Beret

How to work LT and RT

On the pattern itself I describe the steps I use to work LT (left twist) and RT (right twist), no cable needle required!  You can also find all Tin Can Knits abbreviations on our HELP! page.  LH means left-hand.

RT – right twist – k2tog, leave sts on LH needle, then knit first st on LH needle, then slip both sts off LH needle at once.

LT – left twist – skipping first st, reach behind it to knit second st on LH needle through back loop.  Next knit both first and second sts on LH needle together through back loops, then slip both sts off LH needle at once.

If this just serves to further confuse the issue, check out the LT and RT videos by Newstitchaday.com – their instructions are slightly different, but will have much the same effect.

Sitka Spruce Project Details:

Pattern: Sitka Spruce hat and mittens
Sizing: mittens: adult small (medium, large)
hat: pattern written for beanie (beret) styles of hat
Yarn: worsted / aran weight yarn; for hat: 160 (185) yds; for mittens: 140 (150, 165) yds (sample shown in Malabrigo Worsted in ‘lettuce’)
Needles: US #7 / 4.5mm and US #8 / 5.0mm (or as req’d to meet gauge); 20” circular needle in both sizes, and DPNs in larger size
Gauge: 18 sts / 4” in stockinette (on larger needles)

Last year I ‘hacked’ this pattern, working with DK weight yarn, rather than the worsted weight called for in the pattern.  Do you have the perfect yarn in a lighter weight than the pattern was written for?  For all the details on this hack, check out this blog post.  And if you knit the mittens in a lighter-weight yarn, they’ll be perfect for kids!

lovely Sitka Spruce projects from Ravelry

And for your viewing pleasure, here are a few Ravelry knitter’s photos.  Check them all out here.  We love to see what you’re creating, so feel free to share images, projects, and any questions with us on social media.

by dmhartley

by mevrouwwalvis

by roketsientist33

by mevrouwwalvis

Have a friend who would love to learn this technique?  Click the links below and share this post!

Tempting Texture from TCK: