The Linen stitch is a simple way to create woven looking fabric.

The Linen Stitch is a fun and simple stitch that creates a uniquely woven look to your fabric. It isn’t perfect for all projects, but it definitely has its uses, and its simplicity keeps me coming back to it more and more.

December 1, 2020

There are a few “go-to” stitch patterns that rarely disappoint, if you know how to utilize it. The linen stitch is definitely one of my favorites. It’s a great stitch if you want a sturdy fabric that has a woven look to it, use the ABC color changing method (read more about that here), or break up variegated colorways to create a look to your fabric much different than just working in plain stockinette or seed stitch.

Over the years, I have utilized this stitch in many different ways. You can test out the ABC color-changing method using linen stitch in the Don’t Stop Me Now Cowl pattern, or create a warmer fabric by using it in my upcoming Breaking Yarn Gloves pattern (which will be live soon!).

Not only is this stitch quick to learn and easy to use, it’s a pattern that you don’t have to keep checking your notes for because you will have it memorized after one repeat. Who doesn’t want that in a stitch?!

Below is the pattern and all the skinny you need to know about this stitch!

THE STITCH:
Linen Stitch
Worked over an odd number of stitches.

*. . .* - repeat between asterisks
pwise - purl wise (as if to purl)
sl1 - slip 1 stitch

The Pattern:
(One-Color Option)
Row 1 (RS): *K1, bring yarn to front, sl1 pwise, take yarn to back* to last st, K1
Row 2 (WS): *with yarn in back sl1 pwise, bring yarn to front, P1* to last st, with yarn in back, sl1 pwise

(Two-Color Option)
Row 1 (RS) Color A: *K1, bring yarn to front, sl1 pwise, take yarn to back* to last st, K1
Row 2 (WS) Color A: *with yarn in back sl1 pwise, bring yarn to front, P1* to last st, with yarn in back, sl1 pwise
Row 3 Color B: *K1, bring yarn to front, sl1 pwise, take yarn to back* to last st, K1
Row 4 Color B: *with yarn in back sl1 pwise, bring yarn to front, P1* to last st, with yarn in back, sl1 pwise

(Three-Color Option)
Row 1 (RS) Color A: *K1, bring yarn to front, sl1 pwise, take yarn to back* to last st, K1
Row 2 (WS) Color B: *with yarn in back sl1 pwise, bring yarn to front, P1* to last st, with yarn in back, sl1 pwise
Row 3 Color C: *K1, bring yarn to front, sl1 pwise, take yarn to back* to last st, K1
Row 4 Color A: *with yarn in back sl1 pwise, bring yarn to front, P1* to last st, with yarn in back, sl1 pwise
Row 5 Color B: *K1, bring yarn to front, sl1 pwise, take yarn to back* to last st, K1
Row 6 Color C: *with yarn in back sl1 pwise, bring yarn to front, P1* to last st, with yarn in back, sl1 pwise

NOTE: If working this stitch in the round, you would simply knit every even numbered round. If working several colors, carry the unused colors up the backside of your piece.

The Review:
This is a very versatile stitch, but be aware of what kind of fabric is created. It can be a dense—almost woven—stitch. While it doesn’t have a lot of drape, it can be used with any weight of yarn or fiber to create a desirable fabric for items you want to be warm. This fabric that is created can be a bit heavy and thick, which is perfect for pieces you want to hold in the heat. But stay away from this stitch if you want any kind of drape to your finished piece. You want to use this stitch for something that requires some durability, but limited stretch. A washcloth is a great option for this stitch or items that you want to be warm and aren’t very large (it would be very heavy if it was a large piece) such as mittens, gloves, hats, headbands, etc. This would also be a great stitch for a sew on pocket of a jacket or cardigan as something a little different. It also makes a good stable stitch for the heel of a sock or create an even thicker fabric for felted items.

The linen stitch can look muddled and lost in dark or highly variegated colors. But that isn’t always a bad thing. If you are having troubles with a space dyed yarn causing pooling, try the linen stitch to see how it can break up the pooling without having to make any further changes. Heavy fibers such as alpaca or mercerized cotton would not be good choices for this fiber because the weight of the piece would cause it to have gravity stretch. This stitch works great in lofty fibers such as superwash merino or lightweight cashmere (DK weight is nice if you aren’t looking for warmth). I also love it for a warm hat in a bulky weight yarn.

You want to be sure and swatch your yarn for this stitch because you might have to go up a needle size or two to help alleviate some of the denseness. You also want to account for extra yarn than most other stitches require because it does eat up more yarn than plain stockinette stitch.

It can be easy to accidentally slip a stitch with the float going on the wrong side of the fabric for a stitch or two in the middle of your piece, so make sure you are slipping the stitches so that the float goes across the RS of the work. This isn’t a natural feeling at first, but as you get into the groove of the pattern, you will make those mistakes less often.

The sides have a clean look if you keep your edge stitches snug. If you are making something (like a washcloth) that has edges that will show, a garter stitch border is the best recommendation to help match the depth of this stitch pattern and eliminate the curl.

The Pros:
Simple stitch—only requires you know how to K, P, and slip sts
Great for durable fabrics
Creates a warm fabric
Good for high friction parts of a piece (heel of sock or palm of gloves)
Takes very little effort to block because of limited stretch
Breaks up pooling in variegated yarns

The Cons:
Can create a dense and heavy fabric
Time consuming (takes two rows in linen stitch to create the height that one straight knit row makes)
Not as many options for where this stitch can be used
No drape and little stretch
Curls on all four sides a little, but curls on the corners a lot

Experiment with this stitch and leave a comment below letting me know why you love the linen stitch and what projects you have used it on. Don’t forget to tag @knitsyknits and #explorewithknitsy on your linen stitch projects! I would love to see how you incorporate it into your projects.