What's that stitch - caterpillar stitch vertical

Welcome to this months stitch in our what's that stitch series, this month stitch is caterpillar stitch vertical! This is a simple and fun stitch to do.  Learn what caterpillar stitch vertical is, how to do caterpillar stitch vertical and a few project ideas for using this stitch.

[Start of image description: A photo of a purple caterpillar stitch vertical square with a border around it. On the top is a white rectangle at the top of the photo "What is that stitch?" Underneath is a sage green square with two white stripes and the words "Caterpillar stitch vertical"

What is caterpillar stitch vertical?

Caterpillar stitch vertical is a simple and fun stitch that creates lines of knitted stitches that look like a caterpillar.  Caterpillar stitch vertical is knitted on a stocking stitch background, so it does curl up a little bit.

[Start of image description: a photo of a purple knitted caterpillar stitch vertical square. On top of the photo is a white rectangle with the words "What's that stitch?".  Underneath is a sage green rectangle with the words "caterpillar stitch vertical". To do caterpillar stitch vertical cast on multiples of 5. End of image description.]

[Start of image description: A wooden table with a purple caterpillar stitch vertical square. End of image description.]

The photo above is a purple caterpillar stitch vertical, I purposely knitted it with no border to show you how much it would curl.  


O.k I admit it I forgot all about the border wondered why I had too many stitches and frogged the first five rows.  Then about halfway through, I realized why I had added extra stitches in the first place - facepalm.  Rather than frog it, I decided to leave it and show you how much caterpillar stitch vertical does curl up, not quite a much as stocking stitch usually does.

To show you what it looks like with the garter stitch border I decided to knit another square with a border of 4 rows of knitting and then 4 stitches at the start of the row and 4 stitches at the end.  With the border, it stops the square from rolling up like mine.

[Start of image description: A wooden table with a purple caterpillar stitch vertical square. End of image description.]

What does caterpillar stitch vertical look like?

Caterpillar stitch looks like vertical lines that look similar to a caterpillars body which is how this stitch got its name.  Below is a few close up of what caterpillar stitch vertical looks like:

[Start of image description: A close up of the purple caterpillar stitch square. End of image description.]

[Start of image description: A closer up of a photo of the texture of the purple caterpillar stitch square. End of image description.]

How do you do caterpillar stitch vertical?

To do caterpillar stitch vertical 

cast on multiples of 6

WS (Wrong side) Row 1: *K3, P1tbl, k2*

Row 2: *P2,K1 tbl, P3*

Row 3: *K3, P1tbl, k2*

Row 4: *P2, K1 tbl, P3*

Row 5: *K3, P1tbl, k2*

Row 6: *P2 ,K1 tbl, P3*

Row 7: *P1 tbl, K5*

Row 8: *P5, K1 tbl *

Row 9: *P1 tbl, K5*

Row 10: *P5, K1 tbl *

Row 11: *P1 tbl, K5*

Row 12: *P5, K1 tbl *


Repeat these 12 rows

Tips for doing caterpillar stitch vertical

• To keep track of the row mark the row repeats on paper or keep a track of the rows using a row counter. 
• Remember that the first row is on the wrong side of the caterpillar stitch vertical.
• Make sure you knit through the back loop and purl through the back loop where the stitch pattern says to so these turn out ok.
• You need to make sure you have an even number of stitches and have cast on multiples of 5 so the pattern comes out ok.  
• If you cast off too tightly use a stretchy cast-off.
• Have fun knitting this stitch and/or learning how to do this stitch.

 [Start of image description: a wooden table with a knitted purple square with a garter stitch border and a caterpillar vertical stitch.  End of image description.]

How to make your own patchwork square

You need to know how to:

• Cast on 
• Cast off
• Knit
• Purl 

Knitting abbreviations

K - knit
P - purl
Knitting abbreviations - Free printable knitting abbreviations sheet

You will need:

• 5mm knitting needles
• DK/8ply
• 25 grams of yarn (75.5 yards/69 metres) 
• Row counter (If you do not have a row counter you can use pen and paper).

Gauge:

10x10cm

18 stitches and 28 rows

If it is too big go down a needle size and if it's too small go up a needle size. 

Gauge is in stocking stitch (knit 1 row, purl the next row)

[Start of image description: A wooden table with a yellow knitted seed stitch square with a garter stitch border around it. End of image description.]

Pattern:

Cast on 40 stitches

WS (Wrong Side) Row 1: Knit

Row 2: Knit

Row 3: Knit

Row 4: Knit

Row 5: K4, *K3, P1tbl, k2*, K4

Row 6: K4, *P2, K1 tbl, P3*, K4
Row 7: K4, *K3, P1tbl, k2*, K4
Row 8: K4, *P2, K1 tbl, P3*, K4
Row 9: K4, *K3, P1tbl, k2*, K4
Row 10: K4, *P2, K1 tbl, P3*, K4
Row 11: K4, *P1 tbl, K5*, K4
Row 12: K4, *P5, K1 tbl *, K4
Row 13: K4, *P1 tbl, K5*, K4
Row 14: K4, *P5, K1 tbl *, K4 
Row 15: K4, *P1 tbl, K5*, K4
Row 16: K4, *P5, K1 tbl *, K4

Row 17: K4, *K3, P1tbl, k2*, K4

Row 18: K4, *P2, K1 tbl, P3*, K4
Row 19: K4, *K3, P1tbl, k2*, K4
Row 20: K4, *P2, K1 tbl, P3*, K4
Row 21: K4, *K3, P1tbl, k2*, K4
Row 22: K4, *P2, K1 tbl, P3*, K4
Row 23: K4, *P1 tbl, K5*, K4
Row 24: K4, *P5, K1 tbl *, K4
Row 25: K4, *P1 tbl, K5*, K4
Row 26: K4, *P5, K1 tbl *, K4 
Row 27: K4, *P1 tbl, K5*, K4
Row 28: K4, *P5, K1 tbl *, K4

Row 29: K4, *K3, P1tbl, k2*, K4

Row 30: K4, *P2, K1 tbl, P3*, K4
Row 31: K4, *K3, P1tbl, k2*, K4
Row 32: K4, *P2, K1 tbl, P3*, K4
Row 33: K4, *K3, P1tbl, k2*, K4
Row 34: K4, *P2, K1 tbl, P3*, K4
Row 35: K4, *P1 tbl, K5*, K4
Row 36: K4, *P5, K1 tbl *, K4
Row 37: K4, *P1 tbl, K5*, K4
Row 38: K4, *P5, K1 tbl *, K4 
Row 39: K4, *P1 tbl, K5*, K4
Row 40: K4, *P5, K1 tbl *, K4

Row 41: K4, *K3, P1tbl, k2*, K4

Row 42: K4, *P2, K1 tbl, P3*, K4

Row 43: Knit

Row 44: Knit

Row 45: Knit

Row 46: Knit

Cast off 

[Start of image description: a purple caterpillar stitch vertical square with a garter stitch border with a ball of purple yarn pair of knitting needles next to it. On top of it is a ball of blue yarn, all items are sitting on top of a wooden table. End of image description.]

You could use your square to make:

• a blanket 
• a cotton dishcloth
• a cotton facecloth.
• a patchwork blanket using our what's that stitch post. 
• a scarf 

What can you make using tile stitch?

This stitch would look great for the following projects:

• Blanket with a garter stitch border 
• Headband
• Beanie
• Cowl
• Dishcloth
• Teatowel 
• Jumper 
• Cardigan is my fave 
• Scarf

It would also look nice with the caterpillar parts knitted in another colour but for a beginner, it would be a bit more complicated. 

Free printable handy stitch cards

We have made you a free printable tile stitch handy stitch card for you, you could keep this in your knitting bag/basket, punch a hole and it on a key ring or get a piece of string and tie it onto the card. There are two tile stitch handy stitch cards to choose from a sage green background or a white background, each has how to do tile stitch on the back of the card.

Free printable handy stitch card in White 

Free printable handy stitch card in Sage Green

[Start of image description: A white background with a photo at the top centre.  The photo is of a wooden table with a purple caterpillar stitch vertical with a garter stitch border around it.   Underneath is two brown stripes and then a brown rectangle with the words "what's that stitch?" and at the bottom is the words "Caterpillar Stitch Vertical" and the words "cozy woodland cottage knits. blogspot .com. End of image description.]

[Start of image description: A sage green background with a photo at the top centre. The photo is of a wooden table with a purple caterpillar stitch vertical square that has a garter stitch border around it and a ball of purple yarn and needles. Underneath is two white stripes and then a white rectangle with the words "what's that stitch?" and at the bottom is the words "Caterpillar Stitch Vertical" and the words "cozy woodland cottage knits. blogspot .com. End of image description.]

If you loved this post please pin!

[Start of image description:A wooden table with a purple caterpillar stitch vertical squares with a garter stitch border and a ball of purple yarn and a pair knitting needles next to it. In the middle is a sage green rectangle with a white border and the words "What's that stitch? Caterpillar stitch vertical by Cozy Woodland Cottage Knits". At the bottom is a close up of caterpilar vertical stitch. End of image description.]

Related posts

What's That Stitch? - Page of photos and links to all posts in the what's that stitch series.
Knitting Abbreviations - Free printable knitting abbreviations cheat sheet in downloadable pdf file
Free Printable Knitting Sheets - Free printable handy knitting sheets all in downloadable pdf files

Thank you for visiting Cozy Woodland Cottage Knits!

Have fun learning how to do basket stitch and making a project using this stitch. Don't forget to download your free printable basket stitch cards. Check our stitch library What's that stitch? for more stitch pattern posts like this one. 

[Start of image description: Arjaye's signature with two toadstools in between the letter j and the letter y. Next to it is a fairy with blue hair, a green wreath headband, blue lips and yellow wigs, she is wearing a sage green dress. The fairy sitting on top of a yellow toadstool with blue dots and blue underneath the toadstool. Next to the fairy is a black cat holding a turquoise ball of yarn. End of image description.]