What's that stitch? Pique zig zag

Welcome to what's that stitch series!  This weeks stitch is pique zig zag another knitting stitch that looks really hard to do but isn't.  I uses my two favourite stitches knit and purl, which are the most common stitches used and have a wide range of different stitch patterns using just knit and purl.  Perhaps that is why I love these two stitches so much you only need to know how to do these and you can knit such beautiful stitches that look so different from one another. 

What is pique zig zag?

Pique zig zag creates a raised zig zag pattern on a stocking stitch background it is a pattern knitted over 10 rows. A great way to add something to a knitted project without it being complicated or complex.  Perfect for anyone who is a beginner and only knows how to knit and purl. It doesn't curl much at all as you can tell from the photo nor has it been blocked to remove the curl.

What does pique zig zag look like ?  

Below is a close up of what pique zig zag stitch looks like and the texture of this stitch.

How do you do pique zig zag?

To do pique zig zag you only need to know how to:
Knit
Purl

Knitting abbreviations and meanings

K - Knit
P - Purl
Knitting abbreviations - Free printable knitting abbreviations sheet

To do pique zig zag

Cast on multiple of 10 stitches eg, 10, 20, 30, 40

Row 1: * K5, P1, K1, P1, K1, P1, repeat from *
Row 2: * P1, K1, P1, K1, P1, K1, P4, repeat from *
Row 3: * K3, P1, K1, P1, K1, P1, K2, repeat from *
Row 4: * P3, P1, K1, P1, K1, P1, K2, repeat from *
Row 5: * K1, P1, K1, P1, K1, P1, K4, repeat from *
Row 6: * P1, K1, P1, K1, P1, K5, repeat from *
Row 7: * K1, P1, K1, P1, K1, P1, K4, repeat from *
Row 8: * P3, P1, K1, P1, K1, P1, K2, repeat from *
Row 9: * K3, P1, K1, P1, K1, P1, K2, repeat from *
Row 10: * P1, K1, P1, K1, P1, K1, P4, repeat from *

What can you make using pique zig zag stitch?

Using pique zig zag stitch you could make anything that shows off the knitted zig zag pattern.  Some ideas for projects are blankets, a beanie, a cushion cover, a jumper, a bag or a
simple square for a patchwork blanket.

How to make your own rectangle

You will need:

5mm straight knitting needles
Scissors
Tape measure
Yarn needle
Row counter, pen or piece of paper to keep track of your rows

Gauge:

Knitted in stocking stitch
10cm x 10cm
28 rows x 16 stitches
7 1/2 inches (width) x 5 3/4 inches (length)

Pattern:

Cast on 30 stitches
Row 1: * K5, P1, K1, P1, K1, P1, repeat from * another 3 times
Row 2: * P1, K1, P1, K1, P1, K1, P4, repeat from * another 3 times
Row 3: * K3, P1, K1, P1, K1, P1, K2, repeat from * another 3 times
Row 4: * P3, P1, K1, P1, K1, P1, K2, repeat from * another 3 times
Row 5: * K1, P1, K1, P1, K1, P1, K4, repeat from * another 3 times
Row 6: * P1, K1, P1, K1, P1, K5, repeat from * another 3 times
Row 7: * K1, P1, K1, P1, K1, P1, K4, repeat from * another 3 times
Row 8: * P3, P1, K1, P1, K1, P1, K2, repeat from * another 3 times
Row 9: * K3, P1, K1, P1, K1, P1, K2, repeat from * another 3 times
Row 10: * P1, K1, P1, K1, P1, K1, P4, repeat from * another 3 times
Repeat all 10 rows another 3 times
Cast off

Have fun learning how to do pique zig zag stitch and making a project using this stitch, a new stitch will be posted next Thursday.

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