When you invest your time and resources in knitting a coat, you want to be sure it is couture quality. These classics have one thing in common: their fabriclike texture is created with two strands of yarn held together for a dense construction. Whether you are using a row-intensive slip-stitch pattern or a cable pattern that twists every right-side row, your end product will be warm, structured and endlessly stylish.
TWEED STITCH
This is a simple slip-stitch color pattern in which the floats are carried along the right side of the work to create a textured fabric.
1) On wrong-side rows, slip the stitches purlwise with the yarn at the back of the work. Remember to bring the yarn to the front of the work so you can purl the appropriate stitches, then bring to the back again, between the needles, to slip the stitches.
2) On the right-side rows, slip the same stitches with the yarn at the back of the work.
DOUBLE KNIT STITCH
This is another slip-stitch pattern, but this time the stitches are slipped only on the right-side rows, the yarn is always held to the wrong side of the work, and the stitches between the slipped stitches are worked in garter stitch.
1) On the right-side rows, *slip the knit stitches with the yarn at the back of the work and knit the purl stitches; repeat from * to the end of the row. In this case, you always keep the yarn at the back of the work.
2) On the wrong-side rows, knit the purl stitches and purl the slipped stitches, as shown.
ZIGZAG CABLE PATTERN
In this pattern, stitches are twisted every right-side row, alternating direction. Since you twist the stitches so often, you can work this method of cabling without a cable needle, as shown in steps 1 and 2. Here we show working a 6-stitch left cable:
1) Skip the first 3 stitches on the left-hand needle. With the right-hand needle behind the left, insert it through the back loop of the fourth stitch. Complete the stitch and allow the first 3 stitches to drop and hang at the front of the work.
2) Knit the next 3 stitches on the left-hand needle. Insert the left-hand needle into the dropped stitches and knit them.
Or, you can use the traditional cable needle. To work a 6-stitch right cable:
3) Slip 3 stitches to cable needle and hold to back.
4) Knit the next 3 stitches, then knit 3 from the cable needle as shown.