Entrelac: Parts 2.5 - 5

In our last post we left off on entrelac with our base triangles, and our left side triangle, and two left slanting central diamonds. Now we're going to pick up and knit a right side triangle, and two right slanting diamonds.

By the way, if you've gotten to this point, I'm willing to bet you're really starting to 'get' entrelac. Congrats :)

Part 3: Right Side Triangle

We're now going to have to pick up stitches in the right edge of the last base triangle. As usual, 8 of them.

Now this one gets a little confusing, because we're not going to touch those stitches past the marker in this picture, the live stitches for our central diamond. We're going to be decreasing the stitches we just picked up down to 1. Here we go:

1. Knit 7, slip the last stitch purlwise. Turn.
2. Purl to the last two stitches, purl these 2 together. Turn.
3. Knit 6, slip the last stitch. Turn.
4. Purl to the last two stitches, purl them together. Turn.

Continue working this way, until you have one remaining stitch, ending on a purl 2 together. This remaining stitch will serve as the first 'picked up stitch' in our next part.

 Part 4: 3 (Left Slanting) Central Diamonds

As I said, the first stitch is the last remaining stitch from our left side triangle, this is for our first left slanting diamond only. The other two will be the regular 8.

1.Cut a nice little tail, and pick up your contrast color, and pick up 7 (2nd & 3rd diamond: 8) stitches in the edge.

2. Slip the last picked up stitch onto the left needle, and ssk (slip 1 knitwise, slip another one knitwise, and knit together.) This time we're using the ssk so that the green stitches lay over the blue, creating a clean edge for diamonds of the fabric.

3. Purl across, turn.
4. Slip 1, knit to the last stitch, ssk again. Turn.

Continue in this way until all the blue stitches are gone, and you will end, as usual, on the last ssk. From there you will be ready to repeat the above steps to pick up 8 more stitches, and complete two more left slanting diamonds, for 3 in total. Remember, in the next  two diamonds you will be picking up 8 complete stitches, not 7 as before.

And there you have it! To continue after this, you will mosey back on over to my last post, Part 2: The Left Triangle working through up until this point, until you're reached your desired length.

Part 5: The Bind Off

Now, for the sake of a nice even piece of entrelac you want to bind off when you have this:

 

As you can see, we have a left side triangle, 2 right slanting diamonds, and a right side triangle. Now you're ready to begin binding off. 

1.Just as before, the last stitch on the right side triangle will serve as the first picked up stitch. Pick up 7 stitches on the inside of the right side triangle. As above slip the last stitch of the picked up stitches on to your left hand needle, ssk. (Slip slip knit) 

2.Purl Across.

3. K2tog, knit to last stitch, ssk. 

4. Purl Across.

5. K2tog, knit to last stitch, ssk.

We're working to decrease one green stitch, and one blue stitch, in the same row, and just purling on the reverse. 

You will do this until you have two green stitches, and one blue stitch. From here you will slip the first stitch, ssk the last green and blue stitch together, and then pass your first slipped stitch over the stitch you just ssk'ed. 

So: Slip 1, ssk, psso (pass slipped stitch over)

You will have one stitch on your needle, this will be the first stitch of your picked up stitches. So you will again pick up 7 stitches, and follow the directions above two more times. Every time you will have one stitch left on the needle. On the last one, cut yarn and pull through. 

And, by dern, you did it! See, I told you, it isn't that hard. If you have any problems, any questions at all, please feel free to email me at:  ashley.mishmoshcrafting@gmail.com

Now, go brag about yourself to your friends and loved ones.