How to Knit Linen Stitch

Linen stitch is a fun textured stitch pattern made with slipped stitches and it’s easy to learn how to knit linen stitch.

What Is Linen Stitch?

Linen stitch is a knitting stitch that is made by combining knit or purl stitches with stitches that are slipped with the yarn in front on the knit side and in back on the purl side. This makes the yarn wrap around the stitch that is slipped, which gives the fabric a fun woven texture.

Despite being a variation on stockinette stitch (in that you knit one one side and purl on the other), the fabric doesn’t curl. It can be kind of stiff and it tends to have a tighter tension than regular knitting, so you might want to use a larger knitting needle than you normally would for the yarn you’re using.

Linen stitch can be worked in slightly different ways with either an odd or an even number of stitches. The look is basically the same, but when you use an even number of stitches you’ll always have unwrapped stitches on the ends, which can be useful if you’re seaming pieces together or just want nice smooth edges.

As with any knitting stitch pattern, you can knit linen stitch in any style you like. I’m a default English/thrower/yarn in the right hand person, but the yarn manipulation required of linen stitch feels a lot smoother and faster if you work continental/picking/yarn in the left hand. If you know both styles, give it a try and see what you think.

Knit Linen Stitch on an Odd Number of Stitches

I like to knit linen stitch on an odd number of stitches, so we’ll cover that one first. Start by casting on an odd number.

Knit the first stitch.

Bring the yarn to the front as if you were going to purl the next stitch.

Take the needle into the next stitch as if you were going to purl it, but instead just slip the stitch off the left hand needle onto the right hand needle.

Take the yarn to the back and knit the next stitch.

Repeat this (knit 1, slip one with yarn in front) across. You’ll end with a knit 1.

On the next row, start with the yarn at the back as if you were going to knit the first stitch. Instead, slip it as if you were going to purl it.

Bring the yarn to the front and purl the next stitch.

Take the yarn to the back and slip the next stitch as if to purl. Repeat purl 1, slip 1 across, ending with a slip stitch with the yarn in back.

Repeat these two rows to make the pattern. Make sure that the yarn is wrapped correctly on the first and last stitches as you go.

Using an Even Number of Stitches

If you don’t want to deal with slipped stitches at the beginning and end of the rows, you can knit linen stitch with an even number of stitches instead. This way your rows will both begin and end with knits or purls, which makes them smoother for seaming or picking up stitches.

Start by casting on an even number of stitches.

Knit the first stitch, then *slip the next stitch with the yarn in front, knit the next stitch. Repeat from * across, ending with an additional knit 1.

On the purl row, purl 1, *slip 1 with yarn in back, purl 1. Repeat from * across. The last stitch is an additional purl.

Repeat these two rows for pattern.

Increasing and Decreasing

The best way to increase or decrease in linen stitch is at the beginning and end of the row. I like a knit in the front and back increase on the right/knit side because the little bars left by the increase look a bit like the slipped stitches of linen stitch knitting.

Be aware that changing the stitch count will change the pattern on those stitches, so look to your knitting to make sure your slipped stitches are not stacking on top of slips from the previous row.

In my example, for instance, I worked a knit in the front and back at each end of the needle on a knit row. The next purl row then becomes *purl 1, slip 1 with yarn in front repeat from * to last stitch, purl 1. The right side row then starts with a slip stitch. If you increase more stitches the pattern will return to normal.

Likewise when decreasing, try to do it at the ends and pay attention to the pattern setup so the stitch pattern stays consistent across the fabric. Knit 2 together and slip slip knit are good choices for decreases.

Changing Colors in Linen Stitch

Because of the slipped stitches, if you change colors working in pattern you’ll end up with a choppy line where the slipped stitches stay in the old color for a row.

This looks interesting and some people don’t mind that color play, but if it bothers you, knit the first round of the new color, then continue in linen stitch.

If you look closely you can see that the last row of the first color looks like it’s completely knit, but it’s not super noticeable from a distance.

How to Knit Linen Stitch in the Round

Just like with knitting flat, you can knit linen stitch in the round on either an odd or an even number of stitches. Odd is easier because you just keep going knit 1, slip 1 around and you don’t have to pay much attention to where the end of the round is. Technically you are doing slip 1, knit 1 around on the second round, but you won’t really even notice.

If you’re working on an even number of stitches, every other round you’ll have a point where one round ends with a slip stitch and the next round begins with a slip stitch, which makes an extra long piece of yarn at that point that will be noticeable in your project.

Knit linen stitch is a little slow to work but the result is so pretty I just love to use it. What do you think? What would you use linen stitch for?