Owl’s Eye Stitch: Winter Stitch Sampler Knit Along 3

Owl’s Eye Stitch is the featured stitch for Week 3 of the Winter Stitch Sampler Knit Along!

Just getting started? Visit the Winter Stitch Sampler Knit Along main page here
or download the free pattern in its entirety here.

Welcome to the Winter Stitch Sampler Knit Along!

The Winter Stitch Sampler celebrates nature with patterns inspired by leaves, flowers, fruits, and animals! Each week, we’ll work one of the twelve squares of this patchwork pattern.

Winter Stitch Sampler Knit Along Overview

Week 1 – Butterfly Stitch
Week 2 – Vine Stripe Stitch
Week 3 – Owl’s Eye Stitch ⬅️
Week 4 – Traveling Vine Stitch
Week 5 – Little Blossoms Stitch
Week 6 – Bunches of Grapes Stitch
Week 7 – Sweet Shells Stitch
Week 8 – Wildflower Knot Stitch
Week 9 – Gooseberries Stitch
Week 10 – Cockleshells Stitch
Week 11 – Apple Leaves Stitch
Week 12 – Bear Claw Stitch

About Owl’s Eye Stitch

Owl’s Eye Stitch is a repeating lace pattern that looks a bit like the face of a barn owl! There are two columns of owls on this panel.

I used 204 yards (186 meters) of yarn to complete this panel.

This stitch pattern was adapted from A Second Treasury of Knitting Patterns by Barbara Walker where it was called the Tiger’s Eye Stitch.

Abbreviations

BO – bind off
CO – cast on
k – knit
k2tog – knit 2 stitches together; single right-leaning decrease
k3tog – knit 3 stitches together; double right-leaning decrease
p – purl
SK2P – slip 1 knitwise, knit 2 together, pass slipped stitch over knit 2 together; double left-leaning decrease
ssk – slip 2 stitches knitwise, knit these 2 stitches together through back loops; single left-leaning decrease
st(s) – stitch(es)
yo – yarn over

Notes

I found it very helpful to use highlighter tape to keep track of my progress on the printed instructions. The instructions are simple, but very long.

Stitch markers aren’t as important, but if you use them, you’ll only need a few. To use them to completely isolate the two owl columns, place them as follows: 5-m-25-m-6-m-25-m-5. You can also simply add them as 30-m-6-m-30, which requires less shifting and will be easy to keep up with once the pattern is established. (This is the count that is used in the pattern below when markers are referenced.)

It is also important to note that the row count will change on on many odd rows, but the background stitches (sections with the first 5, center 6, and last 5 stitches) will not change.

Stitch counts for these rows include yarn overs.

Instructions

CO 66 sts.

Setup row: K all.

Row 1 (WS) – K5, p25, k6, p25, k5 [66 sts]

Row 2 – K5, *k2, (yo, k2tog) twice, k1, yo 4 times, k1, (k2tog, yo) twice, k1, (yo, ssk) twice, k1, yo 4 times, k1, (ssk, yo) twice, k8; rep from * ending second repeat k7 [82 sts]

Row 3 – K5, *p7, (k1, p1) twice into the 4 yo loops from the previous row, p11, (k1, p1) twice into the 4 yo loops from the previous row, p7, k6; rep from * ending second repeat k5 [82 sts]

For clarification, “(k1, p1) twice into the 4 yo loops from the previous row” means k1 into the first loop, p1 into the second loop, k1 into the third loop, and p1 into the fourth loop. The video can provide additional assistance.

Row 4 – K5, *k2, (yo, k2tog) twice, k4, k3tog, yo, k2tog, yo, k3, yo, ssk, yo, SK2P, k4, (ssk, yo) twice, k8; rep from * ending second repeat k7 [78 sts]

Rows 5, 7, 9, 11, 13, and 15 – K5, p until m, sl m, k6, sl m, p until 5 sts remain, k5
(If you are not using stitch markers, k5, p until you reach the center garter stitch panel, k6, p until 5 sts remain, k5.)

Row 6 – K5, *k2, (yo, k2tog) twice, k2, k3tog, yo, k2tog, yo, k5, yo, ssk, yo, SK2P, k2, (ssk, yo) twice, k8; rep from * ending second repeat k7 [74 sts]

Row 8 – K5, *k2, (yo, k2tog) twice, k3tog, yo, k2tog, yo, k3, yo, ssk, k2, yo, ssk, yo, SK2P, (ssk, yo) twice, k8; rep from * ending second repeat k7 [70 sts]

Row 10 – K5, *k2, yo, k2tog, k3tog, yo, k2tog, yo, k2, k2tog, yo, k1, yo, ssk, k2, yo, ssk, yo, SK2P, ssk, yo, k8; rep from * ending second repeat k7 [66 sts]

Row 12 – K5, *k3, (k2tog, yo) twice, k2, k2tog, yo, k3, yo, ssk, k2, (yo, ssk) twice, k9; rep from * ending second repeat k8

Row 14 – K5, *k2, (k2tog, yo) twice, k2, k2tog, yo, k1, yo, SK2P, yo, k1, yo, ssk, k2, (yo, ssk) twice, k8; rep from * ending second repeat k7

Row 16 – K5, *k1, (k2tog, yo) twice, k4, yo, SK2P, yo, k1, yo, k3tog, yo, k4, (yo, ssk) twice, k7; rep from * ending second repeat k6

Work these 16 rows 6 times for a total of 96 rows.
There are now 97 rows including the Setup Row.

BO all sts. Weave in ends.

For General Use

I added 16 stitches and 1 row to this pattern so that we could use it in the Winter Stitch Sampler Knit Along. If you wish to use this stitch pattern in a different project, use the instructions below, which have not been modified.

This stitch is worked in multiples of 25 stitches across 16 rows and the pattern begins on the wrong side.

Row 1 – P all (WS)

Row 2 – K2, (yo, k2tog) twice, k1, yo 4 times, k1, (k2tog, yo) twice, k1, (yo, ssk) twice, k1, yo 4 times, k1, (ssk, yo) twice, k2

Row 3 – P7, (k1, p1) twice into the 4 yo loops from the previous row, p11, (k1, p1) twice into the 4 yo loops from the previous row, p7

Row 4 – K2, (yo, k2tog) twice, k4, k3tog, yo, k2tog, yo, k3, yo, ssk, yo, SK2P, k4, (ssk, yo) twice, k2

Rows 5, 7, 9, 11, 13, and 15 – P all

Row 6 – K2, (yo, k2tog) twice, k2, k3tog, yo, k2tog, yo, k5, yo, ssk, yo, SK2P, k2, (ssk, yo) twice, k2

Row 8 – K2, (yo, k2tog) twice, k3tog, yo, k2tog, yo, k3, yo, ssk, k2, yo, ssk, yo, SK2P, (ssk, yo) twice, k2

Row 10 – K2, yo, k2tog, k3tog, yo, k2tog, yo, k2, k2tog, yo, k1, yo, ssk, k2, yo, ssk, yo, SK2P, ssk, yo, k2

Row 12 – K3, (k2tog, yo) twice, k2, k2tog, yo, k3, yo, ssk, k2, (yo, ssk) twice, k3

Row 14 – K2, (k2tog, yo) twice, k2, k2tog, yo, k1, yo, SK2P, yo, k1, yo, ssk, k2, (yo, ssk) twice, k2

Row 16 – K1, (k2tog, yo) twice, k4, yo, SK2P, yo, k1, yo, k3tog, yo, k4, (yo, ssk) twice, k1

Repeat Rows 1 to 16 to form the pattern.