Try Bias Knitting and Knock Your Knitting World Diagonal

Bias knitting is a fun change of pace — try it!

There’s typical knitting, and then there’s bias knitting. And I have found bias knitting can be a fun change of pace for an assortment of different projects, especially dishcloths and blanket squares.

What is bias knitting, you ask? Don’t worry, it isn’t knitting with a strong opinion. (No tomatoes, please.) Bias knitting can also be called diagonal knitting. Typically, bias knitting starts with a small number of cast-on stitches, and increases every row or every other row, so that the piece grows wider as you knit. A bias knitting pattern can also work in reverse: you start with a larger amount of stitches and decrease every row or every other row, to create a piece that becomes narrower as you knit.

Often, bias knitting goes in both directions: first the piece grows wider, then it becomes narrower, or vice versa, to create a diamond shape or a parallelogram. Sometimes, though, it remains a triangular shape — like with a triangular scarf or shawl. I’m an easy person to enthrall, so I get excited any time I see a sort of “magic” occur in knitting. And to me, bias knitting is nothing short of magic. Watch it grow! Watch it shrink! Watch it take shape!

Tackle Bias Knitting

Noble Knits published a terrific guide to bias knitting just a few months ago that you can check out here. It also offers four free knitting patterns in addition to the ones below.

I also love this blog post from Love Knitting; it offers some great tips on bias knitting. I learned some things I didn’t know before, and I’ve been bias-knitting for years!

Below is an assortment of free patterns just for you. Knit up a few dishcloths or blanket squares in a flash, try a lengthier scarf or shawl pattern, or put them all on your knitting to-do list!

Grandmother’s Original Dishcloth: A tried-and-true pattern, perfect for your first attempt at bias knitting!

Eloomanator’s Diagonal Knit Dishcloth: A textured variation of the traditional dishcloth.

Mitered Square Recipe: This pattern includes a link to a video tutorial!

Bias for Baby: A lovely little baby blanket.

Josephine Shawl: A triangular shawl that’s mindless knitting at its best; pattern written in both German and English.

Ababa Scarf: This is a gorgeous skinny scarf that can be worn to dress up any outfit!

Summit: I love patterns that look complex but aren’t, and this shawl/wrap definitely fits!

Lanesplitter: I’ve had this skirt on my to-do-someday list for a while. Isn’t it beautiful?

Picholine Hat: This hat is knit on the bias and in the round. Sounds far trickier than it is!

Skew: If you’re up to a challenge, try this sock pattern knit on the bias. Yes, SOCK!

When you want to bind off your project at a diagonal, check out the video below; it shows you a great method for achieving an attractive sloped edge.

Start easy and work your way up, or dive right into one of the more complex patterns. Either way, you’re bound to have a ball with bias knitting!