Horizontal Eyelet Border

Horizontal Eyelet Edging

This is the horizontal equivalent of the vertical eyelet edging (Row 1: k2. Row 2: k2tog, yo.) that will give you that eyelet look across the top and bottom, as well as up both sides. Usually, the horizontal edging uses (k2tog, yo,) to “mimic” the vertical eyelet edging, but this has a noticeably thicker appearance than the eyelet twists of the vertical edging. This edging gives you that same twist of yarn, so that your border looks the same all the way around.

If you have a pattern you want to modify, you can replace the “eyelet” rows (the row of k2tog’s and yo’s, and the subsequent row of knit) with this version.

Abbreviations:
psro = pass the stitch to the right over the last stitch knitted. (Unlike the traditional “psso” where the first stitch is slipped without being worked, BOTH stitches are knitted.)
sspbl, ptbl = insert right needle as though to purl through the back loop and slip the stitch to the right needle, put the slipped stitch back on the left needle and purl through the back loop.
nbs = number of border stitches

If you are modifying a pattern, note the number of stitches to be cast on. If this number is even, cast on that many stitches -1, as row 1 of the eyelet pattern requires an odd number of stitches to work out right. Knit the number of border rows the pattern calls for. (Or if you are writing a pattern, either make sure the number of stitches to be cast on is an odd number, or add or subtract a stitch somewhere in the border rows. If you are doing garter stitch horizontal borders, the number of rows will equal the number of stitches in the vertical border + 2 rows, i.e., if the vertical border is 5 stitches wide, the horizontal borders will be 7 rows wide.)

Eyelet Rows:
Row 1: k(nbs), *k2, psro, repeat from * until (nbs + 1) remain, k2, psro, knit to end of row.
Row 2: k(nbs), *yo, sspbl, ptbl, repeat from * until (nbs) remain, yo, knit to the end of the row.

Note that you will gain a stitch on row 1 (number of stitches on the previous row +1). If you are modifying a pattern, you will need to take this extra stitch into account to make sure you don’t have too many stitches when you go back to the pattern. Most patterns that use (K2tog, yo) to mimic the vertical eyelet row usually start “yo, *K2tog, yo, repeat from . . .”, and that leading “yo” also adds a stitch, so this isn’t usually a problem.

However, if you are writing a pattern, and the body stitch you wish to use requires an even number of stitches, you will need to take this into account.  You can shed that extra stitch by knitting the next row, then on the next row, change the first (k2tog, yo) to a (k3tog, yo) and start your body stitch pattern. To maintain symmetry, on the top border, do a knit row, with a kfb somewhere on that row, to set up for the eyelet rows, then do row 1, and row 2.