This fun wing lift stitch creates dainty butterlies that flutter all over my Take A Look shawl pattern. Like many of my stitch patterns it looks trickier than it is. Once you've done one wing lift a couple of times your needles will start to glide through the pattern like a butterfly in a gentle breeze.
This tutorial was designed to help with the Wing Lift stitch used in row 6 of the Flutter stitch pattern used in my Take A Look pattern. It would be easiest to work the pattern up to the first of these rows so that you can work this stitch along with the tutorial. When working rows 3 and 5 of the stitch pattern make sure that you loosen the stitches after slipping them so that the stitches are not slipped too tightly and gathered in. Stitches that are too tight will be more difficult to work the Wing Lift on.
Here are a couple of details that might be helpful:
- The Wing Lift involves the 2nd/middle stitch above the 3 slipped stitches(wings) of the rows below.
-For the first couple of attempts, particularly if you knit continental, it would be easiest to drop your working yarn to the front of the row for steps 1-4. The working yarn is only used in step 5. Once you get the hang of the wing lift you will be able to hold it out of the way to enable working the stitch faster.
Step 1: Slip the next stitch (the second/middle stitch above the slipped stitch in the previous row) from the left needle to the right needle purlwise with yarn held in front. This stitch will form the body between the wings.
Step 2: Using the left needle, pick up both slipped stitches(wings) on the right side of the work; starting from the outside, slip the needle below and up between the slipped stitches(wings) and the right side of the fabric. This wraps the stitches on the right needle like a twisted/reversed stitch.
Step 3: Return the slipped stitch from step 1 to the left needle purlwise. The purlwise slips keep the stitch from becoming twisted. It's fun for people to be a bit twisted, less so for stitches. ;)
Step 4: Using the right needle lift the slipped stitches(wings) from step 2 over the slipped stitch from steps 1 and 3, dropping them on the wrong side of the work. It doesn't matter which direction you insert the needle to achieve this the effect will be the same. Looking at the right side of the work you can now see that the slipped stitch from steps 1 and 3 now looks like a body in the middle of 2 wings.
Step 5: Purl 1. This purl is the single slipped stitch from steps 1, 3, and 4 that has been fluttering around on the needles like a windswept butterfly.
Something to keep in mind as you work the pattern. The increases are magical and create alternating rows of butterflies that are between the row below rather than above. So each new row of butterflies should be above the stockinette stitches of the previous repeat. This both looks amazing and makes it easy to see quickly if you have missed a stitch or added an extra one. If there is a butterfly out of place it could be viewed as just flying it's own unique path. ;) What unique paths will you take while knitting this pattern?
Beautiful. Just love pattern.
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Sally Burch
August 08, 2019
Hi, I purchased Take a Look pattern at Stitches Midwest but can’t get the butterfly stitch right. Frogged twice.. anyway could you send a video tutorial of it to me. Otherwise I’ll have to use the yarn for something else. Thanks😊