What is Pointelle?
In knitting, pointelle is a knitting pattern which creates an openwork design when it is completed. Pointelle is used in a lot of garments to add texture, in addition to making them more lightweight and creating a varied look. A pointelle garment also tends to be cooler than a solid knit, making it more suitable for warm climates. It is often used as an accent on a garment, to provide a block of different texture. In addition, an entire garment can be made with a pointelle stitch, as is often the case with undershirts which are designed to be simple and comfortable with a dash of style.
Technically, any openwork pattern is pointelle. One of the most classic designs uses chevrons, but pointelle knits can use any number of geometric shapes, or a combination. The more complex the design, the more challenging it is to knit. Complex pointelle can also look quite stunning, once knitters have mastered the art of it. A pointelle pattern may integrate floral themes, such as ferns or palm leaves, in combination with other design elements.
Many commercially produced knits have pointelle patterns, which are produced on knitting machines. Knitting machines are superb at producing complex standardized patterns, although the garments that they produce lack the flavor of hand knit work. Knitting machines are also capable of creating very small work, such as the jersey knit used to make many t-shirts and undergarments.
A casual glance at pointelle leads many people to believe it is very difficult. In fact, pointelle is fairly easy to make, as long as the knitter is able to follow a pattern closely and keep track of stitches. Dropping a single stitch or missing a section of the pattern will spoil the garment. For this reason, many knitters work on pointelle projects in calm environments, with the assistance of a stitch counter to help them keep track of where they are.
To knit in pointelle, you need to know the two basic knitting stitches, knit and purl. You will also need to know how to perform a yarn over and a skip. All of these knitting procedures are very simple, but it does help to have an experienced knitter show you how to do them. You may also want to start with a very basic pointelle pattern, so that you can become acquainted with the concept before moving on to complex garments and patterns. A scarf with pointelle accents is a great way to start.
Written by S.E. Smith
