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Box and diagonal stitches · Easy

Kalem stitch

Columns of steep slanted stitches, one canvas thread across and two up, that lean one way and then the other. Each pair of columns looks like a rib of knitting.

Kalem stitch: the finished stitch on canvas, 24 stitches, some slanting up to the right and some slanting up to the left, in two colors
The finished stitch on canvas. The two colors only tell one rib from the next, and the top and bottom edges have no compensating stitches. In the steps, new stitches are red, and the numbers give the order: up at an odd number, down at the next even one.

How to work it

  1. Make the first slanted stitch

    Kalem stitch, step 1: the first stitch on the canvas. Numerals 1 and 2 mark its ends, in working order.

    Bring the needle up in the bottom row of the area, one hole in from its right edge. Take it down one hole to the right and two holes up.

  2. Start the next one hole higher

    Kalem stitch, step 2: two stitches on the canvas, the one this step adds in red. Numerals 3 and 4 mark its ends, in working order.

    Come up in the hole straight above the start of the first stitch, and go down in the hole straight above its end.

  3. Work up to the top of the area

    Kalem stitch, step 3: four stitches on the canvas, the two this step adds in red. Numerals 5 to 8 mark the ends of the new stitches, in working order.

    Continue up the column, one stitch for every canvas thread, until one ends in the top row of the area.

  4. Begin the second column at the top

    Kalem stitch, step 4: five stitches on the canvas, the one this step adds in red. Numerals 9 and 10 mark its ends, in working order.

    Bring the needle up in the top row, two holes to the left of where the last stitch went down. Take it down one hole to the right and two holes down, in the hole where the top stitch of the first column began, to close a V.

  5. Work down the second column

    Kalem stitch, step 5: eight stitches on the canvas, the three this step adds in red.

    Continue down to the bottom row: come up one hole below the start of the last stitch and go down one hole below its end, in a hole where a stitch of the first column began.

  6. Turn and work the third column up

    Kalem stitch, step 6: twelve stitches on the canvas, the four this step adds in red.

    Start in the bottom row, two holes to the left of where the last stitch went down, and work up as in the first column. Each stitch goes down where a stitch of the second column began. Continue across the area, a column down and then a column up.

At a glance

Also called
knitting stitch, kelim stitch, kilim stitch
Used for
sweaters, scarves and hats; borders and bands; baskets and braids
Coverage
Full
Direction
Slanted both ways
Stitch length
Over 2 canvas threads up and 1 across

Kalem is quick to work, and its knitted look makes it a favorite for clothing in a design: sweaters, scarves, mittens and hats. The ribs also pass for braids, in hair or on a basket, and one rib alone makes a narrow border or band.

A shape can just as well be started at the top, or from its left side. Make each stitch the way its column is going, up or down, and the stitches on the back stay short.

Tips

  • Count one hole across and two up or down. A stitch that looks like a tent stitch is one thread too short.
  • For a straight edge, fill the gap in the open top of each V, and under each peak along the bottom, with an upright compensating stitch over one canvas thread. Put each one in as soon as the columns on both sides of it are worked, which is easier than going back at the end.

When it goes wrong

The two columns do not close into V shapes.
One column has slipped a hole up or down against the other. Rework the second so that each stitch ends in a hole where a stitch of the first began.
A thin place shows partway up a column.
A canvas thread has been skipped. Go back and work the missing stitch.
The knitted pattern is hard to see.
A fuzzy thread, or one made of many strands, blurs the two slants. To show the V shapes, change to a smooth thread used as a single strand, such as pearl cotton.

Variations

  • Taller Kalem. Each stitch is one thread across and four up and begins two threads past the last. Use it for a bigger sweater or basket.
  • Horizontal Kalem. Turn the stitch a quarter turn and work it in horizontal rows. Run the ribs whichever way the knitting would run.
  • Two colors. Work the second column of each rib in a second color or shade, and every V has one side in each.

Questions

Is Kalem stitch good for a background?
Not for a large one. The texture is strong and comes forward instead of sitting back, so keep it for a sweater, a basket or a band in the design.

Where to go next

Stitches

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