In the comments to Monday’s post, Colleen said, “...you’ve made me want to try entrelac to get rid of all my sock yarn scraps.  (Wouldn’t that be cool?  It’d be a memorial sock afghan.)
I’d like to point out that I know NOTHING about entrelac… “

Entrelac looks absolutely mystifying but is, in fact, very simple requiring no more knowledge than how to knit, how to purl and how to pick up stitches.* Should you decide to garter stitch your entrelac, you don’t even have to know how to purl :)

Entrelac is interesting conceptually.  Instead of working one row of stitches after another, you work one row of blocks after another, all diagonally connected.  What are the sides of one row of blocks become the bottoms of the next row.  The blocks consist of rows of stitches and are created and attached to each other as the piece is worked.  There are also triangles on the first and last passes as well as on alternate-row sides to give the piece straight edges.

Start with a couple of colors of the same weight yarn, and some needles appropriate to knitting them with.**

Pass 1, Starting Triangles

Cast on 24 stitches - any way you like.  We’re going to do a swatch comprised of three blocks - each of which is 8 stitches wide.  To begin:

Purl 2, turn
Knit 2, turn
P3, turn
K3, turn

Continue this way, working one more stitch each time until you have purled 8 stitches.  Do not turn.  Look at your knitting - you have a triangle.  You’re going to make two more triangles in exactly the same way, ignoring the first one completely (we are finished with it) and starting again with P2, turn and K2, etc. until you have completed another triangle.  Then do it one more time.  What you have should look something like this:

Notice that the second and third triangles have their tips attached to the preceding stitches.  Don’t worry, that’s the way it’s supposed to look.  They won’t always look like that.  In fact, things will straighten out on the next pass.

Pass 2 - Side Triangles and blocks

This pass is a little different.  In order to wind up with a rectangular fabric, we’re going to have to split a block and place half on each end.  Don’t try to reason it out - it’s like turning a heel on a sock.  Just do it and when you see what happens, you’ll understand how it works :)

Okay, attach your second color.

K2, turn
P2, turn
K in the front and back of first stitch (Kfb), SSK, turn
P3, turn
Kfb, K1, SSK, turn
P4, turn
Kfb, K2, SSK, turn
P5, turn

Continue until you have eaten up all 8 stitches of the triangle below.  After the [Kfb, K5, SSK] row, don’t turn.  You have made your first side triangle and there will be one of these things at the beginning and the end of every other row.  Your work should look like this:

Now, pick up 8 stitches from here:





Turn and P8, turn
K7, SSK, turn and purl back.

Continue this way until you have incorporated all 8 stitches from the first pass triangle.  Congratulations - you’ve made your first block!

Pick up 8 more stitches and do it again :)

Now we make the second side triangle, so pick up a final 8 stitches and proceed as follows.

P2tog, p6, turn
K7
P2tog, P5, turn
K6

Continue in this way, purling two together at the beginning of the row and having one stitch less with each iteration.  When you have one stitch left, turn and slip stitch onto left needle.

This is what you should have now:

3rd Pass - Just Blocks

Cut your second color and rejoin your first.  This is your second row of blocks and this one doesn’t need any side triangles - just blocks.

P1
Pick up and purl 7 stitches, turn
K8, turn
P7, P2tog, turn
K8, turn

Continue like this until your have worked all 8 stitches from the block below.  After the last p7, p2tog, do not turn.  Pick up and purl another 8 stitches and work that block (the second one) and the third in the same way.

Presto - you’re doing entrelac!  Repeat the second and third passes for the desired length.

Last Pass - Finishing

To end, you will need triangles, just as you needed them to start with and your last row of blocks needs to be a second pass row.  In the picture below, I have worked an additional row of blocks to set up for finishing.

With one stitch on the needle, P1.
Pick up and purl 7 stitches along the side of the block below, turn.
K8
P2tog, K5, P2 tog, turn
K7

Continue like this, purling 2 together at the beginning and the end of the row and having one less stitch on each iteration, until you K2: 

Turn and P1, P2tog, turn
K3, turn
P3tog.

There is one stitch left.  Pick and up purl 7 stitches as before and proceed with the second and third triangles.  When you have one stitch left at the other side of the fabric, end off.

* If you know how to knit backward, that skill is very convenient for working entrelac.  It is not at all necessary, however :)

** Entrelac doesn’t have to be worked in alternating colors.  It can be worked in many colors or just one.  For instructional purposes however, it’s easier to see the construction of the fabric with two colors, alternating between each row of blocks.

Have a wonderful weekend!