Learn how to smock step by step

With smocking you can easily achieve a striking textured effect in your knitting. Stocking stitch, ribbing or brioche get an entirely different look. And the good thing is, it doesn’t require much extra effort during the knitting process. Anyone, who can knit and purl, can smock and can make items that look more complicated then they really are.

When smocking, stitches are sewn together with backstitches to create a diamond or honeycomb pattern. Depending on the pattern of the background and the size of the repeat, the effect will vary. By sewing the stitches together, the knitted fabric is pulled together. Not only does this create the beautiful look, it can also be used to shape your knitted piece. For example the yoke at the neckline, the sleeve cuffs or the waist. Also, pullovers that are too big, have been overblocked or simply stretched out from being worn for a long time can be brought back into shape by smocking.