Betiko: print pattern, new PDFs, and alternate top stitch pattern!

I’ve got a few updates regarding Betiko to let you know about!  First, it’s now a part of my line of print patterns – I managed to get the 27 page pdf to squeeze into a 12 page booklet to keep it at a reasonable print pattern price.  There aren’t many photos, but all the info you need is there (and there is a supplementary downloadable pdf with the missing photos and some info that isn’t necessary and had to be left out) – preview the whole thing here…

For anyone who already has the Betiko pattern (digital version), or was thinking about knitting it – I’ve now added 2 additional pdf’s that might be helpful if all you want to knit is a basic version of the shawl.  Since the Betiko pattern is super customizable, uses some unusual-ish techniques/construction, has specific ways to best stripe yarns throughout, and has 2 complete patterns included, the full pdf is packed with all that assorted info and instruction… So, now you can choose to download/print the garter stitch edged version alone, or the wavy version, with minimal info, no photos besides the covers, no striping instructions, just the basic patterns only:

This will be especially helpful for anyone wanting to just knit the wavy version – which was the mystery knit-a-long version – with no stripes or customizing or anything special.  This new pdf leaves out all the customizable pattern stuff, and just has the wavy version written out like a normal pattern – much simpler if that’s all you want.

That’s the actual wavy version above, but (you may remember) my wedding shawl prototype was a bit different… Same body and bottom edging, but a different top section stitch pattern.  I have gotten some requests for that stitch pattern (Marriage Lines from Barbara Walker’s A Treasury of Knitting Patterns), which is a very simple eyelet pattern.

The following instructions are for if you are knitting Betiko from the customizable pattern and want to use this for your section #1.  I can’t just transcribe the pattern straight from the book, duh, so I’m writing out how I used the pattern in my shawl… these instructions aren’t hard, but they aren’t meant for a beginner knitter either, but the customizable Betiko isn’t exactly beginner-friendly in the first place.  Start with the garter stitch edged version if you’re new to knitting!

The basic idea is that eyelet holes travel 1 stitch over on each RS row, for a few rows, then back over to the original placement, creating a zig-zag.  So, you make an eyelet (yo, k2tog), knit across; on the next row k1, eyelet, knit across; next row k2, eyelet, and so on… and when your eyelet reaches the end of the section, work back across in the other direction.

For my section #1 piece of this shawl, I worked two lines of eyelet zig-zags, and I worked garter stitch in that top bit to prevent major curling.  My A was 14, with two pattern repeats of 7 sts each; the wrong side was always purl all, except for that top part, above the last eyelet, which is k all to make the garter stitch bit.

So, my pattern specifically, as plugged into the section #1 part of the customizable Betiko pattern, looked like this:

RS row 2: [K1, yo, k2tog, k4] repeat 1 more time.
WS: K4, p to end.
RS row 4: [K2, yo, k2tog, k3] repeat 1 more time.
WS: K3, p to end.
RS row 6: [K3, yo, k2tog, k2] repeat 1 more time.
WS: K2, p to end.
RS row 8: [K4, yo, k2tog, k1] repeat 1 more time.
WS: K1, p to end.
RS row 10: [K5, yo, k2tog] repeat 1 more time.
WS: P to end.

See how it’s really simple – the eyelet hole just moves one over on each row; you don’t have to count the stitches on the WS, just knit the first bit before the eyelet.

That’s all the way over (the zig of the zig-zag, if you will), so now you just go back in the other direction, which means repeating each row in backwards order to zag back over after zigging, make sense?  So, repeat row 8, then 6, 4, 2, and then, my last row of the zag was:

RS (row 20): [Ssk, yo, k5] repeat 1 more time.
After that, the whole thing just keeps repeating.

I didn’t give you this pattern for section #1 in the first place because it’s really not ideal – I wasn’t very happy with the section in my shawl, which is why I designed the final wavy pattern with a whole different stitch pattern in that top part.  Even with the garter stitch top bits, it still curls, and the top part just works better with some extra thickness, created by stitch patterns like the waving ribs or garter stitch (which are the ones in the actual patterns).

So, that’s my disclaimer – I don’t especially recommend using this pattern concept, but here it is if you want it… maybe doing the zig-zagging eyelets but with an all garter stitch base would be a good compromise.  Whatever you end up doing, I’d love to see the results, so be sure to post your project on ravelry!

And, just for fun, a couple shots from my sketchbook pages, working on what would become Betiko:

There are like 8 pages on this shawl as I worked and reworked and reworked some more – as you can see from the first page up there, it started out pretty different before evolving into the design.

A final not-really-related note – especially meant for any readers who happen to own or work at yarn shops – I now have a wholesale catalog which you can order (for the print cost) to see my pattern paper/print quality.  It’s just an extra thing I kind of made for fun, since all the info is also on my website, but I thought there may be some shops that might like one… I’m just now starting to embark on the whole getting my patterns into shops across the country goal, so I haven’t contacted many yet, but go ahead and check out my wholesale page if you have a shop that might be interested!