Spiral Pattern: What Is It, and What Can You Do With It?

Dear users, dear authors,
How does the spiral pattern work? What is it used for?
Let me know.

Feel free to share free patterns and blog posts.

Too hot for spiral patterns?

Spiral patterns are actually quite simple and very relaxing to knit. I’m not very familiar with crochet, though :-)
They’re particularly well-suited for items knitted in the round (hats, for example) and are essentially a special type of rib pattern. The trick is to cast on one more or one fewer stitch than you would need for a normal rib pattern. This creates the spiral effect.

I knit spiral patterns by shifting the rib pattern by one stitch after a few rounds—for example, 4 knit stitches, 4 purl stitches for four rounds, then 1 purl stitch, 4 knit stitches, 4 purl stitches. This makes great heel-less socks—perfect for Pilates, for instance!