How to Knit the Checkerboard Stitch (Video + Pattern)

The checkerboard stitch is exactly what it sounds like: squares of smooth stockinette next to squares of bumpy reverse stockinette, swapped every few rows so they tile like a game board.

It's listed as intermediate, though the only skills involved are knit, purl, and keeping count. The challenge is keeping count, since every row looks like the last one.

The one thing that makes it work: you knit the same knit 5, purl 5 sequence on every row, and because the cast-on is an even number of blocks, the sequence lands knits over knits on the way back. The blocks only change when you deliberately flip the order on Row 6.

Watch: Checkerboard Stitch Video Tutorial

Watch how the border is handled at the start and end of each row; the slipped first stitch and purled last stitch are what keep the edge from looking ragged.

What You Need

Yarn: the swatch is written for medium (worsted) weight yarn. Sport or DK weight gives smaller, finer squares. A smooth, light-colored yarn shows the knit-purl contrast best; a dark or textured yarn makes the squares blend together.

Needles: US 9 (5.5 mm), or the size that gives you the listed gauge.

Stitch multiple: a multiple of 10. The swatch casts on 30, or 32 if you add the border from the video.

Abbreviations (US terms): CO = cast on; K = knit; P = purl; sl = slip. A row counter or a scrap of paper for tallies helps, and a stitch marker every 10 stitches makes the blocks easy to see.

Checkerboard Stitch Written Pattern

Size: 6"x6"

Gauge: Stockinette | 4" = 20 Stitches | 12 Rows

Yarn: Medium Weight Yarn

Knitting Needle Size: US 9 (or size to achieve gauge)

Stitches worked over a multiple of 10

Abbreviations: CO - Cast on

CO 30 stitches.

Rows 1-5: *Knit 5, Purl 5* repeat from *

Rows 6-10: *Purl 5, Knit 5* repeat from *

Repeat Rows 1-10 until piece measures 6” from cast on edge.

Fasten off, weave in ends, & block to 6x6” square.

Note: To add a border as described in the video, cast on 2 extra stitches. The first stitch of each row should be slipped as if to knit and the last stitch should be purled.

Step-by-Step: How the Stitch Works

1. Cast on 30 (or 32 with the border). Thirty stitches is six blocks of five, and that even number of blocks is what makes the next step work.
2. Rows 1 through 5: knit 5, purl 5, all the way across, on every row. On the way back you work the row in reverse, so the five you knit get purled, making a stockinette square, and the five you purled get knit, making a reverse stockinette square.
3. Row 6 flips the order: purl 5, knit 5. Now the smooth squares sit on top of the bumpy ones and vice versa. Rows 6 through 10 repeat that.
4. Row 11 goes back to knit 5, purl 5, and the board grows one five-row tier at a time.
5. Border option: with 32 stitches, slip the first stitch of every row as if to knit and purl the last stitch. The blocks in between are unchanged; the edge just gets a neat chain running up each side.

Tips and Common Mistakes

• Keep a row count. The first row of a new tier looks wrong for a row or two, so trust the count before ripping out.
• Move the yarn before each block change: front to purl, back to knit. A miss shows as a strand across the square.
• There's no wrong side, but decide which face is out before seaming so the slipped-stitch chain sits where you want it.
• If your squares come out a little tall or wide, that's row gauge; blocking evens it out somewhat.
• A marker after every 10 stitches keeps each block pair in view.

What to Make With the Checkerboard Stitch

Checkerboard lies flat and looks finished on both sides:

• Blanket squares. Knit 6-inch or 12-inch checkerboard blocks and seam them, or work one big piece. The how to knit a blanket guide walks through both approaches.
• Scarf in worsted or bulky weight; the pattern looks the same from both ends and both faces.
• Washcloths in a smooth cotton or silk blend, where the texture scrubs a little.

Related Stitches

• Knit Basketweave Stitch — the same idea with rectangles, usually worked over a smaller repeat.
• Knit Diagonal Basket Weave Stitch — a step up, where the blocks shift sideways each tier.
• Knit Garter Stitch — good to know for a plain border around a checkerboard panel.
• Knit Stockinette Stitch — one half of every checkerboard square.
• Browse every knit stitch tutorial — the full Stitch Learning Center index.

Yarn for This Stitch

In sport weight, Darn Good Twist Sport Weight Silk Yarn gives fine squares with a soft sheen on the stockinette blocks; see the sport weight yarn collection. For the swatch as written, the worsted weight collection is the place to start.

If you'd like a new skein to practice on every month, Yarn of the Month sends three hand-dyed skeins with a knit and crochet pattern written for them, $29 a month plus shipping.

Checkerboard Stitch FAQ

Is the checkerboard stitch reversible?
Yes. Both sides show a full checkerboard; they're mirror images of each other.

Does the checkerboard stitch curl?
No. The alternating knit and purl blocks balance each other out, so the fabric lies flat without a border. The border in the pattern is for a tidy edge, not for curl.

Why does knitting the same row every time make squares?
Because 30 stitches is an even number of blocks. When you turn, the first five stitches you work are the last five from the row before, so a knit lands on top of a purl, which is stockinette. An odd block count would give you garter.