In stitches III: the moss stitch family

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In this post I'll join this three stitches in one family, but this is a bit of a personal choice.

From left to right: seed, moss and double seed stitches (click on image to magnify).

What do this stitches have in common? This is obvious from their appearance and construction, but I'll add one important quality: none of them curls. In addition, all of these stitches look the same from both sides.

Seed stitch, which is also often mistakenly called rice or moss stitch, is often used in edges, just like garter stitch, when the elasticity provided by ribbing is not required or desired. Its tension is more similar to stockinette than that of garter stitch.

Moss stitch is often used in conjunction with cables in sweaters.

Even though, for simplicity, instructions are provided for a specific number of stitches per row or round (even, odd or multiples of 4), they are straightforwardly modified for any number of stitches.

Seed stitch

flat (odd number of stitches)
every row: * k1, p1, repeat from *, k1.
in the round (odd number of stitches)
* k1, p1, repeat from *.

Moss stitch

flat or in the round, even number of stitches
Rows/rounds 1 and 2: * k1, p1, repeat from *,
Rows/rounds 3 and 4: * p1, k1, repeat from *,
Repeat rows/rounds 1–4.

Box or double seed stitch

flat or in the round, multiples of 4
Rows/rounds 1 and 2: * k2, p2, repeat from *,
Rows/rounds 3 and 4: * p2, k2, repeat from *,
Repeat rows/rounds 1–4.

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