Knitted Lily Stitch: Easy 4-Row Floral Texture for Scarves, Sweaters & Blankets

The Knitted Lily Stitch is a delightful 4-row textured pattern that adds a touch of floral elegance to any knitting project. It creates raised, petal-like shapes by using slipped stitches together with simple knits and purls, producing an attractive surface texture without complicated shaping. This stitch is versatile—great for scarves, sweaters, shawls, and decorative blankets.

Technique overview: the pattern repeats over a multiple of 2 stitches plus 2 selvage stitches and relies on slipping stitches with the working yarn held to the front or back to form the lily petals. Maintain even tension on slipped stitches so the petal shapes appear neat and consistent.

Knitting materials and tools:

• DPN 3.5 mm (US 4)
• Cozy Wool Merino Yarn, Loops & Threads (Light 3) – 55% Superwash merino, 45% anti-pilling acrylic. 150 grams – 410 yards per skein

Common abbreviations of knit stitches:

• k – knit
• p – purl
• st(s) – stitch(es)
• sel s – selvage stitch: always slip the first stitch knitwise, work to the last stitch, purl the last stitch

Lily stitch instructions:

Cast on a multiple of 2 sts, plus 2 selvage stitches.

Row 1: sel s, knit all stitches, sel s.

Row 2: sel s, knit all stitches, sel s.

Row 3: sel s, *k1, slip the next stitch holding working yarn in back* – repeat from * to last stitch, sel s.

Row 4: sel s, *slip the next stitch holding working yarn in front, k1* – repeat from * to last stitch, sel s.

Repeat Rows 1–4 to form the pattern until your piece reaches the desired length.

Tips:

• Keep slipped stitches loose enough so the petal shapes are visible—too-tight tension will flatten them.
• Work a small swatch and block it to see how the texture opens up; blocking often helps the lily motif sit more distinctly.
• For edges, the provided selvage stitches help create a neat border; you can adjust edge treatment as needed for seaming or grafting.