Step-by-Step Guide: How to Knit the Diagonal Basketweave Stitch
If you’ve ever admired a knitted fabric that looks like it was woven on a loom — rich with texture, visually interesting from every angle, and somehow both classic and contemporary — there’s a good chance you were looking at a basketweave pattern. The diagonal basketweave stitch takes that beloved look and gives it a twist, quite literally, by setting the woven squares on a slant so they cascade across your fabric like a ripple of braided texture. The result is one of the most satisfying knitted fabrics you can create: dense, dimensional, reversible, and impressive enough to make even experienced knitters stop and ask how you did it.
The best news? It’s far simpler than it looks. The diagonal basketweave stitch is built from nothing more than knit and purl stitches, organized into a repeating sequence that shifts one stitch to the side with every set of rows. No cables, no yarn-overs, no tricky decreases. If you can knit and purl, you can work this stitch. This guide will walk you through everything you need to know — from choosing the right materials to casting on, working the pattern row by row, understanding how the diagonal shift happens, and finishing your piece with confidence.
Whether you’re planning a cozy throw blanket, a textured dishcloth, a sophisticated scarf, or a set of pillow covers, the diagonal basketweave stitch will elevate your project into something that looks truly handcrafted in the best possible sense. Let’s get started.
What Is the Diagonal Basketweave Stitch?
Before diving into the how-to, it helps to understand what makes this stitch distinctive. A standard basketweave stitch creates a grid of alternating knit and purl blocks that sit perfectly horizontal and vertical, mimicking the over-under pattern of woven reeds. The diagonal basketweave takes that same block structure and offsets it by one stitch at regular intervals, causing the blocks to march diagonally across the fabric rather than stacking in a straight grid.
This diagonal movement creates several advantages. The angled lines give the fabric a dynamic, flowing quality that plain basketweave doesn’t have. The stitch is fully reversible — the wrong side is just as attractive as the right side, making it ideal for projects where both faces show, like scarves, blankets, and dishcloths. The dense interlocking of knit and purl stitches also gives the fabric excellent structure and slight thickness, which adds warmth and body.
Because the pattern relies on a consistent offset, it’s also wonderfully rhythmic to knit. Once you’ve worked a few repeats, your hands begin to anticipate the sequence, and the knitting flows naturally without constant reference to a pattern.
Materials You’ll Need
One of the greatest things about texture stitches like the diagonal basketweave is that they work beautifully with simple, straightforward materials. Here’s what to gather before you begin.
Yarn: Choose a smooth yarn in a light to medium color. The basketweave texture is created by the interplay of raised and recessed stitches, and that dimensional quality is most visible in yarn that doesn’t have a lot of fuzz, halo, or heavy twist that might obscure the stitch definition. Worsted weight (also known as medium weight or #4) is an ideal starting point because it’s easy to handle and creates a fabric with clear, well-defined blocks. Lighter fingering or DK weight will produce a more delicate fabric, while bulky yarn will give you oversized, chunky blocks that are particularly cozy in home décor projects. Avoid heavily textured or bouclé yarns for your first attempt, as they’ll hide the pattern.
Needles: Use the needle size recommended on your yarn’s label, or go one size up if you want a slightly more relaxed fabric. For worsted weight yarn, this typically means US size 7 to 9 (4.5mm to 5.5mm) needles. Straight needles work perfectly for flat projects, and circular needles can be used for both flat and in-the-round work.
Notions: A pair of scissors, a tapestry needle for weaving in ends, and stitch markers if you find them helpful for tracking your pattern repeats. A row counter — physical or digital — is genuinely useful for this stitch, since keeping track of where you are in the row sequence is key to maintaining the diagonal movement.
Understanding the Stitch Pattern Before You Begin
The diagonal basketweave stitch is worked over a multiple of stitches — typically multiples of 8, which gives you the standard block size. Each block is worked over 4 stitches and 4 rows, and the pattern shifts by one stitch every 4 rows to create the diagonal effect.
Here’s a simplified breakdown of the logic:
The fabric is made of alternating blocks of stockinette (knit stitches on the right side) and reverse stockinette (purl stitches on the right side). In a standard basketweave, these blocks are perfectly aligned in a grid. In the diagonal version, you start each new set of 4 rows one stitch to the right (or left, depending on which direction you want your diagonal to travel), which causes the entire grid to tilt.
The key insight is this: the starting point of your knit-and-purl sequence moves by one stitch with each new 4-row block. This is what produces the diagonal, and once you see it in your knitting, the pattern clicks into place immediately.
Casting On
For a practice swatch, cast on 32 stitches. This gives you four full 8-stitch pattern repeats across, which is enough to see the diagonal movement clearly. If you want a wider swatch, cast on any multiple of 8 stitches — 40, 48, 56, and so on. You can also work the stitch over multiples of 4 if you want smaller blocks, but 8-stitch repeats create the most classic basketweave look.
Use any cast-on method you’re comfortable with. A long-tail cast-on is a reliable, neat choice that gives you a tidy starting edge.
Step-by-Step Pattern Instructions
What follows is the full written-out pattern for the diagonal basketweave stitch, worked flat (back and forth in rows). The pattern uses standard knitting abbreviations: K = knit, P = purl, RS = right side, WS = wrong side.
The block structure here is based on 8-stitch repeats with a 4-row sequence per block tier, and the diagonal shifts by 1 stitch every 4 rows.
Setting Up Your Notation
It’s helpful to think of the pattern in groups of 4 rows, which we’ll call “tiers.” In each new tier, the starting position of your knit blocks shifts by 1 stitch to create the diagonal. Keep track of which tier you’re on as you work.
Tier 1 (Rows 1–4)
Row 1 (RS): *K4, P4; repeat from * to end of row.
Row 2 (WS): *K4, P4; repeat from * to end of row.
Row 3 (RS): *K4, P4; repeat from * to end of row.
Row 4 (WS): *K4, P4; repeat from * to end of row.
In these four rows, you’re establishing your first set of blocks: raised knit blocks and recessed purl blocks sitting side by side in neat vertical columns.
Tier 2 (Rows 5–8)
Row 5 (RS): K3, *P4, K4; repeat from * to last 5 stitches, P4, K1.
Row 6 (WS): P1, *K4, P4; repeat from * to last 7 stitches, K4, P3.
Row 7 (RS): K3, *P4, K4; repeat from * to last 5 stitches, P4, K1.
Row 8 (WS): P1, *K4, P4; repeat from * to last 7 stitches, K4, P3.
Notice that the pattern has shifted 1 stitch to the right. The knit blocks that were starting at position 1 are now starting at position 4 (working 3 knit stitches at the beginning before the first purl block begins). This is the shift that creates the diagonal.
Tier 3 (Rows 9–12)
Row 9 (RS): K2, *P4, K4; repeat from * to last 6 stitches, P4, K2.
Row 10 (WS): P2, *K4, P4; repeat from * to last 6 stitches, K4, P2.
Row 11 (RS): K2, *P4, K4; repeat from * to last 6 stitches, P4, K2.
Row 12 (WS): P2, *K4, P4; repeat from * to last 6 stitches, K4, P2.
The shift has moved another stitch to the right. You’re now starting each row with 2 knit stitches.
Tier 4 (Rows 13–16)
Row 13 (RS): K1, *P4, K4; repeat from * to last 7 stitches, P4, K3.
Row 14 (WS): P3, *K4, P4; repeat from * to last 5 stitches, K4, P1.
Row 15 (RS): K1, *P4, K4; repeat from * to last 7 stitches, P4, K3.
Row 16 (WS): P3, *K4, P4; repeat from * to last 5 stitches, K4, P1.
Tier 5 (Rows 17–20)
Row 17 (RS): *P4, K4; repeat from * to end of row.
Row 18 (WS): *P4, K4; repeat from * to end of row.
Row 19 (RS): *P4, K4; repeat from * to end of row.
Row 20 (WS): *P4, K4; repeat from * to end of row.
You’ve now completed a full diagonal cycle. Notice that Tier 5 is the inverse of Tier 1 — where you were knitting, you’re now purling, and vice versa. Continue shifting by 1 stitch per tier through Tiers 6–8, and by Row 32 (if using 8-stitch repeats over 32 rows), your pattern will have completed a full diagonal repeat and returned to the original Tier 1 configuration.
Repeat Tiers 1 through 8 (Rows 1 through 32) for the full repeating pattern.
Tips for Keeping Track of Your Place
One of the most common stumbling blocks with the diagonal basketweave stitch is losing your place — especially if you put your knitting down for a few days and come back to it. Here are some strategies to stay on track.
Use a row counter and mark off every row as you complete it. Because the WS rows mirror the RS rows in this pattern (you’re working the same knit-and-purl sequence on both sides, adjusted for the mirror effect of turning the work), even WS rows can feel a bit counterintuitive at first.
Place stitch markers after every 8 stitches when you cast on. As you work through the tiers, these markers help you quickly verify that your pattern blocks are falling in the right places. If a purl block ends up over a previous purl block when it should be shifting, you’ll catch the mistake immediately.
At the end of every right-side row, take a quick look at the fabric from a slight distance. You should be able to see the diagonal lines forming. If the blocks are stacking perfectly vertically, you’ve missed a shift. If they’re traveling in the right direction and at roughly a 45-degree angle, you’re doing it correctly.
Fixing Common Mistakes
The blocks aren’t shifting diagonally. This usually means you forgot to incorporate the 1-stitch offset when starting a new tier. Compare your current row’s beginning to the previous tier — if the knit block starts in the same position, you haven’t shifted yet.
The fabric is twisting or curling. A small amount of curling at the edges is normal in any fabric with stockinette sections, but the basketweave structure should largely counteract this. If your swatch is curling severely, try going up a needle size for a slightly looser tension, or add a garter stitch border of 3–4 stitches on each side.
The pattern looks lumpy or uneven. This is almost always a tension issue. Purl stitches tend to be slightly looser than knit stitches for many knitters, causing small inconsistencies between the knit and purl blocks. Practice keeping your tension even, and this will smooth out as you work. Blocking the finished fabric also helps dramatically.
Lost your place entirely. Rather than frogging (ripping out) your work, try “reading” your knitting. Knit stitches on the right side look like V shapes; purl stitches look like bumps or horizontal bars. By looking at the last completed row and comparing it to the pattern instructions, you can often figure out exactly where you are and continue from there.
Blocking Your Finished Fabric
Blocking is one of the most transformative steps in knitting, and the diagonal basketweave stitch responds beautifully to it. Wet blocking — soaking your finished piece in cool water, gently pressing out the excess moisture in a towel, and then pinning it flat to dry — evens out the tension between knit and purl stitches, opens up the texture, and gives the fabric a polished, professional appearance.
For wool and wool-blend yarns, wet blocking is ideal. For acrylic yarns, steam blocking (holding a steam iron a short distance above the fabric without pressing down) works well. Always check your yarn label for fiber content before blocking, as some fibers are heat-sensitive.
Once blocked, the diagonal lines will be even more defined, and the fabric will have a beautiful drape and softness that it lacked straight off the needles.
Project Ideas for the Diagonal Basketweave Stitch
Now that you’ve mastered the stitch, the question becomes: what will you make with it?
A scarf or cowl is the perfect first project. The stitch is reversible, so you never have to worry about the wrong side showing, and the diagonal texture gives scarves a sophisticated, almost architectural quality. Work in a solid or semi-solid yarn to let the texture take center stage.
A dishcloth or washcloth is a classic choice for practicing any new stitch pattern, and the diagonal basketweave makes a particularly attractive and functional cloth. Cotton yarn is ideal for this purpose — it’s durable, absorbent, and comes in a wonderful range of colors.
A throw blanket worked in the diagonal basketweave stitch is a true showpiece. Choose a chunky or bulky yarn to work up the yardage quickly, or use a worsted weight for a finer, lighter blanket. The fabric is thick enough to provide warmth without being heavy.
Pillow covers are another wonderful application. The diagonal basketweave creates a fabric that looks equally beautiful on both sides, which is handy if your pillow cover happens to get flipped around.
A tote bag in cotton yarn becomes something special when worked in this stitch — the dense fabric holds its shape well, and the texture gives the bag a handsome, woven appearance.
Adjusting the Pattern for Different Block Sizes
The instructions above use 4-stitch, 4-row blocks, which is the most common interpretation of the basketweave and produces a balanced, visually pleasing grid. But you can adjust the block size to suit your project or personal taste.
Smaller blocks — 3 stitches by 3 rows — create a tighter, more intricate texture. Larger blocks — 6 stitches by 6 rows — produce a bold, oversized pattern that reads well at a distance and works beautifully in chunky yarn. As long as your stitch and row count per block remain equal (so you’re always working square blocks), the pattern logic of shifting 1 stitch per tier holds true regardless of block size.
Final Thoughts
The diagonal basketweave stitch is one of those patterns that rewards you doubly: it’s genuinely enjoyable to knit, and the finished fabric is genuinely beautiful to look at and to touch. The predictable rhythm of the stitch makes it med
