seed stitch

Short definition from Wiktionary

Noun

1. 1
   A basic basketweave in which knit and purl stitches alternate in every column ("wale") and every row ("course"), i.e. every knit stitch is flanked on all four sides by purl stitches, and vice versa.
2. 2
   One in a series of unconnected straight stitches facing random directions and used to fill empty space.