Knit a Little Square on the Bias (Diagonal)

In my first blog post, (here), I included a few photos of a few things that I had knitted. A dear reader requested the pattern for the little mug mats. Here's the background for them:
After making a lot of dishcloths, I had a lot of yarn leftovers. I wanted to use up every bit of the ball of yarn, so I couldn't follow any existing pattern without knowing how many yards I had left. So I set out to figure out a way to knit a little square that could be used as a coaster or mug mat (if worked with a smaller needle to obtain a more tightly knit square), a doll quilt or rug, or a child-size dish cloth. This square starts with 3 stitches, then 2 stitches are added every other row until almost all of the yarn is used, then bound off. The resulting size of the square depends on 1) the amount of yarn and 2) the needle size. Or you can finish it when it is the size you want.

Knit a Little Square on the Bias (Diagonal) by Sandra Carden

Materials and Notes:
Yarn: Cotton worsted-weight solid or variegated yarn: approximately 1/2 oz
Needles: Size US 6 or Size 3 or 4 if you are making coasters
Stitch marker (1)
Movable stitch marker or safety pin (1)
Abbreviations:
st(s) = stitch(es)
k = knit
M1T = Make 1 Towards
M1A = Make 1 Away

The special technique used in this little project is
paired increases between stitches (knit stitch).

M1T (Make 1 Towards): This is a left-leaning increase that perfectly matches M1A.
Here's how: Make a backwards loop of the working yarn onto the right needle, so that the working yarn points toward you. The ball yarn will be pointing to the front.

M1A (Make 1 Away): This is a right-leaning increase that perfectly matches M1T.
Here's how: Make a backwards loop of the working yarn onto the right needle, so that the working yarn points away from you. The new loop will be closer to the end of the needle than to the ball yarn.

Note: If your increase stitches show a small hole, you can close them up on the next row by twisting the stitch before knitting it.

M1A: To watch a short video of this technique, click here (for English style knitting) or here (for continental style knitting).

M1T: To watch a short video of this technique, click here (for English style knitting) or here (for continental style knitting).

Pattern:
Notes: All increases will be on even-number rows. The number of sts at the end of the row is shown in brackets [ ].

Cast on 3 sts.
Row 1: Knit across.
Row 2: K 1, M1T, place marker, K 1, M1A, K 1. [5 sts]
Row 3: Knit across.
Row 4: Knit to marker, M1T, slip marker, K 1, M1A, knit to end of row. [7 sts]
Before beginning next row, place a movable marker a row or two from the beginning on this side of the work. This will help you to keep track of which rows you should work the increases.
Row 5: Knit across.
Row 6: Knit to marker, M1T, slip marker, K 1, M1A, knit to end of row. [9 sts]
Row 7: Knit across.
Knit to marker, M1T, slip marker, K 1, M1A, knit to end of row. [11 sts]
Row 9: Knit across.
Knit to marker, M1T, slip marker, K 1, M1A, knit to end of row. [13 sts]
Row 11: Knit across.

Continue these two rows, increasing 2 sts every other row until you have enough yarn for one more row (or until it's the size you want). Bind off and weave in ends.

Please let me know if you have any questions or comments, and of course if you make some! Thanks!

Blessings and peace...

Knitting: Blocking Matters

...even for such simple knitted things as dishcloths. Here's what I mean (pardon the off coloring in my photos):

Before blocking:

Being blocked:

After blocking:

Again, before blocking:

During blocking:

After blocking:

Blocking allows you to shape the finished item, and it makes the pattern more visible.

Notes: After I've finished knitting something, I always hand wash it. (It might be for someone with allergies, and we have a cat.) I rinse, rinse, rinse, then squeeze out as much water as I can, then roll it in a towel. Then I block it by placing it on a foam square, adding pins every inch or so, shaping it as I go. For something larger, such as a scarf or shawl, I might use blocking wires. I'll show you some of those photos another day.


Blessings and peace...

Windowpanes Knitted Dishcloth Pattern

I am honored to share (by request!) my own pattern that I used for some of the dishcloths shown in my October 2 post.

And here are a few of the tips and techniques I incorporate into my knitting:
1. I usually use a needle one size larger for the cast on and a needle two sizes larger for the bind off. For example, I use a size 6 (4 mm) needle for worsted weight cotton for dishcloths, so I use size 7 (4.5 mm) for the cast on and size 8 (5 mm) for the bind off. This helps to achieve the same stretch in the cast-on and bind-off edges as for the body of the piece.
2. Speaking of needles, I use circular needles for both round and flat work. It makes knitting in close quarters (such as a movie theater) much easier. And if I happen to drop one end of the circular needle, I am still holding the other end, so I don't really lose the needle.
3. When I set my work down or put it away for a while, I push all of the stitches to the cable section (thinner section of the needle between the two ends), ensuring that a ridge from having left the stitches on the thickest part of the needle won't permanently form in that row.
4. When I use the long-tail cast on, my choice for dishcloths, I work the first 3 to 5 stitches with both yarns, the yarn end and the ball yarn. That way, I don't need to weave those ends in later.
5. I try to complete a row before setting my work down, which helps to maintain a more even tension.
6. Blocking. I block almost everything I knit. It vastly improves the appearance, evening out changes in tension throughout the piece. I think it somehow presses the blocked shape into the memory; in other words, even after a cloth is machine washed and dried, it retains the blocked shape.

Windowpanes Dishcloth by Sandra Carden
Front:

Back:

 

Materials and Notes:

Yarn: Cotton worsted-weight variegated yarn: One 2 to 2.5 oz ball will usually make two cloths.
Needles: Size 7 to cast on, 6 to work dishcloth and 8 to bind off. Gauge is not important.
Abbreviations:
st(s) = stitch(es)
k = knit
p = purl
For a smoother edge (optional): Slip the first stitch of each row as if to purl. If the next stitch is a knit stitch, remember to move your working yarn to the back first. If the next stitch is a purl stitch, your yarn is already in front, so you do not need to move it.

Cast on 36 sts using size 7 needle.

Bottom border: Change to size 6 needle and work in seed st (*K1, P1*, repeat, ending K1) for 6 rows.
Side borders: Begin and end each row in seed st (5 sts).
Instructions for pattern between the side borders:
Work bottom border.
Row 1: K1, P4, K1, P4, K1, P4, K1, P4, K1, P4, K1.
Row 2: P1, K4, P1, K4, P1, K4, P1, K4, P1, K4, P1.
Row 3: K1, P4, K1, P4, K1, P4, K1, P4, K1, P4, K1.
Row 4: P1, K4, P1, K4, P1, K4, P1, K4, P1, K4, P1.
Row 5: Knit across.
Row 6: P1, K4, P1, K4, P1, K4, P1, K4, P1, K4, P1.
Repeat these six rows six times.
Work top border. Bind off using size 8 needle in knit stitch. Weave in yarn ends. Block.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Shorthand: Repeat between * and *.
Work bottom border.
Row 1: K1, *P4, K1* across.
Row 2: P1, *K4, P1* across.
Row 3: K1, *P4, K1* across.
Row 4: P1, *K4, P1* across.
Row 5: Knit across.
Row 6: P1, *K4, P1* across.
Repeat these six rows six times.
Work top border. Bind off in knit stitch. Weave in yarn ends. Block.


Resource:
Knitting Help has free knitting videos.

I have taken some before, during, and after photos of the blocking part of knitting, so I will write about that soon.

And I have started a sewing project, a reworking of something I bought but will never wear, so that's on my list of sewing projects to share with you.

Blessings and peace...