Block Stitch Square

Knit Square_Block Stitch PDF

Pattern for use by kind permission of Jan Burton

This Block Stitch Square pattern creates a great, double thickness square in two colours, without all the confusion that you get with normal fair-isle. This stitch pattern is very useful when trying to use a soft, “unstable” yarn such as chenille or thick short eyelash, which can easily stretch out of shape used on its own. Using the soft yarn as the background yarn, and a plain yarn for the foreground, this pattern will produce much more stable fabric suitable for blanket squares.

Materials and Tools

• Light worsted weight yarn (American)/DK (UK)/8 ply (Aus)
• 4.00mm/US 6 needles

Abbreviations

RS: Right side of work facing
WS: Wrong side of work facing
sl1p: Slip one stitch purlways

Instructions

Note: Slip all stitches purlwise, keeping yarn on wrong side of work, i.e. on Row 3 yarn will be furthest away from you, on Row 4 yarn will be towards you.

At colour changes, don’t break off yarn, but carry colour not in use up side of work.

Number of stitches: multiple of 4 + 3 (e.g. 39, 35, 31, 27) depending on yarn thickness and needle size

To make the Block Stitch Square, using yarn A, cast on.

Row 1: (RS) Using yarn A – Knit

Row 2: (WS) Using yarn A – Knit

Row 3: Using yarn B – K1, * sl1p, K1 rep from * to last 2 stitches, sl1p, K1

Row 4: Using yarn B – K1, then keeping yarn forward * P1, sl1p*, repeat from * to last two stitches, sl1p, K1.

Next Rows: repeat rows 1-4 until work measures 8” (20cm) ending with row 2.

Cast off, leaving a 20” (50cm) tail which is used for sewing the squares together.

Variation

For more precise adjustment of number of stitches required, especially using very chunky yarn the following slight variation can be used (result will still look the same).

Number of stitches: multiple of 4 + 1 (e.g. 37, 33, 29, 25) depending on yarn thickness and needle size

Using yarn A, cast on.

Row 1: (RS) Using yarn A – Knit

Row 2: (WS) Using yarn A – Knit

Row 3: Using yarn B – K2, *sl1p, K3, rep from * to last 3 stitches, sl1p, K2

Row 4: Using yarn B – K1, P1, *sl1p, P3, rep from * to last 3 stitches, sl1p, P1, K1

Next rows: Repeat rows 1-4 until work measures 8” (20cm) ending with row 2.

Cast off, leaving a 20” (50cm) tail which is used for sewing the squares together.

Finishing Instructions

Weave in all yarn ends.

Leave a 20” (50cm) tail, used for sewing the squares together. Butterfly the tail to the square.

How to “butterfly the tail”

Use contrasting yarn and follow these directions:

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