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Dot-to-Dot Square

Pattern designed and written by Ann Kingstone. Other designs by Ann are available from www.AnnKingstone.com

This blanket square utilises twisted stitch technology and an unusual double increase method in a technically challenging knit. Approach with care! For support with the techniques herein please use the provided links and illustrated tutorials. Although very busy I am happy to help if you really need it. Before you ask for such help though please see if there are other ways you might resolve your query, e.g. posting a question in an online knitting forum. Materials: Due to the construction style of this square I strongly recommend using yarn with a high content of natural fibre (e.g. wool) as such yarns block much more readily than synthetic yarn. The square pictured was knitted in Rowan Pure Wool DK on 4mm needles. Size: 8" x 8"/ 20cm x 20cm after blocking. Other square sizes may be knitted using different yarn weights with appropriate needle sizes or by adding or taking away main pattern repeats (each pattern repeat is 16 stitches wide by 8 rows high). Tension/Gauge: Exact tension is not vital as the square has to be blocked to size. After blocking tension is 19.5 stitches to 4 inches/10cm.
Ann Kingstone 2009. All rights reserved. Please only use this pattern for personal and non-commercial charitable purposes.

Abbreviations: Many of these stitch techniques have video tutorials in the glossary section of the Knitting Help website see Resources for a hyperlink. The more unusual techniques not explained there are explained here in Special Techniques (see below) . cdi k k2tog m1b m1f p pcdd ssk = centered double increase (see special techniques) = knit = knit 2 stitches together = make one back = make one front = purl = purled centered double decrease (see special techniques) = slip two stitches knitwise one by one to the working needle and knit them together from this position. st = stitch tbl = through back loop

Special techniques: Centered double increase: I recently developed this increase method which I have not come across before. However, I fully acknowledge that someone else has likely created it, and may even have documented it. If you know of such prior use of this increase method then please let me know so that I can disclaim any credit for it. Anyway, pictures speak much better than a thousand words, so my sister has helped me to produce a video tutorial for the method here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CfZ0APtMvdU Wordy instructions: With the working needle pick up the strand between the first and second stitch on the passive needle from below behind the knitting. Transfer it back to the passive needle in front of the first stitch and knit it through the front loop. Knit the next stitch through the back loop. Take the passive needle behind the work and from below pick up the second strand down between the second and third stitches on the working needle. From the front insert the working needle through below the strand running in front of the picked up strand on the passive needle, transfer the strand from the passive to the working needle, and pull it through to the front. From behind insert the passive needle through the strand now on the working needle and knit it. Purled centered double decrease: This appears exactly the same as a standard centered double decrease on the right side but is worked from the wrong side of the knitting. With the yarn held in front slip two stitches knitwise one by one then return them to the passive needle. The two stitches now have reversed mount. Next insert the working needle as though to purl the two stitches together through the back loops but instead slip them off onto the working needle again. This twists the two stitches so that what was the second stitch is now the first. Purl the next stitch then pass the two slipped stitches over.
Ann Kingstone 2009. All rights reserved. Please only use this pattern for personal and non-commercial charitable purposes.

Instructions Using a stretchy method cast on 39 stitches - I used the Estonian sock cast-on championed by Nancy Bush. Row 1: *K1, p1* to last stitch, k1. Repeat this row until a total of 7 rows of seed stitch have been worked. Row 8: *K1, p1* twice, *p3, k1 tbl* to last seven stitches, p4, k1, p1, k1. Row 9: *K1, p1* twice, *k3, p1 tbl* to last seven stitches, k3, *p1, k1* twice. Row 10: *K1, p1* twice, *p3, cdi, p3, k1 tbl* to last eleven stitches, p3, cdi, p4, k1, p1, k1. Row 11: *K1, p1* twice, *k3, p3, k3, p1 tbl* to last thirteen stitches, k3, p3, k3, *p1, k1* twice. Row 12: *K1, p1* twice, *p3, k1, m1b, k1, m1f, k1, p3, k1 tbl* to last thirteen stitches, p3, k1, m1b, k1, m1f, k1, p4, k1, p1, k1. Row 13: *K1, p1* twice, *k3, p5, k3, p1 tbl* to last fifteen stitches, k3, p5, k3, *p1, k1* twice. Row 14: *K1, p1* twice, *p3, ssk, k1, k2tog, p3, cdi* to last fifteen stitches, p3, ssk, k1, k2tog, p4, k1, p1, k1. Row 15: *K1, p1* twice, *k3, pcdd, k3, p3* to last thirteen stitches, k3, pcdd, k3, *p1, k1* twice. Row 16: *K1, p1* twice, *p3, k1 tbl, p3, k1, m1b, k1, m1f, k1* to last eleven stitches p3, k1 tbl, p4, k1, p1, k1. Row 17: *K1, p1* twice, *k3, p1 tbl, k3, p5* to last eleven stitches, k3, p1 tbl, k3, *p1, k1* twice. Row 18: *K1, p1* twice, *p3, cdi, p3, ssk, k1, k2tog* to last eleven stitches, p3, cdi, p4, k1, p1, k1. Row 19: *K1, p1* twice, *k3, p3, k3, pcdd* to last thirteen stitches, k3, p3, k3, *p1, k1* twice. Rows 12 19 form the main pattern repeat. Work through them a total of six times, then work through row 12 and 13 one more time, then proceed to row 62. Row 62: *K1, p1* twice, *p3, ssk, k1, k2tog, p3, k1 tbl* to last fifteen stitches, p3, ssk, k1, k2tog, p4, k1, p1, k1. Row 63: *K1, p1* twice, *k3, pcdd, k3, p1 tbl* to last thirteen stitches, k3, pcdd, k3, *p1, k1* twice. Row 64: As row 8 Row 65 As row 9 Now work 6 rows of seed stitch as in Row 1, then cast off loosely in rib. Block to size.

Ann Kingstone 2009. All rights reserved. Please only use this pattern for personal and non-commercial charitable purposes.

Heres a chart of the main pattern rows for folk like me that find it easier to work from charts:

Key:

Resources: Please see the glossary section at knittinghelp.com for video tutorials of the following stitch techniques: http://www.knittinghelp.com/videos/knitting-glossary k1 tbl (knit one through the back loop) p1 tbl (purl one through the back loop) k2tog (knit two together) ssk (slip, slip, knit two slipped stitches together) m1f (make one front) m1b (make one back)

Video of the centered double increase: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CfZ0APtMvdU Acknowledgements: To my dear sister, Marie Wright, for so much assistance, support and encouragement.
Ann Kingstone 2009. All rights reserved. Please only use this pattern for personal and non-commercial charitable purposes.