Big Knit Mitered Squares

I get a lot of questions and comments about my tutorial for the knit mitered square sock blanket using leftover sock yarn.  You can find the tutorial on the tab under my Loose Threads blog header here.   The link on my sidebar takes you to this same page.  

Our local yarn store, Mass Ave Knits, here in downtown Indianapolis, started doing a larger version of this mitered square using Liberty Wool yarn.  When I started this, Liberty was coming out with 2 new colors of yarn each month (and they still may be).   I started that project with the Liberty yarn, but in the meantime I found this Bernat Super Value Stripes yarn.  Since this blanket will be used by a child, I think the Bernat yarn will work just fine.  Plus, the colors are more vivid.  Any worsted weight yarn would work, but I chose this because of the stripes.

Here is a comparison between my mitered square sock blanket (still not finished) and the larger mitered squares.

I'm using 4 different color ways of the yarn for the big squares.

Each of these larger squares measures approximately 12 inches.  

They can be set with the same layout as my sock yarn blanket joining the squares as you knit.  Or,  they can be whip stitched together into squares like this.  I still haven't decided how I will put these together.  I may stitch 4 of the same block together to make larger squares of one color way when I have more of them completed.




Pattern for 12" mitered square.

This square is made the same as the squares in my tutorial that are done with sock yarn.

Size 8 circular knitting needle 24" long

Cast on 93 stitches.  

Row 1.  Knit 1 row.  Turn.

Row 2.  Knit 45, Double Decrease, place marker, knit to end. Turn.

Row 3. (Wrong side row)  Knit to marker, slip marker, Purl 1, knit to end.  Turn

Row 4.  Knit to 2 stitches before marker, double decrease, knit to end.  

Repeat rows 3 and 4 until there is 1 stitch left on the needle.  

I hope you are finding some time to stitch today.

Thanks for stopping by for a visit!  

Diagonal Granny Stripe Afghan Tutorial

This is the start of my diagonal granny stripe afghan.  I started it back in the fall, and I ended up putting it away when the Christmas decorations came out.



This toss pillow was my inspiration piece, and I pulled yarn colors to go with it.  I used Simply Soft yarn because we have a cat, and this yarn is pretty inexpensive and seems to hold up well when used.  It also doesn't have a dye lot and comes in a lot of colors, so I can buy some, start a project, and go back to the store for more if needed.



Here are a couple of other samples I made:


Here is my Diagonal Granny Stripe Afghan Tutorial:

I used Simply Soft Worsted weight yarn and an I hook.  Since this yarn has no dye lot, I start with one skein of each color and if needed I may buy a second skein.  

Chain 4 and join into a loop.



Chain 4 and turn.

Do three double crochets (double crochet cluster) in the loop.

Chain 1.  Double crochet into loop.   One diagonal row completed. I know it's a little hard to see it now, but stay with me.


Chain 4 and turn.


Do 3 double crochets in the same space.


Chain 1.  Do 3 double crochets in space.


Chain 1.  Double crochet in same space.  Row 2 completed.



Chain 4 and turn.  Continue making sure to put your double crochet cluster in the same space at the beginning and end of each row until we start to decrease.

NOTE:  This afghan will form a square, so when the length of one side measures what you want then begin to decrease.



I've done 10 rows increasing just for this tutorial.  Your afghan will be much larger.


Decrease:  Chain 4 and turn.



DO NOT put a cluster in that first space.  Put the double crochet cluster in the next space and continue across the row.



End the row by doing chain 1, double crochet in the last space.


Chain 4 and turn.  Again DO NOT put the double crochet in that first space.  Double crochet in the next space and continue across the row.



End the row with chain 1, double crochet in the last space.  Chain 4 and turn.



Keep going until you are back to the corner of the afghan.  You end by doing chain 4, double crochet in the middle space.  Chain 1, double crochet.  (I didn't get a photo of the last chain 1 DC, but you can see it in the next photo.)  Tie the yarn off.



Here is my sample square.  I think the afghan will need some kind of a border around the edge.  I haven't finished my afghan yet so I'm not sure what I'll use.



 Please send feedback or questions.  lakrug@comcast.net     Please include your email if you have a question.  I try to take lots of photos to help explain my directions so let me know if something isn't clear.

Thanks for stopping by for a visit!

I hope you are finding some time to stitch today!

Granny stripe as a temperature afghan?

Hello Dear Readers and Happy New Year!

It's been a long time since my last post.  Someone has posted a link to my blog somewhere, because I am getting a lot of reader comments and questions.  Thank you to whoever posted it.  Unfortunately, most of you are no reply bloggers, so I cannot reply personally to your questions.  I will go back through those comments and try to reply to you in the comment section later on.  If I'm trying to figure something out, I do read people's comments and questions so I should have been replying to your questions there all along.  

I'm getting a lot of questions about using my Granny Stripe Afghan pattern as a temperature afghan. I have seen several people pose the idea, but I haven't seen one of these afghans completed after a year.  This is a photo of my granny stripe afghan on my king sized bed.  It has 132 rows.  You can see how much it covers on a king sized bed.  Now imagine it with another 233 rows added to do one row each day for a year.  This afghan is pretty heavy as is.  I used an I hook with worsted weight yarn.  Someone wrote and asked about using an H hook, but that isn't going to make it that much smaller.

Here is a side view of the same blanket.  I could have made it a little longer to come up over the pillows, but to do 365 rows would make it huge.   That's just my opinion, but you sure are welcome to use my pattern if you want to.   If you go on Pinterest and search temperature afghan or temperature blanket, you will find a few photos.  One person did 4 narrow strips dividing the year into 3 month periods.  Then they joined those strips with black and crocheted around the outside of the entire blanket.  

I love this afghan, and I have another one started in Christmas colors.  The tutorial for my granny stripe afghan can be found here.   You can see the start of the Christmas granny stripe afghan here.

This is a diagonal granny stripe that I've started.  I did a sample piece and started to write a tutorial, but I left out a couple of photos of important steps.  So I'm starting over with another sample and won't let so much time go by before I post the pattern/tutorial.  I started this back in the fall, but may put this one aside and start with more spring colors.  As you can see, I love any kind of a granny afghan.

If you leave a comment, please leave your email address so that I can answer you.  Or you can email me privately at lakrug@comcast.net     

Thanks for stopping by for a visit!  

Hope you are finding some time to stitch today!

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