Basic Mitred Square

by Linda

Mitred knitting, mitered knitting, modular knitting, domino knitting... Whatever you call it, you're looking at geometric shapes, usually squares or triangles, worked in the appropriate sequence and place, one after the other, joined via picked up stitches from a previous square(s) or whatever.

These look great in vareigated yarn! Sorry, just had to say that. :)

Here are instructions for a basic mitred garter stitch square in two colours - three ridges of one colour, two of the next, and so on. It's really 6 rows then 4 rows, but since this is done in garter stitch, it's easier to count the garter stitch ridges to see where you are in the pattern.

For my first sample, I used sport weight cotton yarn on 2.50 mm needles, to make a nice, firm fabric. The diamond turned out to be about 4 inches (10 cm) across the diagonal (from point to opposite point).

Basic Mitred Square in Garter Stitch - Two Colours

You'll work back and forth on two needles, and the square will begin to take shape once you're about half way through the decrease rounds. Okay, technically, it's a diamond, but if you turn it on one of its sides, it's a square.

With MC (main colour), cast on 40 sts.
Wrong side - Knit one row - 40 sts
Right side - Before continuing, make note of which side (to your left or to your right) your extra yarn from your cast on row is located. This will be different for each knitter depending on which cast on method you use. In my case, it's the left hand side. Now, every time you see your extra yarn on that side, you'll know you're ready to work a decrease row and won't have to inspect your knitting to try to figure it out. Now, K18, k2tog, k2tog, k18.
Knit across.
Knit 17, k2tog, k2tog, k17.
Knit across.
Switch to CC (contrasting colour), k16, (k2tog) twice, k16.
Knit across.
K15, (k2tog) twice, k15.
Knit across.
Switch back to MC, decreasing every right side row as established, work 6 rows (3 garter st ridges).
With CC, decreasing as before, work 4 rows (2 garter st ridges).
Work another MC stripe, then another CC stripe.
Switch back to MC again to finish off square, continuing decreases as before, until you have 4 sts remaining and are ready to work a right side (decrease) row.
K2tog twice - 2 sts remaining.
Wrong side - k2tog - 1 st remaining.
Right side - k1, then cut and pull your yarn end through to finish off only if this is your last or only square. Otherwise, this is the first st of those sts you'll pick up knitwise along the left hand side to make your next square, so don't knit that one last stitch, simply leave it on the needle. (See Joining a Second Mitred Square to see how to join a second square.)

Be sure to pay attention to what you're doing once you've decreased to four stitches left on the needle. The decreases from that point on are more frequent to avoid stretching the point into something less than a 90 degree angle (right angle).
If you're a dyed in the wool stitch counter, and you can't help doing that on every row, you'll notice the number of sts you knit before decreasing is equal to two less than the total number of sts in the previous row, divided by two.
Your square as knitted is really a diamond, and you have to keep this in mind if you intend to use it as such, rather than as a square. So if you plan yo use graph paper to design the layout for your finished item, you'll need to turn it on a 45 degree angle from the norm.

A Chart:

Once you've grasped the concept of this mitred square, you'll probably find a little chart is better to keep track of how many sts to work before your k2tog's on the decrease rows. You could always use a stitch marker of some sort exactly halfway across the row instead, but this can open up that area a bit too much.

Work this chart from the bottom up.

MC - 0 (work 2 k2tog's only)
MC - 1
MC - 2
MC - 3
MC - 4
CC - 5
CC - 6
MC - 7
MC - 8
MC - 9
CC - 10
CC - 11
MC - 12
MC - 13
MC - 14
CC - 15
CC - 16
MC - 17
MC - 18 sts before k2tog's

As you've probably already figured out, it's easy to make these things. I made a 9 square patch of them in 3 different stripe patterns to see which I liked best. I was going to use it as a dishcloth, but decided to take it apart if I need it for another project.
The more difficult part is determining the layout and order of construction of these squares in order to form the complete item with as few ends to work in as possible. I'm still working on it as I go, for a cardigan which might become a vest instead. :)
For your first project, you could try making a dish cloth or wash cloth, on a larger number of stitches of course. :)
To learn lots more about possibilities with this type of knitting, check out Domino Knitting by Vivian Hoxbro.

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