More than twenty years ago in the book Step by Step to Better Knitting and Crochet (ed. by Dorothea Hall / Cavendish Books, London 1980) I came across a Loose and Chunky Jacket that used knitted squares for its construction; squares that started in a corner with stockingette stitch, increased to the center, then reversed stockingette stitch as it went into the decrease – illustrated here by a square knit with linen yarn and intended to be one half of a string bag.
I was captivated by the squares, by the technique, by the look of the chunky jacket ; I modified the pattern and made a vest from Cowichan wool – shown here. Over the years I have made many items from such squares – dishcloths and washcloths, of course – pillow covers, sachets, towels.
Arrival of a grandbaby, and the remembering of how newly-arrived-in-the-world little people like to be cosily wrapped, led to this swaddling coat which is made of six squares; the tops and bottoms are joined with a long running stitch so the garment can be ‘shortened’ into a sweater; the sleeves were joined likewise and they can be removed to turn it into a vest. I find the sleeves a bit too narrow and would adjust the size of the square accordingly.
This jacket is made from four of the squares in a looser gauge; when the sleeves roll back the contrasting stitch shows.
I have called this a Yin Yang square. It it done on four rows: CO 3 sts. R1 Inc 1 st in first st, knit to end. R2 Inc 1 st in first st, purl to end. R3 Inc 1 st in first st, knit to last st., inc 1 st in last st. R4 Inc 1 st in first st. purl to last st., inc 1 st in last st.
(6 st increase on the four rows).
Continue increasing until 45 sts on needle. Repeat rows 1 and 2. (47 sts). Begin decrease: P2 tog, purl to end./ K2tog, knit to end./ P2tog, purl to last 2 sts, P2tog./ K2tog, knit to last 2 sts. K2tog/ Continue until 3 sts. remain. Cast off.
There is something satisfying about this square: the starting with three stitches, increasing to a center point, making one change in a row so that the rest flows in reverse. There’s something pleasing about completing the unit in a focusable period of time. There’s something lovely about the simplicity. There’s something empowering about the building block aspect of the – well, building block. There’s something challenging about knowing that there is (likely?!) a way to figure out the size of the resultant squares so that one could be less happenstance in the sizing for garments: there is something soothing in accepting whatever occurs.
It has been said that Knitting is more than the sum of its parts. To me this is a perfect example.