Furballs' Little Corner: Furballs' Little Diamond Handkerchief

I am starting out a series of blogs dedicated to simple knitting by introducing some common / well known stitch patterns.  They might be simple but totally beautiful.  Furballs and I will published those patterns, with minor add-on(s), as charity patterns. 

Furballs' Little Diamond Handkerchief is the second charity pattern this year (2019) and the fourth in the Furballs' Handkerchief Collection.  The piece is good as coaster, cosmetic scrubby or afghan block.

This time, we are going to feature seed diamond brocade pattern in Furballs' Little Diamond Handkerchief.  On a piece of stockinette fabric, purl stitches are added along each row to make up the visible diamond shape.  The purl stitches also break down the pull of the stockinette stitches, and therefore you will not see the common side edge curling in stockinette fabric.  The more purl stitches (as in Furballs' Cubic Zirconia) or other type of stitch patterns (as in Furballs' Zircon), you incorporated in the rows, the less edge curling you will encounter (obviously there is a limitation to that without obscuring the "diamonds" :p)



Furballs' Cubic zirconia

 

You will find that the seed diamond brocade pattern is usually a 8n + 1 repeat (where n could be even or odd whole number), but it could be (even whole number) x n + 1 repeat with the even number starting at 4. This pattern is suitable for intermediate beginners and up practicing on knit and purl stitches.  Also this small piece will give the opportunity to try out long tail cast on and slip stitch selvedge. 

Furballs' Zircon

Long tail cast on is a very versatile cast on.  It forms a strong and sturdy base stitches for the rest of the fabric to build on.  And why it is strong and sturdy comparing to other cast ons'?  It is because this cast on has an inherited purl row when you working on the cast on, such that in the old time, it was regarded as the first row.  So in some vintage patterns, after long tail cast on, it will jump directly to Row 2.  This cast on will take some time to perfect it, but it is all about muscle memory, the more you use it, the easier it will be.  Also this will form the bases to start out learning the German twisted cast on.  Long tail cast on always has its cast on tail on the right end for Row 1 in modern pattern, so one can use the tail to tell between the odd and even number rows.  Although I do not have any how-to written instruction on long tail cast on, you will find plenty of videos on YouTube teaching this technique

Selvedge is a way to keep the side edge neat and tidy.  There are many ways to do it, and one of the most common selvedge is slip stitch selvedge (you can also check out Remembrance Day 2018 charity pattern for another example of selvedge).  The slipped stitch will tighten up the edge (comparing you will either knit or purl to go up one row using more yarn).  It provides the loops / stitches to for easy sewing since the slipped stitch along the edge will be easy identified.  Also it will make it easy to do pick up and knit (as in modular knitting, entrelac, etc.)

Have fun knitting this little coaster.  With this winter getting wet and cold in the northern hemisphere, please remember to give generously to your local cat / animal shelters (to keep the stray animals warm and out of the elements) when you use this pattern in whole or in part in your project. Furballs and I thanks you in advance :)

Happy Knitting :D

Charity Pattern 2019/2

Furballs' Little Diamond Handkerchief

Materials

Yarn, worsted weight, non mercerized 100% cotton (0.3 oz. / 9.9 g, 15.8 yd. / 14.5 m) OR acrylic (0.3 oz. / 8.8 g, 14.7 yd. / (13.4 m)

Knitting needles, straight, circular or double point, size 3.50 mm / US 4, one (1) pair

Scissors and yarn needle

Gauge (Pre block, stockinette stitch in situ)

4" x 4" / 10 cm x 10 cm          20 sts x 40 rows (cotton and acrylic)

Measurement (Pre block)

Length x Width          4" x  4" / 10 cm x 10 cm (cotton and acrylic)

Abbreviations

CO       Cast on

k          Knit

p          Purl

ppso    Pass previous stitch over

psso    Pass slipped stitch over

RS        Right side

sl1       Slip one (1) stitch purlwise with yarn in front

st(s)     Stitch(es)

WS      Wrong side

Specialty stitch: Slip one (1) stitch purlwise / part of selvedge (sl1)
Working on both RS or WS,
Step 1    With the first stitch on the left (holding) needle, use the right (working) needle and slip the stitch purlwise holding the yarn in front of the right needle
Step 2    To knit the next stitch,  bring the yarn to the back through the left side of the slipped stitch.  To purl the next stitch, leave the yarn in front
Continue to knit according to pattern
 

Using 3.50 mm knitting needle, CO 19 sts using long tail cast on

Follow the written knitting instruction below
Row 1 (RS)  sl1, (p1, k3) x 4, p1, k1
Row 2 (WS)  sl1, p1, (k1, p5, k1, p1) x 2, k1
Row 3  sl1, k2, (p1, k3) x 4
Row 4  sl1, p3, (k1, p1, k1), p5, (k1, p1, k1), p3, k1
Row 5  sl1, (p1, k3) x 4, p1, k1
Row 6  sl1, p3, (k1, p1, k1), p5, (k1, p1, k1), p3, k1
Row 7  sl1, k2, (p1, k3) x 4
Row 8  sl1, p1, k1, (p5, k1, p1, k1) x 2
Rows 9 - 32  Repeat Rows 1 - 8 three (3) more times
Row 33  Repeat Row 1
Row 34  sl1, p1, psso, (p1, ppso) to the last st, k1, ppso

Cut yarn leaving 6" / 15 cm tail
Pull yarn tail through the stitch to secure
Weave in all loose end(s)
Blocking optional