The Order of the Squares

Now that you have finished your first two squares, you should see that you knit the squares in columns where the next square is done on top of the previous square. You pick up the stitches of one edge and cast on additional stitches for the other edge. The first picture shows you the first three squares of my afghan.

Now you will need to do a column of 8 squares. Every square involves casting on stitches in the first column. This is only true for the first column! It gets easier!





In all the remaining columns, you only need to cast on stitches for the FIRST square. All the rest are done by picking up stitches. This second picture shows you the knitting order of the squares in my afghan. I will give you directions for square #9 in my next post.

Square #2

The first photo shows you the top of the mitered square, which is where you ended up on the last post.

I told you to put the yarn through the last stitch, but if I am going to start the next square, I usually just leave the stitch on the needle and begin the next square.

You need 45 stitches to start the next square. For the first column of the afghan, you will be picking up 22 stitches along the top of the last square knit and then casting on 23 stitches. Once you have done this, you follow the directions for the first square! It is as easy as that.

So, the last stitch of the previous square becomes the first stitch of the next square. With the new color for the next square, pick up 22 stitches along the top of the square. You can pick these stitches up between the garter stitch ridges as shown in the pictures. Counting the first stitch, you will pick up 22 stitches. Now cast on 23 additional stitches. You are ready for the first row of the mitered square which is knit 22, purl 1, knit 22. Follow the directions and complete your second square.

The First Square

Here are the directions for the first mitered square. The first knit row is the wrong side of the piece. Even rows are the right side of the piece. The 4 pictures show you how to do the double decrease that is at the center of the square. It is the part of the directions that are between the asterisks.

Cast on 45 stitches.

1. Knit 22 stitches, purl 1 stitch, knit 22 stitches.



2. Knit 21 stitches, *put your needle in the front of the next two stitches and slip to the right hand needle. Knit the next stitch and pass the two slipped stitches over the knit stitch.* Knit 21 stitches.



3. Knit 21 stitches, purl 1 stitch, knit 21 stitches



4. Knit 20 stitches, repeat the step between the asterisks in step 2, knit 20 stitches.



5. Knit 20 stitches, purl 1 stitch, knit 20 stitches.



6. Knit 19 stitches, repeat the step between the asterisks in Step 2, knit 19 stitches.

Can you see the pattern? On the right side, you always have one less stitch on each side of the knit ridge stitch. You are decreasing 2 stitches on every right side row. Continue until you have only 3 stitches and you are on the right side. To end, just repeat the decrease between the asterisks, cut the yarn and pull it through the loop. Your first square is finished!

Project for Afghans for Afghans

This blog is dedicated to my mother, Vallanee Hayes. She gave me a life long interest in knitting. I wasn't the only one. All of my siblings (there are six!) are interested in fiber related crafts.

When she passed away in January of 2007, my sister, Heidi, suggested that we knit together in her honor. Heidi had knit for an organization that sends knits to children in Afghanistan, Afghans for Afghans. I'm starting this blog with a project that I started for the fall 2008 campaign: An afghan that is at least 45" square.

The picture shows my project in progress. I am going to give you step by step directions. This afghan is knit one square at a time. Each square is knit by picking up stitches from the previous square(s). It is a great project for using up scraps. It is also a great pick up project because the square knitting is always the same.

I'm knitting with knitting worsted weight wool yarn. The Afghans for Afghans project requires only wool yarns. You will need to have your yarns be of similar size so your gauge does not change. I've used mostly Patons, Plymouth and Brown Sheep wools in my project.

I am using #7 needles. Beautiful Signature needles with stilleto points. These are fabulous needles made in Wisconsin. (My father, Stanley, saw an article about this company and then purchased the #7 needles for birthday presents in 2007 for all of his knitting girls. This year, he gave us #6. What a wonderful thoughtful present! Thanks DAD!) You pick up stitches to start new squares and the stilleto points make this so very easy.

You need a small amount of yarn to make a single square. I am getting about 6-8 squares from a 100 gram ball. My initial square wasn't so square. It was 5" x 5.25", so I did a column of 8 squares and plan on 9 of these columns for a total of 72 squares. I will put some kind of edging on, but that decision will be made later.

Get out you needles and let's get started! The next post will tell you how to make your first square.