If your new year's resolution is to take up knitting, these mini knitting block patterns are a perfect way to get started and develop your skills.
Blocks are just perfect for our modern lifestyle; they can be as quick or slow to knit as you like. Some basic blocks will take minutes, others are more challenging, but all are perfect for doing while sitting in front of the television, listening to music, or while on vacation. Some of the squares—particularly the Fair Isle and Intarsia—are like miniature stand-alone projects. If you don’t want to make anything in particular with them, try framing them; after all, they are pieces of art. If the blocks inspire you to create your own patchwork, try using the same square in different colour combinations or make a variety of different stitches and techniques and join them together.
Traditionally blocks were made to use up spare yarn, and each of the designs uses only around 1oz (28g) of yarn. The size of each block is based on a 6in. (15cm) square, but will vary according to your gauge (tension) so you can adjust this until you achieve the size square that you need.
Basic Squares
Blanket check
A lovely textured check that is knitted in just one color makes a very subtle and interesting design.
materials
Rooster Almerino DK, shade 210 Custard
Needle size: US 6 (4mm)
instructions
Cast on 30 sts.
Row 1 *[K1, p1] twice, k6; rep from * to end.
Row 2 *K5, [p1, k1] twice, p1; rep from * to end.
Rows 3, 5 As Row 1.
Rows 4, 6 As Row 2.
Row 7 *K6, [p1, k1] twice; rep from * to end.
Row 8 *[P1, k1] twice, p1, k5; rep from * to end.
Rows 9, 11 As Row 7.
Rows 10, 12 As Row 8.
Rep these twelve rows until work measures 6in. (15cm).
Bind (cast) off.
Horizontally ridged
This is a square that forms very neat, small, horizontal stripes.
materials
Rooster Almerino DK, shade 203 Strawberry Cream
Needle size: US 6 (4mm)
instructions
Cast on 32 sts.
Row 1 (right side) Knit.
Row 2 Purl.
Rep these two rows once more.
Rows 5–10 Purl.
Rep these ten rows until work measures 51⁄2in. (14cm). Rep Rows
1–4 once more.
Bind (cast) off.
Planting seeds
The little holes in this square resemble the regular series of openings in trays for planting seeds.
materials
Rooster Almerino DK, shade 210 Custard
Needle size: US 6 (4mm)
instructions
Cast on 32 sts.
Row 1 Knit.
Row 2 Purl.
Row 3 K2tog across row.
Row 4 *K1, pick up loop before next st and knit; rep from *
to end.
Rep these four rows until work measures 6in. (15cm).
Bind (cast) off.
Cables
cable and rib
A little twisted cable alongside ribbing stitches gives a very professional look.
materials
Debbie Bliss, Rialto DK, shade 02 Off White
Needle size: US 6 (4mm)
Cable needle
special abbreviations
C4B (cable 4 back)—slip next 2 sts onto a cable needle and hold at back of work, knit next 2 sts from left hand needle, then knit sts from cable needle
K1B—knit into back of st on right side rows
P1B—purl into back of st on wrong side rows
instructions
Cast on 32 sts.
Row 1 (right side) P2, K1B, p2, *k4, p2, K1B, p2; rep from *
to end.
Row 2 K2, P1B, k2, *p4, k2, P1B, k2; rep from * to end.
Row 3 P2, K1B, p2, *C4B, p2, K1B, p2; rep from * to end.
Row 4 As Row 2.
Rep these four rows until work measures 6in. (15cm).
Bind (cast) off.
Lace
butterfly lace
If you turn this square upside down as shown here, the eyelets form the shapes of fluttering butterflies.
materials
Rooster Almerino DK, shade 210 Custard
Needle size: US 6 (4mm)
instructions
Cast on 37 sts.
Row 1 (right side) Knit.
Row 2 and every alt row Purl.
Row 3 K4, yo, skpo, k1, k2tog, yo, *k7, yo, skpo, k1, k2tog, yo;
rep from * to last 4 sts, k4.
Row 5 K5, yo, sl 1, k2tog, psso, yo, *k9, yo, sl 1, k2tog, psso, yo;
rep from * to last 5 sts, k5.
Row 7 Knit.
Row 9 K1, *k2tog, yo, k7, yo, skpo, k1; rep from * to end.
Row 11 K2tog, yo, k9, *yo, sl 1, k2tog, psso, yo, k9; rep from * to
last 2 sts, yo, skpo.
Row 12 Purl.
Rep these twelve rows until work until measures 6in. (15cm).
Bind (cast) off.
Stripes & colour
two-row stripe
Great nautical colors in a summer cotton, but these simple stripes would look great in any combination of colors.
materials
Debbie Bliss Cotton DK, shade 39 Mid Blue (A) and shade 02
Cream (B)
Needle size: US 6 (4mm)
instructions
Cast on 32 sts using A.
Using in stockinette (stocking) stitch throughout, work 2 rows in A,
change to B, work 2 rows in B.
Cont in this way changing color in the same sequence every two rows for a total of 44 rows or until work measures 6in. (15cm).
Bind (cast) off.
For more projects and patterns ideal for learning to knit, check out 201 Knitting Motifs, Blocks, Projects and Ideas by Nicki Trench.