As any designer will tell you, sometimes you have to swatch, and swatches can be used to do many different things! Sometimes I swatch to test out a yarn, a stitch pattern, or a technique, and sometimes just to improve my knitting skills. Not all of them can be turned into a useful finished object but this swatch to practice different methods of picking up stitches can!
Yarn
Knit Picks Shine Sport (60% Pima cotton, 40% Modal; 110 yds [101 m]/50 gr): Black (MC) 1 ball, Sky (CC1) 1 ball, Harbor (CC2) 1 ball.
Needle/Hook
Size US 2 (2.75mm) needles, straight or 24″ (61cm) circulars
Or size needed to obtain gauge
Gauge
20 sts and 26 rows = 4″ [10cm] in St st
20 sts and 40 rows = 4″ [10cm] in garter st after blocking
Size
approx. 5” [12 cm] square
Notions
Tapestry needle
Abbreviations
See our standard abbreviations
Putk: pick up then knit (see Tutorial)
RH: right hand
Tutorials
Pick up then knit (for the CO or BO edge)
Pattern Notes
Piece is worked flat from the center out.
Only cut yarn when instructed to minimize ends.
PUTK: Please note there are 2 ways to putk sts, depending on whether the stitches are at the CO/BO edges or on the sides. Please look at the tutorials we’ve linked to above for more information.
Coaster Instructions
With MC CO 12 sts, using knitted or long tail CO.
MC Square
Note: in all sections, do not cut yarn after BO unless specified.
Row 1-24: Knit.
BO kwise, leaving the final st on the RH needle.
CC1 Sections
Section 1
Rotate work 90 degrees, with CC1, pick up then knit (for sides), pass first st on RH needle over this st, pick up then knit (for sides) 1 stitch for every 2 rows (each garter ridge); 12 sts.
*Rows 1-7: Knit.
BO kwise, leaving the final st on the RH needle.* BO kwise, leaving the final st on the RH needle.*
Section 2
Rotate work 90 degrees, with CC1 putk1, pass first st on RH needle over this st, putk3, putk into each CO st; 16 sts.
Rep from * to * in Section 1.
Section 3
Rotate work 90 degrees, with CC1 putk1, pass first st on RH needle over this st, putk3, putk for every 2 rows (each garter ridge); 16 sts.
Rep from * to * in Section 1.
Section 4
Rotate work 90 degrees, with CC1 putk1, pass first st on RH needle over this st, putk3, putk into each BO st; with MC, putk4; 20 sts.
*Row 1: With MC, k4; with CC1 k to end.
Row 2: With CC1, k to last 4 sts; with MC, k4.
Rep Rows [1 & 2] 2 more times then rep Row 1 once more (7 rows worked).Maintaining continuity of colors, BO all sts, leaving final MC st on the RH needle; cut CC1 leaving a long tail to weave in; do not cut MC.*
MC Middle Section
Section 5
Rotate work 90 degrees, with MC, putk1, pass first st on RH needle over this st, putk3, putk into each BO st, putk4 sts; 20 sts.
*Row 1:Knit.
BO kwise, leaving the final st on the RH needle.*
Sections 6 & 7
Rotate work 90 degrees, with MC, putk1, pass first st on RH needle over this stitch, putk into each BO st, putk4 sts; 21 sts.
Rep from * to * in Section 5.
Section 8
Rotate work 90 degrees, with MC, putk1, pass first st on RH needle over this st, putk into each BO st, putk1; 22 sts.
Rep from * to * in Section 5.
CC2 Sections
Section 9
Rotate work 90 degrees, with CC2, putk1, pass first st on RH needle over this st, putk st into each BO st; 22 sts.
Rep from * to * in CC1 Section 1.
Sections 10 & 11
Rotate work 90 degrees, with CC2, putk1, pass first st on RH needle over this st, putk3, putk into each BO st; 26 sts.
Rep from * to * in CC1 Section 1.
Section 12
Rotate work 90 degrees, with CC2 putk1, pass first st on RH needle over this st, putk3, putk into each BO st; with MC putk4; 30 sts.
Rep from * to * in CC1 Section 4.
MC Final Section
Rep [MC Middle Section] once, with 10 additional sts in each section.
Finishing
Cut MC, pull snugly through final st.
Weave in all ends. Wash and block to measurements.
About the Designer: Mary E. Rose
Mary learned to knit as a young child and it has had an impact on her life ever since. As a teen, when her friends were getting jobs at fast food restaurants, Mary worked at her LYS, where the hours and working conditions were much better.
As with many knitters, when she couldn’t find patterns for what she wanted to knit, she started designing her own.
She currently lives in Central Ohio with her three children, who also craft. She can be found on Ravelryand her blog, or with knitting needles in hand, guarding her stash.
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