STASH-BUSTING DIAGONAL WASHCLOTH AFGHAN
By Glenna Stansifer
(sierraspun
at cebridge.net)
MATERIALS: Yarns of your choice. They should be similar in gauge, although even this isn’t an absolute requirement. I have made this afghan in all acrylic knitting worsted weight, and in various yarns of compatible colors in my stash. This pattern is very suitable for variegated and hand-painted yarns. Knitter’s choice!
Knitting needles to make a fabric to please you. Try some different needles with the yarns you’ve chosen to see which works best for you. Again, this is Knitter’s choice.
GAUGE: Not important for this pattern.
PATTERN STITCH: 1) Garter Stitch: Knit every row
2) Garter Stitch Windows: Using two colors, work as follows:
Odd number of stitches.
Rows 1 & 2: Color A, knit.
Row 3 (Right side): Color B, knit one stitch, slip next stitch, holding yarn in back, as if to purl, continue in this manner, ending the row with knit one.
Row 4: Color B, knit one stitch, slip next stitch, holding yarn in front, as if to purl, continue in this manner, ending the row with knit one.
Rows 5 & 6: Color A, knit.
BODY OF AFGHAN: Beginning (Increasing)
Cast on 3 stitches. Work in Garter Stitch as follows:
Knit 2, Make 1*, knit to end of row. Continue in this manner, increasing one stitch each row, changing yarns where you feel like it, and adding single repeats of Garter Stitch Windows in a random manner. Work until one side of the resulting triangle is as wide as you want the afghan to be.
DECISION TIME: Will it be a square afghan, or a rectangular one? If you want a square, all you have to do is begin working the ENDING (Decreasing) portion as follows:
Knit 2, knit 2 together, knit across. Continue in this manner until you have 4 stitches remaining. Knit 2 together twice, turn, knit 2 together, finish off.
For a rectangular afghan, you will work a MIDDLE (Maintaining) portion until the side is as long as you want the rectangle to be, as follows:
Row 1: Knit 2, make 1, knit to end of row.
Row 2: Knit 2, knit 2 together, knit to end of row. Repeat these two rows until this portion is as long as you want the long side to be, then begin the Decreasing portion to finish.
FINISHING: Work in all ends. The garter stitch pattern makes a finishing border unnecessary. However, you can also apply a knitted-on edging. The simple garter stitch used in the example is worked thus:
APPLIED GARTER STITCH:
Pick up one stitch at each garter stitch ridge (“bump”) at the edge of the afghan. You do not need to pick up all the stitches around the afghan at one time, just enough to fill up your needle. When you run out of body stitches on the left-hand needle, just pick up some more.
Cast on about an inch’s worth of stitches (determined by measuring the body of the afghan), and, using the other end of the needle, or a second needle, knit to the last cast-on stitch and knit it together with the picked-up stitch on the first needle. Turn work, and slip the stitch just worked, knit to end of row.
Continue in this manner along the straight side of the work. When you reach the corner, work a MITER**: on the edge stitches and beginning at the outside, knit to the stitch before the last edge stitch (in other words, if your edge is 6 stitches wide, work 5 stitches), turn, work to edge, turn, work to stitch before the last stitch worked in the row before, turn, continue in this manner until one stitch from the edge. Turn and begin picking up stitches not worked in previous rows until you are back to the original number and continue along the straight edge as before. Bind off and sew straight edge together.
NOTES:
*Make 1 by lifting the thread between the stitch just made and the next one with the point of the left-hand needle and knitting into the back of the resulting loop. This increases the stitch count by one.
**Miter Row by Row, assuming a 6-stitch edge, and beginning at outer edge:
Row 1: Knit 5, turn.
Row 2: Knit 5, turn (besides the body of the afghan, there will be 1 stitch from the edging on the left-hand needle)
Row 3: Knit 4, turn.
Row 4: Knit 4, turn.
Row 5: Knit 3, turn.
Row 6: Knit 3, turn.
Row 7: Knit 2, turn.
Row 8: Knit 2, turn.
Row 9: Knit 1, turn.
Row 10: Knit 1, turn.
Row 11: Knit 2, turn.
Row 12: Knit 2, turn.
Row 13: Knit 3, turn.
Row 14: Knit 3, turn.
Row 15: Knit 4, turn.
Row 16: Knit 4, turn.
Row 17: Knit 5, turn.
Row 18: Knit 5, turn.
You should now be at the edge again, and ready to continue applying the garter stitch edging to the next straight side. Continue to pick up from the garter stitch ridges.
Options: There are many options. Just for example, you can use lace stitches in the body and/or edging of the afghan. If you use a Knit 2, yarn-over, knit to end of row, increase, the need for an edging is practically eliminated. The pattern is suitable for many yarns, and the variations are practically endless. I’d be very interested in seeing what you do with it, so let me know if you make it. Also, please let me know of any inaccuracies in the pattern. As we all know, it’s much easier to knit ‘em than to write up the pattern.
