Knitting a modular squares blanket with Deluxe Stripes

I’m so excited to introduce the Trodden Parquet Blanket, a warm covering knit with join-as-you-go modular squares using one of the textured stitches I taught you yesterday. For this sample, I used the Timber colorway of Universal Yarn Deluxe Stripes because I liked the interplay between the textures and the varied directionality of the stripes.

By using two easy joining techniques, this blanket is built out of join-as-you-go squares.

This blanket can be knit into either a large square or a rectangle, simply by how you arrange the blocks. The blanket is worked from corner to corner, and the width of the Deluxe Stripes colors at the block size I chose lends to each color appear once per block, most of the time. This can be modified simply by casting on a larger even number of stitches and working more rows per square.

The ridges you see pictured above pop out on the right-side of the blanket and in the picture below, you can see that there are no crisp borders between the squares. This is achieved by conscientiously picking up the stitches either knit- or purl-wise and working the join-as-you-go technique likewise.

This isn’t a reversible stitch pattern, but both sides are charming.

The Pattern

Stitch Guide

Garter Stitch with edging sts: Sl first st purlwise with yarn in back, knit across.

Canal Stitch: Worked over a multiple of 2 stitches, plus 1 on either end for the edge st.

Row 1 (WS): Sl 1, [k1, sl 1 knitwise with yarn in back] across to last st, k1.

Row 2: Sl 1, [knit into the back loop of the first st and leave on LH needle, yarn forward, knit together the same stitch with the next through the back loops (the yarn forward creates an extra strand across the sts), sliding both off the needle] across to last st, k1.

Row 3: Sl 1, [k2tog (the yo together with the first st), p1] across to last st, k1.

Row 4: Sl 1, [k1, p1] across to last st, k1.

Gauge isn’t important for this project, but I had a stitch gauge of 20 sts per 4 inches on size US7 [4.5mm] needles. You’ll also need a spare double-pointed needle in the same size as your main needles and stitch holders, or scrap yarn to act as stitch holders

Block 1

Cast on 30 stitches.

Rows 1-24: Repeat Canal Stitch Rows 1-4 six times.

Rows 25-59: Work Garter Stitch with edging sts.

Block 2

Do not cut yarn.

Cable-cast on 30 stitches.

Next Row: Work Row 2 of Canal Stitch but instead of ending with a k1, work a SSK with 30st together with next st from Block One. Turn work, leaving rem sts in waiting.

Next Row: Work Row 3 of Canal Stitch.

Next Row: Work Row 4 of Canal Stitch, but work a SSK in last st and next st from previous block.

Next Row: Work Row 1 of Canal Stitch.

Work last 4 rows 5 times more.

Then work in Garter stitch joining with SSK as established until the last st of the previous block is work at the end of a RS row. Do not turn.

Block 3

Pick up and purl 30 sts evenly across edge of Block 1 with RS facing.

Work 12 rows of Canal Stitch and 35 rows of Garter st. Do not bind off nor cut yarn.

Block 4

Cable-cast on 30 stitches.

Work Canal stitch, but to join the last st of every WS row, work a P2tog with next st of previous block; turn, and sl first st knitwise with yarn in back before working next RS row.

Work Canal stitch for a total of 24 rows. Then work Garter stitch, also working a P2tog to join in previous block.
When the last st has been joined at the end of a WS row, place these last 30 sts on a stitch holder.

Block 5

Pick up and knit 30 sts evenly across edge of Block 3 with WS facing. Return 30 sts from Block 2 to a spare needle.

Next Row: Work Row 2 of Canal Stitch but sl first st knitwise with yarn in back.

Next Row: Work Row 3 of Canal Stitch, ending with a P2tog to join.

Next Row: Work Row 4 of Canal Stitch, but sl first st knitwise with yarn in back.

Next Row: Work Row 1 of Canal Stitch, ending with a P2tog to join.

Repeat the last 4 rows 5 more times; then switch to garter stitch ending WS rows with P2tog to join, till the last st is from Block 2 is joined. Place 30 sts on a holder.

Block 6

Pick up and knit 30 sts evenly across edge of Block 2 with WS facing.

Next Row: Work Row 2 of Canal Stitch

Next Row: Work Row 3 of Canal Stitch

Next Row: Work Row 4 of Canal Stitch

Next Row: Work Row 1 of Canal Stitch.

Change to Garter stitch for the next 36 rows.

Note: If you are planning on making this blanket wider (see diagrams below), you’ll need to end on a WS row (35^th row) so that you can cast-on 30 stitches and continue to build on a diagonal sequence of blocks.

Block 7

Pick up and purl 30 sts from previous block with RS facing; return stitches on nearest holder to spare needle.

Work 24 Rows of pattern stitch and 35 rows of Garter Stitch joining to Block 5 as established (using SSK).

Block 8

Work as for Block Seven, but work one additional row, to make it possible to set up the cast-on for Block 9.

Note: If you are planning on making this blanket longer (see diagrams below), you’ll need to end without the additional row to make it possible to cast on from Block Nine.

Block 9

Repeat Block 5. Bind off all sts.

Start with a smaller baby blanket until you’ve got the technique down pat.

If you’d like to make a rectangular shape, you simply need to decrease by one block on one side of the blanket and increase by one block on the other edge. Then you increase by one block on the same diagonal edge before returning across in diagonal “rows” but end one block earlier on the opposite side.

2 other variations of the blank are shown here in diagrams (not to scale)

If you modify the final blanket by adding more motifs to create a rectangle, or many more to create a larger square, simply follow the rules. In Block 1, place a locking stitch marker to indicate which side of the blanket is the right side, as you’ll need to refer to that when adhering to the rules.

Rule 1: On WS blocks, when picking up sts along a block, pick up and knit.

Rule 2: On RS blocks, when picking up sts along a block, pick up and purl.

Rule 3: The first row knit after casting on or picking up stitches should a either a Row 1 or Row 2 of the Canal stitch depending on whether you are on the RS or WS of the blanket; check the locking stitch marker as a reference.

Rule 4: To join to the adjacent block on RS rows, use a SSK, turn, sl first st purlwise, proceed. To join to the adjacent block on WS rows, use a P2tog, turn, sl first st knitwise, proceed.

Rule 5: The block will have a total of either 59 or 60 rows depending on where you need to be for the set-up of the next row without cutting the yarn.

This 9 x 9 motif square blanket is 36” x 36”, a perfect lovey blankie.

I hope that you try knitting this blanket with Universal Yarn Deluxe Stripes or perhaps some of the other enjoyable knitting projects I shared on Tuesday’s post. Tomorrow, I’ll share the pattern for a garment I designed using a home-made waffle stitch pattern. Join me!

This is part 4 of 5 in this series

Go back to part 3: 2 extraordinary knit stitch patterns enhance Deluxe Stripes yarn

Go to part 5: Deluxe Stripes meets the Waffle Stitch in this cozy pullover

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