Happy New Year!

Hello fellow knitters and welcome to the first installment to this year's Year of Swatches! Each month's patterns will be posted on (or around) the first of each month. There will be three patterns for each month; beginner, easy and intermediate. Take a look at each pattern, they will be similar in technique and pick the one that suits you best. Even if you like a more advanced pattern, give it a shot! This is designed to inspire you to try new and maybe even challenging things!

This month's patterns are knit purl patterns, meaning that the design comes from a series of knits and purls rather than from a technique. With each pattern I am assuming you can cast-on (I prefer long tail), knit, purl, and bind-off. If you are still learning, or need a refresher, here are some links to help you get started. If you can't find something here you can always ''google'' the topic or search it on "youtube."

Casting-On
Knit Stitch
Purl Stitch
Binding-Off

If you have any questions, please leave a comment on the blog post. That way, if there are others with the same or similar questions, we can all help each other by looking there first. If your questions are more personal you may email me at yearofswatches@gmail.com and I will try to get back to you as soon as possible! Also remember if you are a member of By the Book Knitters (meets the third Tuesday of each month at the Richland Public Library at 6pm) the first 30 minutes of each meeting will be devoted to helping those who have had challenges with the patterns, or knitting in general. If you have finished your swatch by the meeting time, bring it and I'll take a picture and share it on the world wide web (ie this blog)!

One last piece of ''business'' and then we can get on to the fun part! By the Book Knitters is not only a knitting group, we are a book group as well. I have been asked to share the book titles for 2011 on here too. At the end of this post there will be a full list of the books for the year, but I will also put up a reminder each month of the book we are currently reading (January's book is Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austen).

Now for the knitting!

BEGINNER: Garter Stitch Square


Cast on 45 stitches

Border Rows 1-5: K1, P1 across row (these first five rows will create what is known as a seed stitch border)

Row 6: (K1, P1, K1, P1, K1) knit to last 5 stitches (K1, P1, K1, P1, K1)

Repeat Row 6 until square measures 9 inches from cast on edge (approx 64 rows).

Repeat Border Rows 1-5 to finish border.

Bind off (try to do this loosely so your edge isn't too tight).


EASY: Garter Steps

Cast on 45 stitches

Border Rows 1-5: K1, P1 across row (these first five rows will create what is known as a seed stitch border).

Pattern:
Row 1 and all right side rows (1, 3, 5, etc): Knit

Row 2 and 4: (K1, P1, K1, P1, K1) *K4, P4* repeat from * to last 8 stitches K3 (K1, P1, K1, P1, K1)

Row 6 and 8: (K1, P1, K1, P1, K1) K2 *P4, K4* repeat from * to last 6 stitches, P1 (K1, P1, K1, P1, K1)

Row 10 and 12: (K1, P1, K1, P1, K1) *P4, K4* repeat from * to last 8 stitches, P3 (K1, P1, K1, P1, K1)

Row 14 and 16: (K1, P1, K1, P1, K1) P2 *K4, P4* repeat from * to last 6 stitches, K1 (K1, P1, K1, P1, K1)

Repeat these 16 rows until square measures 9 inches from cast on edge (approx 64 rows).

Repeat Border Rows 1-5

Bind off (try to do this loosely so your edge isn't too tight).


INTERMEDIATE: Diamond Pattern


Cast on 43 stitches

Border Rows 1-5: K1, P1 across row (these first five rows will create what is known as a seed stitch border).

Pattern:
Row 1 (rs): (K1, P1, K1, P1, K1) P1 *K7, P1* repeat from * to last 5 stitches (K1, P1, K1, P1, K1)

Row 2: (K1, P1, K1, P1, K1) K2, P5 *K3, P5* repeat from * to last 7 stitches K2 (K1, P1, K1, P1, K1)

Row 3: (K1, P1, K1, P1, K1) K1 *P2, K3, P2, K1* repeat from * to last 5 stitches (K1, P1, K1, P1, K1)

Row 4: (K1, P1, K1, P1, K1) P2, K2, P1, K2 *P3, K2, P1, K2* repeat from * to last 7 stitches P2 (K1,P1, K1, P1, K1)

Row 5: (K1, P1, K1, P1, K1) K3, P3 *K5, P3* repeat from * to last 8 stitches K3 (K1, P1, K1, P1, K1)

Row 6: (K1, P1, K1, P1, K1) P4, K1 *P7, K1* repeat from * to last 9 stitches P4 (K1, P1, K1, P1, K1)

Row 7: Repeat Row 5

Row 8: Repeat Row 4

Row 9: Repeat Row 3

Row 10: Repeat Row 2

Repeat rows 1-10 until square measures approx 9 inches from cast on edge (approx 64 rows)

Repeat border rows 1-5

Bind off (try to do this loosely so your edge isn't too tight).

Book List
January- Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austen
February- Falling Leaves by Adeline Mah
March- Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie by C. Alan Bradley
April- The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Society by Mary Ann Shaffer
May- Mennonite in a Little Black Dress by Rhoda Janzen
June- Shanghai Girls by Lisa See
July- Half Broke Horses by Jeannette Walls
August- The Day the World Came to Town by Jim deFede
September- The Book Thief by Markus Zusak
October- Richland Reads! or Cutting for Stone by Abraham Verghese
November- Sweater Quest: My Year of Knitting Dangerously by Adrienne Martini
December- A Tree Grows in Brooklyn by Betty Smith