Modular Knitting with Mitered Squares

Does anyone remember the modular mitered square knitting craze a few years ago? It was great for using up odd bits of yarn. This turquoise sweater was knitted mainly from a beloved but very worn sweater that I knitted from Tahki Donegal Tweed yarn when I was in grad school. The sweater had lost its shape and the yarn was becoming faded and brittle around the neck and cuffs, so I unraveled it and reknitted it into this sweater, along with bits of my stash.

Here’s a view of the back:

This purple vest has a similar origin. I had knitted a short-sleeve sweater around the same time, back at Harvard, and it was getting a bit worn. Also, the sleeves were a bit shorter than I liked, since I wasn’t religious in those days. I unraveled the yarn and it sat in balls in my closet for years, until a friend gave me a variegated yarn purple, blue and green yarn. This variegated yarn had a matte finish, in contrast to the mercerized cotton of my purple sweater. I used a repeating heart-shaped module for the front and back.

I noticed recently that I have very few photographs of all the things I’ve knitted over the years, so I’m slowly trying to record these things.

If you’re interested in learning the basics of modular knitting, Vivian Hoxbro’s Domino Knittingis an excellent, clearly written guide.

For eye candy, check out Horst Schulz’s books:

• Patchwork Knitting (This one seems to be only available from used booksellers)
• New Patchwork Knitting Fashion for Children
• Das neue Stricken. Pullover – Jacken – Westen.

There are a few newer books. I haven’t read them, so I can’t vouch for their contents but they look interesting!

• Modular Knits: New Techniques for Today’s Knitters
• Woolly Thoughts: Unlock Your Creative Genius with Modular Knitting (Dover Knitting, Crochet, Tatting, Lace)
• Knits from a Painter’s Palette: Modular Masterpieces in Handpainted Yarns
• Module Magic: Creative Projects to Knit One Block at a Time

I found a few sites with patterns:

http://blog.nobleknits.com/2009/04/two-mitered-square-knitting-projects.html

http://atelier918.typepad.com/portableknitting/2006/04/mitered_square_.html

http://www.knittingdaily.com/blogs/daily/archive/2010/06/23/modular-knitting.aspx

and a video with Eunnu Jang:

That should be enough to get you started!

Tomorrow I’ll be literally off my feet for a while. I’m having surgery on my right foot, the same one that was operated on a year ago for a bunion. This time I’m having the pins and hardware taken out, so I’ll be off work for a couple weeks. Feel free to come by with offerings of chocolate and sushi. (Not together, mind you….)

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