Freitag, 28. Oktober 2016

Trial and Error ... or the Right Yarn for the Right Pattern

I recently had a new idea for a knitting pattern - something modular again -  I'm really into modular knits these days. Since I had just bought three skeins of beautiful Bilum yarn (link to their Etsy shop) at SwissWulleFestival, I wanted to use it for this idea. However, after a few repeats it became clear, that the pattern wouldn't show up as I wanted it to do. So I frogged it. This pattern clearly needed something with a longer color gradient.


I intend to do a different kind of cowl with this lovely yarn - probably something with texture (bobbles or similar). But not now!

However, I really wanted a cowl in blue to match a new winter jacket I just bought. And since I am currently (far) away from my stash and from most of my scarfs and cowls, I went to a department store and searched for something appropriate.
I ended up buying variegated lace yarn (Merino Extrafine 285 by Schachenmayr, Ravelry link to the yarn) and tried again. I am happier with the look of it now, because the construction is more visible than before ... but I guess it could even be better with a Zauberball or something similar. But I guess I will finish it nonetheless - it feels lovely to the touch and I hope it will keep me warm.



Montag, 17. Oktober 2016

Bauklötze Schal

Ein schönes Farbspiel mit graphischem Effekt - der ideale Schal für den Herbst. Dieser Schal ist (fast) nur kraus rechts gestrickt und daher einfach nachzustricken. Die einzelnen Elemente werden beim Stricken verbunden, d.h. es muss am Ende nichts speziell zusammengenäht werden - einzig die Fäden müssen vernäht werden.

 An english version of this pattern is available in this blogpost.



Creative Commons Lizenzvertrag
Dieses Werk von Knitting and so on ist lizenziert unter einer Creative Commons Namensnennung - Nicht-kommerziell - Weitergabe unter gleichen Bedingungen 4.0 International Lizenz.





 
Material
  • ca. 200 gr 12-fädiges Garn (ich habe Four Seasons Gründl Visione verwendet - hier der Link zum Garn auf Ravelry)
  • 7 mm Nadeln
  • eine Nähnadel, um die Enden zu vernähen
 
 
Techniken
  • Gestrickter Maschenanschlag:  eine Methode um Maschen am Rand eines Strickstücks anzuschlagen, gezeigt hier im Video von Andrea "Maschenanschlag". 
  • Stiche von der Seite des Strickstücks aufnehmen ("aufnehmen und abstricken"): Nadel in den oberen Querfaden des letzten Stiches der Reihe einführen (Fotos 1 und 2) und anschliessend den Arbeitsfaden durchziehen. In diesem Video von KnitPurlHunter wird nur der Aufnahmeteil gezeigt (das Abstricken erfolgt in der nächsten Reihe) - im Unterschied dazu werden die Maschen für diesen Schal direkt abgestrickt.
 
  • Stiche von einer Abkettreihe aufnehmen und mit aktueller Reihe zusammenstricken: Nach dem Umdrehen des Strickstücks die linke Nadel von unten in die vordere Hälfte der abgeketteten Masche einführen (Foto 1); anschliessend diese "Masche" mit der ersten Masche auf der Nadel zusammenstricken. Diese Technik wird bei Rechteck B (ab dem zweiten Block) und Rechteck D (ab dem ersten Block) angewendet. 
 

Maschenprobe und Grösse
Kraus rechts gestrickt entsprechen etwa 13 Stiche 10 cm (Breite) und 7 Krausrippen (= 14 Reihen) etwa 5 cm (Höhe). Mein Schal ist etwa 22 cm breit und 186 cm lang (ich habe 8 Blöcke gestrickt).

 
Konstruktion
 
Das Bild rechts zeigt auf, wie der Schal zusammengesetzt ist. Er besteht aus übereinandergestapelten Blöcken, die jeweils aus 4 Rechtecken bestehen.

Jedes Rechteck ist 18 Stiche breit und 12 Krausrippen hoch. Die Rechtecke werden jeweils in der Reihenfolge A, B, C, D gestrickt. Die Rechtecke werden aneinander gestrickt - entweder durch Aufnehmen und Abstricken von Maschen am Rand eines anderen Rechtecks oder durch Aneinanderstricken mit der Abnehmkante eines anderen Rechtecks.
 
 
 
Anleitung
 
Block 1
 
Rechteck A
18 Maschen anschlangen (mit gestricktem Maschenanschlag)
22 Reihen kraus rechts stricken (alle Stiche der Reihe rechts abstricken)
Letzte Reihe: Alle Stiche abketten ausser dem letzten Stich.
 
Rechteck B
5 Maschen anschlangen (mit gestricktem Maschenanschlag)
6 Maschen rechts stricken, dann am Rand von Rechteck 12 Maschen aufnehmen und abstricken (jetzt sollte es so aussehen, wie in Foto 1 und es sollten 18 Maschen auf der Nadel sein, 1 übrig von Rechteck A, 5 neu angeschlagene und 12 von der Seite aufgenommene)
22 Reihen kraus rechts stricken (alle Stiche der Reihe rechts abstricken)
Letzte Reihe: Alle Stiche abketten ausser dem letzten Stich.
 
Rechteck C
12 Maschen von der Seite des Rechtecks B aufnehmen und abstricken, anschliessend weitere 5 Maschen anschlagen (mit gestricktem Maschenanschlag) - auch hier sollten 18 Maschen auf der Nadel sein (1 übrige vom Abketten von Rechteck B plus 12 an der Seite aufgenommene plus 5 neu angeschlagene)
22 Reihen kraus rechts stricken (alle Stiche der Reihe rechts abstricken)
Letzte Reihe: Alle Stiche abketten ausser dem letzten Stich.
Rechteck D
12 Maschen von der Seite von Rechteck C aufnehmen und abstricken, anschliessend weitere 5 Maschen anschlagen (mit gestricktem Maschenanschlag) - jetzt sieht es aus wie auf Foto 3.
Arbeit drehen.
Reihe 1: Am oberen Rand von Rechteck A vom Rand bis zur 12. abgeketteten Masche zählen (Foto 4), in diese 12. Masche einstechen und mit der ersten Masche auf der Nadel zusammenstricken. Rechts stricken bis zum Ende der Reihe
Reihe 2: alle Maschen rechts stricken.
Reihe 3: in die nächste Masche am oberen Rand von Rechteck A einstechen, erste Masche auf der Nadel mit dieser zusammenstricken; bis zum Ende rechte Maschen stricken
Reihe 4: alle Maschen rechts stricken.
Reihen 3 und 4 noch 9 weitere Male stricken - nach einigen Reihen sollte das Strickstück wie auf Foto 4 aussehen.
Reihe 13: in die letzte Masche am oberen Rand von Rechteck A einstechen, erste Masche auf der Nadel mit dieser zusammenstricken, dann diese Masche abketten, alle Stiche dieser Reihe abketten bis auf den letzten Stich
 
 
 
Block 2
 
Rechteck A
17 Stiche von der Seitkante des Rechtecks D und der oberen Kante des Rechtecks C aufnhmen (siehe Foto 6).
22 Reihen kraus rechts stricken (alle Stiche der Reihe rechts abstricken)
Letzte Reihe: Alle Stiche abketten ausser dem letzten Stich.
 
Rechteck B
5 Maschen anschlangen (mit gestricktem Maschenanschlag)
6 Maschen rechts stricken, dann am Rand von Rechteck 12 Maschen aufnehmen und abstricken
Reihe 1: Die Arbeit drehen und in die erste freie Masche auf der Oberkante des Rechtecks C (des Blocks darunter) einstechen. Diese Masche mit der ersten Masche der Reihe zusammenstricken, die restlichen Maschen rechts stricken
Reihe 2: alle Maschen rechts stricken
Reihen 1 und 2 noch 10 mal wiederholen
Letzte Reihe: Alle Stiche abketten ausser dem letzten Stich.
 
Rechteck C
12 Maschen von der Seite des Rechtecks B aufnehmen und abstricken, anschliessend weitere 5 Maschen anschlagen (mit gestricktem Maschenanschlag) - auch hier sollten 18 Maschen auf der Nadel sein (1 übrige vom Abketten von Rechteck B plus 12 an der Seite aufgenommene plus 5 neu angeschlagene)
22 Reihen kraus rechts stricken (alle Stiche der Reihe rechts abstricken)
Letzte Reihe: Alle Stiche abketten ausser dem letzten Stich.
 
Rechteck D
12 Maschen von der Seite von Rechteck C aufnehmen und abstricken, anschliessend weitere 5 Maschen anschlagen (mit gestricktem Maschenanschlag) - jetzt sieht es aus wie auf Foto 3.
Arbeit drehen.
Reihe 1: Am oberen Rand von Rechteck A vom Rand bis zur 12. abgeketteten Masche zählen (Foto 4), in diese 12. Masche einstechen und mit der ersten Masche auf der Nadel zusammenstricken. Rechts stricken bis zum Ende der Reihe
Reihe 2: alle Maschen rechts stricken.
Reihe 3: in die nächste Masche am oberen Rand von Rechteck A einstechen, erste Masche auf der Nadel mit dieser zusammenstricken; bis zum Ende rechte Maschen stricken
Reihe 4: alle Maschen rechts stricken.
Reihen 3 und 4 noch 9 weitere Male stricken - nach einigen Reihen sollte das Strickstück wie auf Foto 4 aussehen.
Reihe 13: in die letzte Masche am oberen Rand von Rechteck A einstechen, erste Masche auf der Nadel mit dieser zusammenstricken, dann diese Masche abketten, alle Stiche dieser Reihe abketten bis auf den letzten Stich
  
Block 2 wiederholen bis der Schal lang genug ist.
Die letzte Reihe des Rechtecks D des letzten Blocks wie folgt stricken:
 
Reihe 13: in die letzte Masche am oberen Rand von Rechteck A einstechen, erste Masche auf der Nadel mit dieser zusammenstricken, dann diese Masche abketten, alle Stiche dieser Reihe abketten.
 
Enden vernähen und vorsichtig spannen.
 
 

Sonntag, 16. Oktober 2016

Bauklötze Scarf


Do you want a fun accessory that's perfect for autumn - here's the pattern for you: a scarf with an interesting graphic effect, that is great for variegated yarn. It is very easy to knit - basically garter stitch only - except for the stitches connecting one piece to another. Joined as you go, so no sewing pieces in the end. The only finishing techniques you need, is weaving in your ends.

As usual, I had some difficulties in finding a name for this scarf - so again I asked the members of knittingparadise.com for suggestions (here's the link to the thread), I loved some of the suggestions but in the end I decided to go for the bricks theme (suggested several times) - but I used a different language :) - "Bauklötze" is the German word for building bricks or toy bricks.


 
Creative Commons License
This work by Knitting and so on is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.






German Version: Eine deutsche Version dieser Anleitung gibt es in diesem Blogbeitrag.

 
Materials
  • about 200 grams of bulky yarn
  • 7mm needles (straight or circular)
  • tapestry needle to weave in ends
 
 
Techniques
  • Knitted CO: a method to cast on stitches at the end of a row, as shown in this video by VeryPinkKnits.
  • Pickup and knit stitches (from side): insert the right hand needle into the upper bump of the last stitch of the row (photos 1 and 2), and draw your yarn through the loop (photos 3 and 4)
 
  • Pick up and connect (with a bind-off row): When you've turned your piece insert the left hand needle from below into the front leg of the bind off stitch (photo 1), then - as if to k2tog - insert the left hand needle into the first stitch on the needle and into the leg of the bind off stitch (photo 2) and draw your yarn through both loops (photo 3). In the pattern this sequence will be called (k2tog-connect).
 

Gauge and Measurements

In garter stitch, about 13 stitches equal 10 cm in width - and 7 ridges (14 rows) equal 5 cm in height. My finished scarf (unblocked) is about 22 cm wide and 186 long (I knitted 8 blocks).

 
General Construction
 
The picture on the right shows the general construction of this scarf. It consists of a number of blocks that in turn consists of 4 rectangles.
 
Each rectangle is 18 stitches wide and 12 garter stitch ridges high. For each block the rectangles are knit in the sequence A, B, C, D. The rectangles are connected to each other
  • either by picking up and knitting stitches from the side or top of the last rectangle
  • or by picking up and connecting with stitches from a bind-off.
 
Instructions
 
Block 1
 
Rectangle A
CO 18 (with knitted CO)
Knit 11 ridges of garter stitch (knit all stitches)
Last row: BO all except last stitch
 
Rectangle B
CO5 (with knitted CO)
Knit 6, pick up and knit 12 sts from the side of rectangle A (your piece should now look similar to photo 1)
Knit 11 ridges of garter stitch
Last row: BO all except last stitch
 
Rectangle C
Pick up and knit 12 stitches from the side of rectangle B, CO5 (with knitted CO) (your piece should now look similar to photo 2)
Knit 11 rigdes of garter stitch
Last row: BO all except last stitch



Rectangle D
Pick up and knit 12 stitches from the side of rectangle C, CO5 (with knitted CO) (your piece should now look similar to photo 3)
Row 1: k2tog-connect, k to end (connect your first row to the 12th stitch of rectangle A counted from the left hand edge of the piece, see photo 4)
Row 2: k all
Repeat rows 1 and 2 ten more times - after a few rows your piece should look similar to photo 4
Row 13: k2tog-connect, BO all except last stitch 
 
 
Block 2
 
Rectangle A
Pick up and knit 17 stitches from rectangles D and C of the block below
Knit 11 ridges of garter stitch
Last row: BO all except last stitch
 
Rectangle B
CO5 (with knitted CO)
Knit 6, pick up and knit 12 from rectangle A
Row 1: k2tog-connect to BO of rectangle C of block below, k to end (start to connect right next to the last picked up stitch from rectangle A, i.e. don't leave a gap)
Row 2: k all
Repeat rows 1 and 2 ten more times
Last row: BO all except last stitch
  
Rectangle C = Rectangle C of block 1
Pick up and knit 12 stitches from the side of rectangle B, CO5 (with knitted CO)
Knit 11 rigdes of garter stitch
Last row: BO all except last stitch
 
Rectangle D = Rectangle D of block 1
Pick up and knit 12 stitches from the side of rectangle C, CO5 (with knitted CO) (your piece should now look similar to photo 3)
Row 1: k2tog-connect, k to end (connect your first row to the 12th stitch counted of rectangle A from the left hand side edge of the piece)
Row 2: k all
Repeat rows 1 and 2 ten more times
Row 13: k2tog-connect, BO all except last stitch 
 
Repeat block 2 until your scarf is as long as you want it.
 
In the last block change row 13 of rectangle D as follows:
Row 13: k2tog-connect, BO all
 
I knitted a total of 8 rectangles.
 
Weave in ends and block lightly.
 

Mittwoch, 5. Oktober 2016

Patchwork Cowl

As the days get colder and greyer, knit yourself this lovely and colourful cowl. It is knitted flat and all in garter stitch. Due to its unique construction it brings out the best of your variegated yarn, e.g. your Zauberball or your Noro yarn. It is basically a variation of an entrelac pattern, but with blocks (squares and rectangles) of different sizes.



Creative Commons License
This work by Knitting and so on is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.







Materials
  • about 200 grams of fingering weight yarn - preferably variegated yarn
  • 3.25mm needles (straight or circulars) 
  • a third needle (for three-needle BO)
  • a tapestry needle (to weave in ends)


Techniques and Stitches


Construction
Figure X shows the general construction of the cowl. It is knitted flat and connected in the end (i.e. after the last layer or connected while knitting the last layer).

Figure 1: General Construction


Figure 2 shows how the layers make up the cowl. Odd-numbered layers consist of rectangles: 3 rectangles that are 8 stitches wide and 8 ridges high, and 2 rectangles that are 16 stitches wide and 16 ridges high. Even-numbered layers consist of rectangles: 3 that are 16 stitches wide and 8 ridges high, and 2 that are 8 stitches wide and 16 ridges high.
Rectangles/squares from one layer are knitted at a 90 degree angle to the knitting direction of the layer below.

Figure 2: Layers
In even numbered layers, rectangle 1 connects to square 5 of the layer below, rectangle 2 uses stitches picked up from square 5 of the layer below as base and is connected at the side to square of of the layer below, rectangle 3 is based on picked up stitches from the side of square 4 of the layer below and is connected to square 3 of the layer below ... and so on.

In layer 3 and the following odd numbered layers, square 1 is based on stitches from the side of rectangle 5 of the layer below and connected at the side to rectangle 4 of the layer below, and so on. The last square of an odd numbered layer is based on the stitches from rectangle 1 of the layer below and not connected while knitting it.


Instructions

Layer 1

Square 1 
CO8 stitches with knitted CO
Rows 1-16: sl1, k7

Square 2
CO 16 stitches with knitted CO (your piece should look as shown in photo 1 of picture A)
Rows 1-32: sl1, k15

Square 3 (=  Square 1)
CO8 stitches (with knitted CO)
Rows 1-16: sl1, k7

Square 4 (= Square 2)
CO 16 stitches with knitted CO 
Rows 1-32: sl1, k15
(Now your piece should look similar to photo 1 of picture A)

Square 5 (= Square 1)
CO8 stitches (with knitted CO)
Rows 1-16: sl1, k7


Layer 2

Rectangle 1
CO15 with knitted CO (your piece should now look like photo 3 of picture A)
Row 1: sl1, k14 (newly CO stitch), k1 (last stitch of square 5 of layer below), turn
Row 2: sl1, k to end, turn
Row 3: sl1, k14, k2tog-join
Row 4: sl1, k to end, turn
Repeat rows 3 and 4 six (6) more times
Row 15: sl1 k14, k2tog-join, DO NOT TURN but go on in the same direction

Rectangle 2
Pick up and knit 8 stitches
Row 1: sl1, k7, turn
Row 2: sl1, k6, k2tog-join (last stitch of the picked up stitches and next stitch of square 4 of layer below), turn
Row 3: sl1, k7, turn
Repeat rows 2 and 3 fourteen (14) more times.
Row 31: sl1, k6, k2tog-join, DO NOT TURN but go on in the same direction

Rectangle 3
Pick up and knit 16 stitches
Row 1: sl1, k15, turn
Row 2: sl1, k14, k2tog-join, (last stitch of the picked up stitches and next stitch of square 3 of layer below), turn
Row 3: sl1, k15 turn
Repeat rows 2 and 3 six (6) more times
Row 15: sl1, k14,  k2tog-join, DO NOT TURN but go on in the same direction

Rectangle 4
Pick up and knit 8 stitches
Row 1: sl1, k7, turn
Row 2: sl1, k6, k2tog-join (last stitch of the picked up stitches and next stitch of square 2 of layer below), turn
Row 3: sl1, k7, turn
Repeat rows 2 and 3 fourteen (14) more times.
Row 31: sl1, k6, k2tog-join, DO NOT TURN but go on in the same direction

Rectangle 5
Pick up and knit 16 stitches
Row 1: sl1, k15, turn
Row 2: sl1, k14, k2tog-join, (last stitch of the picked up stitches and next stitch of square 1 of layer below), turn
Row 3: sl1, k15 turn
Repeat rows 2 and 3 six more times
Row  15: sl1, k14,  k2tog-join
Row 16: BO15 stitches

Picture A: Illustrations for Layers 1 and 2



Layer 3

Square 1
Row 1: pick up and knit 7 stitches from the side of the last rectangle (rectangle 5 of layer below), you have now 8 stitches on your needles
Row 2: sl1, k to end
Row 3: sl1, k6, k2tog-join (with next stitch from rectangle 4 of layer below)
Repeat rows 2 and 3 six (6) times
Row 15: sl1, k to end
Row 16: sl1, k6 k2tog-join, DO NOT TURN but go on in the same direction

Square 2
Row 1: pick up and knit 16 stitches from the side of rectangle 4 of the layer below, TURN
Row 2: sl1, k15, TURN
Row 3: sl1, k14, k2tog-join (with next stitch from rectangle 3 of layer below)
Repeat rows 2 and 3 fourteen (14) times
Row 31: sl1, k15, TURN
Row 32: sl1, k14, k2tog-join (with last stitch from rectangle 3 of layer below), DO NOT TURN but go on in the same direction

Square 3
Row 1: pick up and knit 7 stitches from the side of the last rectangle (rectangle 3 of layer below), you have now 8 stitches on your needles
Row 2: sl1, k7, TURN
Row 3: sl1, k6, k2tog-join (with next stitch from rectangle 2 of layer below)
Repeat rows 2 and 3  six (6) times
Row 15: sl1, k to end
Row 16: sl1, k6 k2tog-join, DO NOT TURN but go on in the same direction
  
Square 4
Row 1: pick up and knit 16 stitches from the side of rectangle 2 of the layer below, TURN
Row 2: sl1, k15, TURN
Row 3: sl1, k14, k2tog-join (with next stitch from rectangle 1 of layer below)
Repeat rows 2 and 3  fourteen (14) times
Row 31: sl1, k15, TURN
Row 32: sl1, k14, k2tog-join (with last stitch from rectangle 1 of layer below), DO NOT TURN but go on in the same direction

Square 5
Row 1: pick up and knit 8 stitches from side of rectangle 1 of layer below
Rows 2-15: sl1, k7
DO NOT TURN but go on knitted CO of next layer


Repeat Layers 2 and 3 until the piece is roughly as long as you want it. Make sure to end with a layer 3.

 
Picture B: Illustrations for Last Layer



Last Layer

The last layer is basically the same as layer 2 with connections to the very first layer. This requires connecting the very first CO and connecting to the last knitted layer at the same time which can feel a bit awkward ... if you want to avoid this, you can just knit one more layer 2 and then sew the edges together.

However, here's how to do it without sewing.

Fold the scarf in a way so that the first layer faces the last layer with a gap about one layer wide (see photo 1 of picture B)

Rectangle 1
CO15 with knitted CO
With a third needle pick up 7 stitches from the CO of square 5 of the very first layer.
Rectangle 1 will not only be connected to the last layer but also to these stitches picked up from the first layer. See photo 2 in picture B.
Row 1: sl1, k14 (newly CO stitch), k1 (last stitch of square 5 of layer below), turn
Row 2: sl1, k 14, k2tog-join (with first stitch picked up of side of square 5 of layer 1)
Row 3: sl1, k 14, k2tog-join (with next stitch of square 5 of layer below)
Row 4: sl1, k 14, k2tog-join (with next stitch of square 5 of layer 1)
Repeat rows 3 and 4 six (6) more times
Now you have 18 stitches left (16 from this rectangle and 2 from the squares of other layers). Transfer these stitches to one needle (-> working needle)
With the third needle pick up 16 stitches from the side of square 4 of layer 1.
Your piece should now look like photo 3 of picture B
Row 15: do a three-needle BO of these stitches on these to needles - while doing a k2tog of the first and last stitch on the working needle. (See photo 4 of picture B)

Rectangle 2
Pick up and knit 8 stitches (from the side of square 4 of the layer below)
With the third needle pick up 16 stitches from the CO of square 4 of layer 1).
Rectangle 2 will be connected to square 4 of the layer below and square 4 of the first layer.
See photo 5 of picture B.
Row 1: sl1, k6, k2tog-join (with square 4 of layer 1)
Row 2: sl1, k6, k2tog-join (last stitch of the picked up stitches and next stitch of square 4 of layer below), turn
Row 3: sl1, k7, k2tog-join (with square 4 of layer 1)
Repeat rows 2 and 3 fourteen (14) more times.
Now you have 10 stitches left (8 from this rectangle and two from the adjoining squares). Transfer these to one needle
With third needle pick up 8 stitches from the side of square 3 of layer 1.
Row 31:  do a three-needle BO of these stitches on these to needles - while doing a k2tog of the first and last stitch on the working needle.

Rectangle 3
Pick up and knit 16 stitches
With a third needle pick up 7 stitches from the CO of square 3 of the very first layer.
Row 1: sl1, k14 (newly CO stitch), k1 (last stitch of square 3 of layer below), turn
Row 2: sl1, k 14, k2tog-join (with first stitch picked up of side of square 3 of layer 1)
Row 3: sl1, k 14, k2tog-join (with next stitch of square 3 of layer below)
Row 4: sl1, k 14, k2tog-join (with next stitch of square 3 of layer 1)
Repeat rows 3 and 4 six (6) more times.
Now you have 18 stitches left (16 from this rectangle and 2 from the squares of other layers). Transfer these stitches to one needle (-> working needle)
With the third needle pick up 16 stitches from the side of square 2 of layer 1.
Row 15: do a three-needle BO of these stitches on these to needles - while doing a k2tog of the first and last stitch on the working needle.

Rectangle 4
Pick up and knit 8 stitches
With the third needle pick up 16 stitches from the CO of square 2 of layer 1). See photo 6 of picture B.
Rectangle 2 will be connected to square 2 of the layer below and square 2 of the first layer.
Row 1: sl1, k6, k2tog-join (with square 2 of layer 1)
Row 2: sl1, k6, k2tog-join (last stitch of the picked up stitches and next stitch of square 2 of layer below), turn
Row 3: sl1, k7, k2tog-join (with square 2 of layer 1)
Repeat rows 2 and 3 fourteen (14) more times.
Now you have 10 stitches left (8 from this rectangle and two from the adjoining squares). Transfer these to one needle
With third needle pick up 8 stitches from the side of square 1 of layer 1.
Row 31:  do a three-needle BO of these stitches on these to needles - while doing a k2tog of the first and last stitch on the working needle.

Rectangle 5
Pick up and knit 16 stitches
With a third needle pick up 7 stitches from the CO of square 1 of the very first layer.
Row 1: sl1, k14 (newly CO stitch), k1 (last stitch of square 1 of layer below), turn
Row 2: sl1, k 14, k2tog-join (with first stitch picked up of side of square 1 of layer 1)
Row 3: sl1, k 14, k2tog-join (with next stitch of square 1 of layer below)
Row 4: sl1, k 14, k2tog-join (with next stitch of square 1 of layer 1)
Repeat rows 3 and 4 seven (7) more times.
Row 18: BO all stitches  

Weave in ends and block gently.






Underground Crafter