Inventing Simple Patterns?

Okay, don’t call me crazy or think I’ve gone around the bend.  Just hear me out, okay?

So, let’s say you have some solid colored yarn, in maybe a DK or worsted weight, and you’re not sure what to do with it. You just can’t seem to find a simple but textured stitch pattern.

I have just the ticket!  Find yourself a fairly straightforward crossword puzzle grid.  I pulled this one (below) at random from one of the crossword puzzle magazines I always have on hand.  This one is 13 squares across and 13 rows down.

First stitch is always slipped with yarn in front; this forms your neat side edges., and we want to have a garter stitch edging (5 stitches) to minimize curling the mostly-stockinette body.

Let’s start with a few rows of garter stitch for a bottom edge border, so cast on 25 stitches.   (Slip stitch, 5 garter stitches, 13 pattern stitches, 6 garter stitches)

Bottom border Rows 1-6: Sl 1, K across.

Pattern rows:  Note: each ‘pattern row’ has a front/facing side and the a back/reverse side, so  you will work each grid row twice, once front side and once reverse side.   Or, you could just work each row individually, but (in my opinion) the purl bumps wouldn’t be a noticeable.

Right/facing side:  Sl 1, K5, place marker,  Knit the white squares, Purl the black squares, place marker, K6
Reverse/back side: Sl 1, K5, slip marker, Purl the white squares, Knit the black squares, slip marker, K6.

This is just an example of what can be done, and not a strict pattern, per se.  You’ll end up with a square with garter stitch edges, and a mostly stockinette field with seemingly random purl bumps on the front side.

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