Jojoland Hidden Squares Wrap Knitting Pattern

Jojoland Hidden Squares Knit Shawl

Project Overview

Hidden Squares is a sophisticated knit shawl and wrap designed by Lijuan Jing for Jojoland. This intermediate-level project creates a luxurious stole measuring 70 inches by 18 inches, constructed using a unique geometric approach that combines seamless knitting techniques with a worked-flat construction method. The design showcases variegated yarn through an innovative half-mitered square construction that produces hidden geometric patterns within the finished fabric.

What Is Being Made

This pattern produces a rectangular stole featuring an intricate design of half-mitered squares. The finished wrap measures 70 inches in length and 18 inches in width, making it an ideal accessory for layering or draping. The construction method creates what the designer refers to as "hidden squares"—geometric shapes that form through the strategic arrangement and color placement of mitered sections. The variegated nature of the yarn used allows for organic color variation throughout the piece, with no strict requirement for specific color placement in individual squares.

Techniques and Construction Methods

The Hidden Squares shawl employs several advanced knitting techniques appropriate for intermediate-level crafters:

• Half-Mitered Square Construction: The pattern utilizes four distinct types of half-mitered squares as the foundational building blocks. These squares are created through a series of decreases and strategic stitch placement that produces the characteristic diagonal lines of mitered knitting.
• Seamless Knitting: The design is worked seamlessly, meaning the squares are joined as they are created rather than being assembled afterward, resulting in a cohesive, integrated fabric with no seams to finish.
• Worked Flat: Despite being seamless, the pattern is worked flat on straight needles rather than in the round, allowing for easier stitch manipulation and color changes between sections.
• Stitch Holder Techniques: The construction involves placing stitches on holders and returning to them later, a technique that allows for the geometric interlocking of the mitered squares.
• Color Placement Strategy: The pattern uses different colors for adjacent squares to enhance the visual impact of the hidden geometric patterns, taking advantage of the variegated yarn's natural color variations.

Stitches and Abbreviations

The Hidden Squares pattern employs fundamental knitting stitches combined in a structured sequence:

• Knit (k): The basic knit stitch forms the majority of the fabric, creating the stockinette base for the mitered sections.
• Purl (p): Purl stitches are used strategically, particularly in the center of mitered decreases to create definition and visual interest within the geometric patterns.
• Slip (sl): Stitches are slipped as if to knit, typically at the beginning of rows to create clean, finished edges.
• S2kp (Slip 2 as if to knit, knit 1, pass slipped stitches over): This centered double decrease is fundamental to the mitered square construction, creating the diagonal lines that define each square's shape. This decrease appears regularly throughout the pattern to reduce stitch counts in a controlled, centered manner.
• K2tog (Knit 2 together): This right-leaning decrease is used to join stitches from the main needle with stitches held on stitch holders, allowing separate sections to be seamlessly integrated.

Materials and Specifications

The Hidden Squares pattern calls for specific materials to achieve the intended finished dimensions and drape:

• Yarn: 8 balls of Jojoland Melody Superwash yarn, with 2 balls used for each of four colors: ms18, ms20, ms26, and ms27. The Superwash treatment ensures easy care and durability, while the variegated nature of the yarn provides natural color variation throughout the project.
• Needles: 3.5 mm needles (U.S. size 4) are used for the entire project, sized appropriately for the yarn weight and desired gauge.
• Gauge: Each individual mitered square measures 2.25 inches by 2.25 inches, providing a consistent reference point for monitoring progress and ensuring the finished dimensions of 70 inches by 18 inches.
• Additional Supplies: Stitch holders are required to temporarily hold stitches during the construction of the interlocking mitered squares.

Skill Level and Suitability