Frankie's Knitted Stuff
Block Letters
Words made up of knitted letters and sewn together in blocks can be hung on the wall to add a bit of woolly colour to any room. This pattern uses my knitted alphabet, published in six patterns. For those who don't have the alphabet patterns I have included instructions for the letters used in this pattern at the end. You will need two sets of knitted letters for each word, one for the front and one for the back. For the word ‘Love' I knitted the front letters in Noro Silk Garden (100m / 50g, shade 304) and the back in a cream aran weight yarn. Choose needles to give quite a firm tension; for these yarns I used 3.75mm / US size 5 needles. If you want to decorate the letters with buttons as I have done, add these now before sewing the front and back letters together. Lay out the completed letters in a block shape and sew them together where they touch, working from the wrong side. I filled the gap between the ‘L' and the “O' with a little knitted heart, again made up of two shapes sewn together.
The Heart
Cast on one stitch and knit into the front and back of it (2 sts). Row 1: Kf&b, P1 (3 sts). Row 2: Kf&b, K1, P1 (4 sts). Row 3: Kf&b, K1, P1, K1 (5 sts). The bottom of the heart is shaped using the following six row pattern: Row 1: K1, \*P1, K1, repeat from \* to end. Row 2: Kf&b, \*P1, K1, repeat from \* to end. Row 3: Kf&b, \*P1, K1, repeat from \* to last st, P1. Row 4: P1, \*K1, P1, repeat from \* to end. Row 5: Kf&b, \*K1, P1, repeat from \* to end. Row 6: Kf&b, \*K1, P1, repeat from \* to last st, K1. Work Rows 1-6 once and then Rows 1-3 once more (11 sts). Now work six rows without shaping: Every row: P1, \*K1, P1, repeat from \* to end. The top of the heart is shaped one side at a time. Row 1: (P1, K1) twice, P2tog, turn (5 sts). Row 2: P1, (K1, P1) twice. Row 3: P1, (K1, P1) twice. Row 4: P1, K1, P1, K2tog (4 sts). Row 5: K1, P1, K2tog (3 sts). Cast off in pattern, beginning with a knit stitch. Sew the yarn tail in round the outside edge. Re-join the yarn to the centre of the heart to work the second side. Row 1: P1, (K1, P1) twice. Row 2: P1, (K1, P1) twice. Row 3: P1, K1, P1, K2tog (4 sts). Row 4: K1, P1, K2tog (3 sts). Cast off in pattern, beginning with a knit stitch. Sew the yarn tail in round the outside edge. Use the yarn tail in the centre to neaten the gap between the two top sections.
The finished word is about 18cm wide and 27cm tall (7" x 10%/2"). A very short crochet chain sewn to the back of the word (between the heart and the ‘O') will serve to hang the word from a small picture hook.
For the word ‘Home' I used 21st Century Yarn's double knitting (285m / 100g) in Beech (dark brown) and Fiesta (variegated), knitted with 3mm / US size 21/2 needles. The finished word is about 20cm wide and 23cm tall (8" x 9"). The back letters are knitted in the brown yarn and the front in two row stripes of both colours. Working in stripes presents a few problems when knitting short rows.
Round Corners
Work in two row stripes with one exception. The two rows worked on one stitch only should be worked in the same colour as the previous two rows (worked on three stitches). A complete round corner, worked in two colours, A and B, would thus be: Work two rows on all 7 stitches as normal. K1, (P1, K1) twice, w&t, K1, (P1, K1) twice. 5(B) K1, P1, K1, w&t, K1, P1, K1. 3(A) K1, w&t, K1. 1(A) K1, P1, K1,w&t,K1, P1, K1.3(B)K1, (P1, K1) twice, w&t, K1, (P1, K1) twice. 5(A) The rest of the letters can be worked in two row stripes, changing colours after casting on and before casting off. On the middle section of the ‘M' you will be changing colour after Row 2 for the first half and Row 1 for the second; this is a little disconcerting. To even up the top row of letters I knitted two strips, 7 stitches wide and 50 rows long, decorated one with buttons and chain stitch, and sewed them together. Sew the letters together and add a hanging loop. ① Frankie Brown, 2012.
Patterns for the Letters used in ‘Block Letters'
L
Work in moss stitch. Cast on 7 stitches. 40 rows. Sharp corner. 20 rows. Cast off in pattern. You may need to tighten the inside corner with a few stitches.
0
Work in moss stitch.
V
Work in moss stitch. Cast on 7 stitches.
<1, (P1, K1) twice, W&t, K1, (P1, K1) twice. 5 40 rows. K1, P1, K1, w&t, K1, P1, K1. 3 K1, (P1, K1) twice, w&t, K1, (P1, K1) twice. 5 Sharp corner. K1, (P1, K1) twice, w&t, K1, (P1, K1) twice. 5 K1, P1, K1, w&t, K1, P1, K1. 3 40 rows. K1, (P1, K1) twice, W&t, K1, (P1, K1) twice. 5 Cast off in pattern. Tighten the inside corner with a few stitches.
E
Work in moss stitch. Cast on 7 stitches. 20 rows. Sharp corner. 26 rows. Sharp corner. 20 rows. Cast off in pattern.
The middle bar is 15 rows, worked on 7 stitches. Sew this to the centre of the side.
H
Work in moss stitch. The two uprights are 50 rows, worked on 7 stitches.
The cross bar is 8 rows, worked on 7 stitches. Sew the cross bar centrally between the two uprights.
M
Work in moss stitch. The two uprights are 50 rows, worked on 7 stitches.
Work the middle section loosely: Cast on 12 stitches. Row 1: Kf&b, P1, (K1, P1) four times, K2tog. Row 2: P2tog, K1, (P1, K1) four times, kf&b. \*Work these two rows five times and then Row 1 once more (11 rows in all). Now repeat from \* once more (another 11 rows). Cast off in pattern, beginning K1, P1. Sew the middle section between the two uprights. Details on working sharp and round corners are on the next page.
Abbreviations
st / sts stitch / stitches Kknit Ppurl sl1 slip one stitch pwise purlwise yf yarn forward, as if to purl yb yarn back, as if to knit w&t wrap and turn (explained in pattern) Frankie Brown, 2012. My patterns are for personal use only and should not be used to knit items for sale. Please do not use them for teaching purposes without my permission. Here are the instructions for the sharp and round corners, stitch by stitch. The numbers on the right refer to the number of stitches worked which is a simpler way to remember the shaping.
Sharp Corner
(K1, P1) three times, w&t, (P1, K1) three times. 6 K1, (P1, K1) twice, w&t, K1, (P1, K1) twice. 5 (K1, P1) twice, w&t, (P1, K1) twice. 4 K1, P1, K1, W&t, K1, P1, K1. 3 K1, P1, w&t, P1, K1. 2 K1, w&t, K1. 1 K1, P1, w&t, P1, K1. 2 K1, P1, K1, w&t. K1, P1, K1. 3 (K1, P1) twice, w&t, (P1, K1) twice. 4 K1, (P1, K1) twice, W&t, K1, (P1, K1) twice. 5 (K1, P1) three times, w&t, (P1, K1) three times. 6
Round Corner
\*K1, (P1, K1) twice, w&t, K1, (P1, K1) twice. 5 K1, P1, K1, w&t, K1, P1, K1. 3 K1, W&t, K1. 1 K1, P1, K1, w&t, K1, P1, K1. 3 K1, (P1, K1) twice, w&t, K1, (P1, K1) twice.\*\* 5 Work two rows on all 7 stitches as normal. K1, (P1, K1) twice, w&t, K1, (P1, K1) twice. 5 K1, P1, K1, w&t, K1, P1, K1. 3 K1, W&t, K1. 1 K1, P1, K1, w&t, K1, P1, K1. 3 K1, (P1, K1) twice, w&t, K1, (P1, K1) twice. 5 A half round corner is the section from \* to \*\* only.
