Purls of Wisdom
This knit square is actually a puzzle inspired by a steganography story about spies smuggling secret messages knit into their sweaters. It was created as a puzzle for the 2015 MIT Mystery Hunt (see http:/ /20000puzzles.com or http: / /www.mit.edu/\~puzzle / )
MATERIALS:
Lily Sugar N Cream (or similar 100% “kitchen cotton" worsted weight yarn) in variegated/ombre with two or more colors, and not too dark. One skein of Sugar N Cream should be enough to make at least 3 puzzles. 0 Some suggested colorways: Sunny Sky, Pretty Pastel, Sun Kissed Print, Violet Veil, Kitchen Breeze, Westport, Spring Swirl, Butter Cream Sharpie in a color that will be visible on all parts of the yarn. Colored is preferred to black if you can; blue, brown, and purple seem to work pretty well. Knitting needles - gauge is not critical, but the knitted fabric shouldn't be incredibly tight or incredibly loose. Whatever you normally use for worsted weight should be fine; I tend to knit a little tight and I used Size 8. Optionally, 3 stitch markers Optionally, a printer to print out a template STEP ONE -THE MARKING: This step is optional, but included for completeness if you want to make a "complete" puzzle. The yarn is marked with letters (in Morse code) that represent RNA that represents amino acids. The amino acids spell out the answer, GLADWELL, along with start / stop codons. It's easiest to use the template put together, here: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1Z5czLSJuWp3yTmGZXv-YLquw170DZ AngjDzDIT6S5s/edit
The sequence you need to encode is the following:
| Amino | First Morse letter | Second Morse letter | Third Morse letter | |
| acid code | Sequence | |||
| (start) | AUG | dot dash | dot dot dash | dash dash dot |
| g | GGG | dash dash dot | dash dash dot | dashdashdot |
| UUG | dot dot dash | dot dot dash | dashdashdot | |
| e | GCC | dash dash dot | dashdotdashdot | dash dot dash dot |
| d | GAC | dashdash dot | dot dash | dash dot dash dot |
| W | UGG | dot dot dash | dash dash dot | dashdashdot |
| e | GAG | dash dash dot | dot dash | dashdash dot |
| CUU | dash dot dash dot | dot dot dash | dot dot dash | |
| CUA | dashdotdashdot | dot dot dash | dot dash | |
| (stop) | UGA | dot dot dash | dash dash dot | dot dash |
If you're just marking, spool out an additional 10 or so yards and cut the yarn. If you're knitting too, it's safer to wind the yarn back onto the ball and knit from there.
STEP TWO: KNITTING
I've provided the pattern both written and charted. The dishcloth will spell a message in AsClI purl bumps against a stockinette background, and will be surrounded by a garter stitch border to help prevent curling. The AsCII message is "MAKE ME A STRAND", which clues the solver to unravel the dishcloth. Cast on 20 stitches using whatever method you like. Leave 4-6" of tail (don't weave it in). Make sure you cast on from the “start" codon side. If you like, place stitch markers two stitches from each end to mark where the garter stitch section begins. You may also find it helpful to put a stitch marker halfway through the ASCII encoding. Cast on 20 stitches.Setup - rows 1-6 1: (RS) Knit across 2: (WS) Knit across 3: (RS) Knit across 4: (WS) Knit 2, Purl 16, Knit 2. 5: (RS) Knit across. 6: (WS) Knit 2, Purl 16, Knit 2. Pattern - rows 7-22 7: (RS) K2, slip marker, K2, P1, K2, P2, K1, slip marker, K1, P3, K1, P2, K1, slip marker, K2 8: (Ws) K2, slip marker, purl across, slip marker, K2 9: (RS) K2, slip marker, P1, K4, P2, K1, slip marker, K1, P1, K2, P3, K1, slip marker, K2 rows 10, 12, 14, 16, 18, 20 repeat row 8 11: (RS) K2, slip marker, K2, P1, K1, P3, K1, slip marker, P2, K2, P3, K1, slip marker, K2 13: (RS) K2, slip marker, K5, P1, K2, slip marker, P1, K4, P2, K1, slip marker, K2 15: (RS) K2, slip marker, K5, P1, K2,slip marker, P1, K1, P1, K2, P2, K1, slip marker, K2 17: (RS) K2, slip marker, P1, K1, P2, K1, P2, K1, slip marker, K5, P1, K2, slip marker, K2 19: (RS) K2, slip marker, P1, K1, P1, K2, P2, K1, slip marker, P2, K1, P1, K1, P2, K1, slip marker, K2 21: (RS) K2, slip marker, P1, K4, P2, K1, slip marker, P1, K1, P2, K1, P2, K1, slip marker, K2 22: (WS) K2, slip marker, purl across, slip marker, K2 Ending - rows 23-27 23: (RS) Knit across. 24: (WS) K2, slip marker, purl across, slip marker, K2 25: (RS) Knit across. 26: (WS) Knit across. 27: (RS) Knit across. Bind off in the typical way (K1, K1, slip first stitch over, repeat). Make sure you've knitted past the end of the Morse pattern - if you haven't, find the end of the pattern and cut the yarn after that point. Otherwise, cut the yarn leaving about a 6" tail, and run it through the last loop on your needle to secure it. Don't weave in your ends. You're done!
| 0 | 0 | O | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | O 27 | ||||||||||||
| 26 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| 0 | O | O | O | 0 | O | O 0 | 0 | O | O | O | O | O O | O | 25 | |||||||
| 24 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| O | O | O | O | O O | O | O | O | 23 | |||||||||||||
| 22 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| 02 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 1 | O | 21 | |||||
| 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | O | 19 | |||||||||||
| 18 | / | ||||||||||||||||||||
| 16 | 0 | O | 1 | O | O | O | O | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | O | 0 | 17 | ||||||
| 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | ||||||||||||
| 14 | 1 | 0 | 0 0 | O | 15 | ||||||||||||||||
| 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | O | ||||||||
| 12 | O | 13 | |||||||||||||||||||
| 0 | O | O | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | / | ||||||||
| 10 | O | O | O | 11 | |||||||||||||||||
| O | O | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | O | O | 1 | 1 | O | O | O O | 1 | / | |||||||
| 8 | O | O | O | 9 | |||||||||||||||||
| 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 0 | O O | / O / O / O | 5 3 1 | ||||||||
| 6 4 2 | O O / | 0 0 0 | O O | O O | O / O | O O O | O | O O | O O O | O | O O | 1 O O | O O O | O O | O O 0 | 0 O 0 / 0 |
knit, right side 1 purl, right side / knit, wrong side purl, wrong side
