A new blanket square knitting pattern, the Swallowtail Knit Square by Clair de Lune Fiberarts, is now a free knitting pattern here on the blog! Read about the inspiration and Cozy Fall MAL it was a part of, or scroll down for the free knit pattern.
No time right now? Pin this free knitted afghan square pattern for later!
Grab the printable PDF of the Swallowtail Blanket Square in Allison’s shops:
Charity Cozy Fall MAL
This blanket square knitting pattern is part of the Charity Cozy Fall MAL.
20 unique knit square designs are released throughout the month of October 2021 to form a cozy fall blanket.
You can find all the MAL info and all the knit square patterns here
More Knit Squares You'll love
A Word from Claire de Lune Fiber Arts
This pattern is designed by Allison Bostrom, the designer, creator, and very-much-still-learning photographer/social media manager behind Clair de Lune Fiber Art. She designs stimulating crochet and knit patterns for everything from garments and accessories to homewares. Her goal in writing patterns is to encourage makers to learn new stitches and construction techniques, or to reconsider the ones they know. Though working with yarn is always relaxing, she finds real joy in pushing herself to do something new and different with yarn.
You might remember her from her beautiful Umbral Shawl Knitting Pattern she shared on the blog.
Thanks to Allison for sharing this beautiful afghan square pattern with us! You can follow her on any of these platforms:
Instagram: www.instagram.com/clairdelunefiberart
Facebook: www.facebook.com/clairdelunefiberart
Pinterest: www.pinterest.com/clairdelunefiberart
Now on to the pattern for this lovely knit square pattern!
Swallowtail Square Knitting Pattern
Materials
- 4.5 mm or size needed to obtain gauge, plus a matching cable needle/DPN
- Worsted/aran (4) weight yarn. Big Twist Soft in Light Gray is used in the sample. You’ll need 29-35g / 54-65yd
- Tape measure
- Scissors
- Yarn needle
Abbreviations
- CO = cast on
- st(s) = stitch(es)
- k = knit
- p = purl
- CN = cable needle
- RS/WS = right side/wrong side
- rep = repeat
- M1R/M1L = Make one right/left
- p2tog = purl 2 stitches together
- ssp = slip, slip, purl
- BO = bind off
Special Stitches
- C4B = Slip next 2 sts to CN and hold in back. K2, k2 from CN.
- C4F = Slip next 2 sts to CN and hold in front. K2, k2 from CN.
- k2/kp-B = Slip next 2 sts to CN and hold in back. K2, (k1, p1) from CN.
- k2/kp-F = Slip next 2 sts to CN and hold in front. K1, p1, k2 from CN.
Gauge
16 sts x 25 rows = 4”/10 cm in seed stitch
Swatch: CO 25.
Rows 1-30: (k1, p1) across each row.
Pattern Notes
- As written, this pattern is for an 8”/20 cm afghan square. It consists of a butterfly cable on a seed stitch background. The seed stitch border is worked at the same time as the cables.
- Larger squares can be made by using thicker yarn and bigger needles and/or adding more stitches and rows to the seed stitch border.
- If you prefer using charts, you may enjoy the ad-free PDF! The entire square is presented in chart form as well as the written instructions.
Swallowtail Square Knitting Pattern
CO 34.
Row 1: [k1, p1] 17 times
Row 2: [p1, k1] 17 times
Rep Rows 1-2 twice more (for a total of 6 rows worked).
Row 3: [k1, p1] 17 times
Row 4: [p1, k1] 5 times, [k1, M1R, k2, M1L, k3, p1, k1, p1, k1] twice, [p1, k1] twice
Row 5: [k1, p1] 5 times, p8, [k1, p1] twice, p8, [k1, p1] 4 times
Row 6: [p1, k1] 4 times, [p1, C4B, C4F, k1, p1, k1] twice, [p1, k1] 3 times
Row 7: [k1, p1] 5 times, p8, [k1, p1] twice, p8, [k1, p1] 4 times
Row 8: [p1, k1] 5 times, k8, [p1, k1] twice, k8, [p1, k1] 4 times
Row 9: [k1, p1] 5 times, p8, [k1, p1] twice, p8, [k1, p1] 4 times
Row 10: [p1, k1] 4 times, [p1, C4B, C4F, k1, p1, k1] twice, [p1, k1] 3 times
Row 11: [k1, p1] 5 times, p8, [k1, p1] twice, p8, [k1, p1] 4 times
Row 12: [p1, k1] 5 times, [k2, p1, k1, p1, k1] 4 times, [p1, k1] twice
Row 13: [k1, p1] 5 times, [p2, k1, p1, k1, p1] 4 times, [k1, p1] twice
Row 14: [p1, k1] 3 times, p1, k2/kp-B, [k1, p1] twice, C4F, C4B, [k1, p1] twice, k2/kp-F, [k1, p1] 3 times, k1
Row 15: [k1, p1] 4 times, p1, [p1, k1] 3 times, p8, [p1, k1] 3 times, p2, [p1, k1] 3 times, p1
Row 16: [p1, k1] twice, p1, k2/kp-B, [k1, p1] 3 times, k8, [k1, p1] 3 times, k2/kp-F, [k1, p1] twice, k1
Row 17: [k1, p1] 3 times, p1, [p1, k1] 4 times, p8, [p1, k1] 4 times, p2, [p1, k1] twice, p1
Row 18: [p1, k1] 3 times, k1, [k1, p1] 4 times, C4F, C4B, [k1, p1] 4 times, k2, [k1, p1] twice, k1
Row 19: [k1, p1] 3 times, p1, [p1, k1] 4 times, p8, [p1, k1] 4 times, p2, [p1, k1] twice, p1
Row 20: [p1, k1] twice, p1, k2/kp-F, [k1, p1] 3 times, k8, [k1, p1] 3 times, k2/kp-B, [k1, p1] twice, k1
Row 21: [k1, p1] 4 times, p1, [p1, k1] 3 times, p8, [p1, k1] 3 times, p2, [p1, k1] 3 times, p1
Row 22: [p1, k1] 3 times, p1, k2/kp-F, [k1, p1] twice, C4F, C4B, [k1, p1] twice, k2/kp-B, [k1, p1] 3 times, k1
Row 23: [k1, p1] 5 times, p1, [p1, k1] twice, p8, [p1, k1] twice, p2, [p1, k1] 4 times, p1
Row 24: [p1, k1] 5 times, k1, [k1, p1] twice, k8, [k1, p1] twice, k2, [k1, p1] 4 times, k1
Row 25: [k1, p1] 5 times, p1, [p1, k1] twice, p8, [p1, k1] twice, p2, [p1, k1] 4 times, p1
Row 26: [p1, k1] 3 times, p1, k2/kp-B, [k1, p1] twice, C4B, C4F, [k1, p1] twice, k2/kp-F, [k1, p1] 3 times, k1
Row 27: [k1, p1] 4 times, p1, [p1, k1] 3 times, p8, [p1, k1] 3 times, p2, [p1, k1] 3 times, p1
Row 28: [p1, k1] twice, p1, k2/kp-B, [k1, p1] 3 times, k8, [k1, p1] 3 times, k2/kp-F, [k1, p1] twice, k1
Row 29: [k1, p1] 3 times, p1, [p1, k1] 4 times, p8, [p1, k1] 4 times, p2, [p1, k1] twice, p1
Row 30: [p1, k1] 3 times, k1, [k1, p1] 4 times, C4B, C4F, [k1, p1] 4 times, k2, [k1, p1] twice, k1
Row 31: [k1, p1] 3 times, p1, [p1, k1] 4 times, p8, [p1, k1] 4 times, p2, [p1, k1] twice, p1
Row 32: [p1, k1] twice, p1, k2/kp-F, [k1, p1] 3 times, k8, [k1, p1] 3 times, k2/kp-B, [k1, p1] twice, k1
Row 33: [k1, p1] 4 times, p1, [p1, k1] 3 times, p8, [p1, k1] 3 times, p2, [p1, k1] 3 times, p1
Row 34: [p1, k1] 3 times, p1, k2/kp-F, [k1, p1] twice, C4B, C4F, [k1, p1] twice, k2/kp-B, [k1, p1] 3 times, k1
Row 35: [k1, p1] 5 times, [p2, k1, p1, k1, p1] 4 times, [k1, p1] twice
Row 36: [p1, k1] 5 times, [k2, p1, k1, p1, k1] 4 times, [p1, k1] twice
Row 37: [k1, p1] 5 times, [p2, k1, p1, k1, p1] 4 times, [k1, p1] twice
Row 38: [p1, k1] 4 times, [p1, C4F, C4B, k1, p1, k1] twice, [p1, k1] 3 times
Row 39: [k1, p1] 5 times, p8, [k1, p1] twice, p8, [k1, p1] 4 times
Row 40: [p1, k1] 5 times, k8, [p1, k1] twice, k8, [p1, k1] 4 times
Row 41: [k1, p1] 5 times, p8, [k1, p1] twice, p8, [k1, p1] 4 times
Row 42: [p1, k1] 4 times, [p1, C4F, C4B, k1, p1, k1] twice, [p1, k1] 3 times
Row 43: [k1, p1] 5 times, [p2tog, ssp, p2, (k1, p1) 4 times] twice
Row 44: [p1, k1] 17 times
Row 45: [k1, p1] 17 times
Rep Rows 44-45 twice more (for a total of 6 rows worked after Row 43).
BO (you may wish to use a stretchy bind off, such as Jeny’s Surprisingly Stretchy Bind Off, if you plan to block your square strongly).
