Modular Knits

Iris Schreier has written a pretty good book called Modular Knits. There are also lots of examples of the work at the Yahoo group Multidirectional Knitting. I enjoy looking through the photographs in the gallery and oohing and aaahing over the wonderful color combinations and seeing how different types of variegated or self-striping yarn work up in this method.

Modular knitting incorporates a somewhat geometric approach to knitting, and is invariably done in garter stitch, due to the 2:1 ratio in garter stitch – two rows are approximately equal in height to the width of one stitch. This means you can have a 15 stitch wide, 30 row tall garter stitch square, and it really will be square. You can then pick up 15 stitches on the side, garter stitch another 30 rows, and you have two squares, equal in size, with the rows running perpendicularly.

Anyway, in Modular Knits, Iris also uses short-rowing, mitering and other techniques to create a nice variety of different garments and household items. If you join the Yahoo group and knit certain patterns from the book, you’ll be rewarded with as-yet-unpublished patterns from the designer, many of which will go nicely with your already completed items.

I liked working the Modular Scarf so much in Moda Dea Sassy Stripes, that I knit myself a complete set – hat, mittens, and scarf. No fading into the crowd for me!