Mitered Square Knit Bedspread

Instructions

Tap a section when you finish it.

1. 1First squareCast on 87 sts; place a marker before the 44th st (the center st). Row 1 (WS): Knit all sts. Row 2 (RS): Knit to 1 st before the center st, s2kp (the center st stays in the middle), knit to end (85). Repeat these two rows; each RS row decreases 2 sts. When 1 st remains, cut the yarn and pull it through. The square takes 86 rows and has a diagonal decrease line from corner to corner.
2. 2OrientationThe cast-on edge forms two sides of the square (left and bottom), with the center st at the bottom-left corner. The top and right sides are the free edges; new squares are added by picking up stitches along them. Keep every square facing the same way.
3. 3Squares in the bottom rowAdding to the right of the first square: with a new color, pick up 44 sts along the right edge of the previous square from top to bottom (1 st in each of the 43 garter ridges and 1 st in the bottom corner). Cast on 43 more sts onto the same needle using the knitted cast-on (87). Work like the first square. Complete 7 squares in the bottom row this way.
4. 4First square of upper rowsFor the leftmost square in a row: cast on 43 sts, then with the same needle pick up 44 sts along the top edge of the square below, from left to right (1 st in the left corner, then 1 st in each of the 43 ridges) (87). Work the rest of the square as before.
5. 5Inner squaresFor each square with a neighbor to the left and below: pick up 43 sts along the right edge of the left neighbor from top to bottom, 1 st in the corner where the two squares meet, and 43 sts along the top edge of the square below from left to right (87). The st picked up in the corner is the center st. Work 7 squares per row, 10 rows in total (70 squares); arrange the colors as a checkerboard or at random.
6. 6BorderThe border is worked one side at a time. With the long circular needle, pick up 308 sts along one short edge, 44 per square. Work 10 rows of garter, increasing 1 st at each end of every RS row (318). Bind off. Work the other short edge the same way, and the long edges by picking up 440 sts (ending with 450).
7. 7Corners and finishingSew together the slanted ends of the border strips where they meet at the corners with the yarn needle; the increases make each corner a neat 45-degree join. Weave all ends into the garter of a square of the same color. Dampen the bedspread and dry it flat.