Knit checkerboard pattern

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Knitting Checkerboard Pattern for Beginners

Knitting Checkerboard Pattern for Beginners

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What is a checkerboard pattern?

In the knitting world, a knitted checkerboard pattern refers to a simple textured pattern consisting of interconnected squares. The look resembles a chessboard, after which this pattern was named.

As with other textured patterns like lace or cable patterns, you can knit the checkerboard pattern in various variations. Depending on how many stitches and rows are arranged, a specific checkerboard pattern emerges.

The individual squares can be square, very narrow, or extremely wide. You can also knit the checkerboard pattern with only a half offset. Or how about this? There are no limits here – you can let your imagination run wild.

What is special about the checkerboard pattern and for which knitted items is it suitable?

What we particularly love about the checkerboard pattern is that the knitted front looks exactly like the back. This makes it wonderful for blankets, scarves, shawls, and cardigans that you like to wear open. In principle, the checkerboard pattern is often used for all knitted items that you want to wear on both sides.

Another special feature of the checkerboard pattern is that you only need knit and purl stitches. Hard to believe, but true: A distinctive checkerboard pattern can be knitted solely by using these two basic stitches. Wonderful.

Knitting a checkerboard pattern – here's how:

In our example, you see a knitted piece with a checkerboard pattern, where each individual square is 4 stitches x 4 rows large. In total, we have 26 stitches on the needle: 6 x 4 knit or purl stitches plus two selvedge stitches at the beginning and end.

To give the knitted piece a neat finish, we start with a knit selvedge stitch – each row is finished by slipping one stitch purlwise – meaning with the yarn in front of the work. This creates a beautiful chain edge.

Each square, which was knitted with 4 x 4 knit stitches, is adjoined both upwards and downwards as well as sideways to the left and right by a square consisting of 4 x 4 purl stitches.

In the knitted piece in front of us, the individual squares are already 4 rows high, so now the stitches are shifted. All knit stitches are purled, and all purl stitches are knitted.

Once this row is completed, in our example, three rows follow, which are knitted in the same stitches as they appear. So, all knit stitches are knitted, and all purl stitches are purled.

Another section of the pattern is already finished. Now a setup row begins again, in which the stitches are knitted offset.

How do I count stitches in the checkerboard pattern?

The easiest way to count stitches in the checkerboard pattern is with the purl stitches. Due to the distinctive structure of the purl stitches, you can follow along the “umbrellas” and count them from top to bottom. As soon as you have counted 4 rows of purl stitches, as in our case, you know that in the next row, knit stitches will follow the purl stitches – and vice versa.

Free checkerboard pattern instructions

To the checkerboards, ready, set, go. Or rather: To the needles, ready, set, go. With these free knitting instructions for checkerboard patterns, you can start knitting right away. Find your favorite checkerboard pattern instructions for free download now. Which knitted item will you choose?