Tutorial Tuesday - Tunisian Short Rows Square Dishcloth

As promised last week, here is how to make a square from using the same method that I used to create the octagon in last weeks tutorial. Some might as why I would use short rows to make a square when I could get a square just going straight up but there are advantages to using short rows in this way. The variegated yarn give quite a pleasing pattern and the square doesn't curl. So, with further ado, here's one way how to do it.

First, I start the same way I made the first segment of the octagonal dishcloth.

The first half of one side of the square

Then, instead of doing one stitch and increasing by one stitch each row, I decrease by one stitch each row.

TSS in all except the last stitch

One less stitch in the next row

And again in the next row

Continue in this manner until you have the minimum number of stiches.

One side of the square complete

I know, it looks more like a triangle at this stage and it still curls.

Now it's time to get tricky.I normally repeat the last row before starting to increase again.

TSS in second vertical bar

Just as with the octagonal dishcloth I'm now going to increase the number of stitches by one in each rowby picking up the next vertical bar in the previous segment with each row.

TSS in second vb and in last vb of second last row of previous segment

TSS in next 2 vb and last vb of 3rd last row of previous segment

It's a little harder to do than on the octagonal dishcloth as the angle being created is a bit tighter, but otherwise it is the same process. Just keep going until you have all stitches picked up.

Half of the second side complete

Finish this side by decreasing each row in the same manner that was done on the first side.

Second side complete

It looks like a triangle again and the first side still curls, but that's OK because we'll fix it with the last side.

Make the third side in the same manner as the second. On the fourth side, the first half is the same as the previous 2 sides.

Three sides and half of the fourth complete

But now I'm going to get even trickier. One thing I like to avoid, if I can, is sewing seams, so, with that in mind, I'm going to connect this 4th quarter with the first as I go. To do this I insert the hook through the last stitch on the middle row of the 1st quarter.

The hook is now inserted (pity about the quality of the pic but it's the best I can do with my current camera).

Now I yarn-over, pull through the stitch and the last loop on the hook. This counts the same as the "yo, pull thru 1 loop" I normally do at the beginning of the return pass. I then continue with yo, pull thru 2 loops as normal.

Ready to complete the return pass

TSS across to the second last stitch as on previous quarters, insert hook in the next stitch back on the first quarter.

Hook thru next stitch ready for yo.

Ready to complete return pass

Complete the last quarter by continuing in this manner until all rows are complete.

If this sounds too difficult, you can always complete the last quarter in the same manner as the previous 3 and sew up the seam, I can't see that it would make a great deal of difference.

Last quarter complete, ready to do the border

Border started

As with the octagonal dishcloth, I use a simple dc (US sc) border with the only difference being that I add an extra dc in the end of the first and last rows of each quarter.

Complete dishcloth ready to have loose threads sewn in.

Because the rows are at 90 degrees to each other the quarters each counteract the curl of the other quarters they are joined with making a square that sits flat without blocking.

As previous, all bouquets, brickbats and other comments will be gratefully accepted.

Next week I will show you how I work the short rows in the return pass to make another octagonal dishcloth.

Richard.