The yin yang square is a building block which can be used on its own (dish cloth, wash cloth, pot holder, pot scrubber, shawl, blanket, rug etc.) or part of construction (garments, vessels, soft furnishings, etc.)
Here, in the kitchen, from left to right, it is a dish towel in linen (the loose weave works well and also dries quickly) knotted over the hook to mimic old fashioned roller towels, a hand towel in a linen and cotton blend, and a dish cloth in linen in a tighter weave. I say "weave" but they are all knit.
This is a yin yang square folded simply into a Project Pocket, a means of carrying small knitting WIP's around either indoors or outside the home. This one is knit from my rescue handspun stash (the first attempts of spinners who often think they are mistakes and sell them at garage sales: I think they are beautiful!). It has buttons on the three corners as supports so will 'stand up while sitting' on a table and provide a 'pocket' for the ball of wool.
This is a swaddling bag made from six of the squares - two for front and back, one each for a sleeve. The top is stitched to the bottom part with running stitches which can be removed and the top then used as a coatlet. It can be worn with or without arms in sleeves.
You can see here how the square reverses half way from stockingette to reverse stockingette stitch which gives an interesting texture and why I call it a yin yang square.
Here is the front and the back of a coatlet made with four of the squares.
It's called a coatlet to indicate a loose-fitting, architectural design which houses the body.
Instead of following a pattern, per se, you knit (stst) the square starting in a corner, until you have the width (or length) of the intended piece and then begin the decrease (revstst) until you get to 3 sts. again and cast off.
I am still experimenting with this. There is a way to extend into a rectangle from the yin yang square but I am not there yet.
This method of clothing construction is rather like drawing the outline and filling in the blank with the knitting - sort of like we did with countries and coloured pencils in geography class in grade seven. I am thinking to try a coatlet with a square and then extend it with a line of small squares, side by side.
At the moment I am making a coatlet with the basic square;one side done on #10 needles, the other on # 8 and have knit to a 13 inch side on both. I like the combination of two different gauges on front and back and since this one is planned to be worn either way, then one could choose to have the looser weave on the front when the back needs a bit more warmth or vice versa. Am thinking to make the sleeves with the smaller needles.
There is something satisfying about knitting a yin yang square, something about starting with three stitches and increasing so visually on an angle, something pleasing in having an abundance of stitches on the needles at half way and then continuing on in the decrease in the reverse stitch to the first half and seeing the piece trot along toward the finish.
Here is the pattern: I would like to know what you make of it.
Yin Yang Square (worked over four rows)
Cast on 3 sts.
Row 1 Increase knitwise in first st. K to end
Row 2 Increase purlwise in first st. P to end
Row 3 Inc in first st. Knit to last st. Inc in last st.
Row 4 Inc in first st. Purl to last st. Inc in last st
There are now 9 sts on the needle and each four rows it goes 3,9,15,21,27,33,39,45 etc. which I find handy to know because I can count and find out which row I am on if I get distracted: I get distracted easily and often.
Continue these four rows to desired size of side of square. It might help to draw out the required block size on a piece of paper and then lay knitting on it. Then begin to decrease like this
Row 1 Purl 2 together Purl across row
Row 2 Knit 2 together Knit across row
Row 3 P2 tog. Purl to last two sts P2tog
Row 4 K2tog Knit to last two sts. K2tog
When only 3 sts remain - cast off.
I block the squares by wetting them thoroughly, wringing gently and lying on flat surface to dry without stretching.