The Celtic knot square looks like a puzzle and turns out to be a pleasant afternoon’s work. The interwoven band at the centre reads as though the strands pass over and under each other, but nothing is actually woven – the illusion comes from the order in which the pieces are worked and joined.
What you get
The square works at several sizes depending on your yarn and hook. In cotton at a firm tension it makes an excellent dishcloth: the raised knot gives it enough texture to scrub with, and cotton stands up to repeated washing. Worked smaller it becomes a coaster. Worked in a soft acrylic or wool and repeated, it becomes a blanket motif with far more character than a plain granny square.
The knot
The knot itself is made from separate crocheted strands that are threaded through one another before being anchored to the square’s background. Take your time at this stage. Getting the over-under sequence right the first time is much easier than unpicking it, and once the strands are secured the square is essentially finished.
Use a contrasting colour for the knot on your first attempt. Seeing the strands clearly against the background makes the construction obvious, and after one square you will be able to work it in a single colour if you prefer the subtler look.
Yarn notes
Cotton for anything that will get wet, in a light or medium worsted weight. A smooth yarn keeps the knot crisp; anything fuzzy will blur the crossings that make the design legible.
If you enjoy this construction, it sits nicely alongside other textured square patterns as a mixed-motif blanket.
