Hip to be Square--Making Miterred Blocks!

This week's class project was mitered squares. In general, a miter is basically two points joined at a 45 degree angle. In knitting, you achieve this angle by inserting decreases in the middle of your work. As you decrease, the knitting begins to fold in on it's self. You cast on a straight line but end up with a pretty cool looking square! You can see that angle starting to create itself in the picture of my sample below...

Of course, any knitting involves the participation of certain furry felines (sigh)...if it moves, it needs to be caught!

Here is an example of the decrease I used..."sl 2tog knitwise, k1, p2sso"...or, "slip 2 together knitwise, knit one, pass 2 slip stitches over." Here I am slipping two stitches off the left needle, together in the direction like I would if I was knitting them...unknitted, to the right side.

I knit the next stitch and slide it onto my right needle. Then I pick up those two stitches that I slipped knitwise OVER the knitted stitch and slide it off my needle completely...like I would if I was binding the stitch off.

It's slowly getting more square like!

I added in another color to give it a little "punch" visually (that and well, the pattern called for it! lol).

Oh, and fyi, I knitted rows between the decreasing rows...

And viola...a square with a pretty 45 degree angle! I made a set of four. They need to be blocked but you get the idea!

We talked in class about attaching some felt to the bottoms to make a coaster. I may have to try this!

All ready to give away but I think I am going to keep these. I love the way that mitering looks and I really need some coasters!