Cicada: a charted design for any craft

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The random number generator picked Cicada from the suggestions for this post, suggested by Jeannette Belle, one of my Patreon supporters.

I developed a lace knitting stitch pattern for Cicada, but I also like to provide a basic chart for any craft that’s worked on a grid: beads, cross stitch, whatever. I try to provide at least some digital art of the pattern repeated all over not as a chart. It doesn’t necessarily look like a finished object for any particular craft, but I want to give a sense of it in use. (I try to make it look like knitting when it’s got floats short enough for easy stranded knitting.)

A drawing of how the Cicada chart might look as two-color knitting. Blue shapes like tops or paper lanterns alternate on a pale background with some speckles scattered about.
Chart showing how to work the Cicada design by means of dark and light squares. Written instructions in blog post.
click chart to enlarge
  • The Cicada charted design has a repeat of 12 + 1 columns and 14 + 1 rows.
  • In the written instructions, color A is the light squares above, and color B is the dark.
  • The written instructions below are formatted for stranded knitting, but it is my hope that they could be translated into instructions for other crafts. For instance, if working filet crochet, 1A could be one open square and 2B could be two filled-in squares.
  • This pattern is written in rounds, but because each row has mirror symmetry, the colors can be read in flat rows as written. If knitting, just work purl stitches on alternating rows instead of knit.
  • Designers, please feel free to use this in your patterns (no need to ask). I’d like credit but won’t be offended if people don’t give it.
  • My blog posts and stitch patterns are supported by subscriptions on Patreon or donations to my Paypal tip jar in the sidebar. If you appreciate my work, please consider helping out. Thanks!

Round 1: work knit as follows; 1A, *2B, 1A, 1B, 3A, 1B, 1A, 2B, 1A, repeat from *.

Round 2: work knit as follows; 1B, *1A, 2B, 5A, 2B, 1A, 1B, repeat from *.

Round 3: work knit as follows; 1A, *2B, 3A, 1B, 3A, 2B, 1A, repeat from *.

Round 4: work knit as follows; 1B, *3A, 1B, (1A, 1B) × 2, 3A, 1B, repeat from *.

Round 5: work knit as follows; 1B, *1A, 1B, 3A, 1B, 3A, 1B, 1A, 1B, repeat from *.

Round 6: work knit as follows; 1B, *3A, 2B, 1A, 2B, 3A, 1B, repeat from *.

Round 7: work knit as follows; 1A, *2A, 2B, 1A, 1B, 1A, 2B, 3A, repeat from *.

Round 8: work knit as follows; 1A, *1A, 1B, 1A, 2B, 1A, 2B, 1A, 1B, 2A, repeat from *.

Round 9: work knit as follows; 1A, *2A, 2B, 1A, 1B, 1A, 2B, 3A, repeat from *.

Round 10: work knit as follows; 1B, *3A, 2B, 1A, 2B, 3A, 1B, repeat from *.

Round 11: work knit as follows; 1B, *1A, 1B, 3A, 1B, 3A, 1B, 1A, 1B, repeat from *.

Round 12: work knit as follows; 1B, *3A, 1B, (1A, 1B) × 2, 3A, 1B, repeat from *.

Round 13: work knit as follows; 1A, *2B, 3A, 1B, 3A, 2B, 1A, repeat from *.

Round 14: work knit as follows; 1B, *1A, 2B, 5A, 2B, 1A, 1B, repeat from *.

Work rounds 1-14 as desired, ending with round 15.

Round 15: work knit as follows; 1A, *2B, 1A, 1B, 3A, 1B, 1A, 2B, 1A, repeat from *.