Serendipity: a charted design for any craft

Posted on by

Back in September 2014, the word I encoded for my Patreon was Serendipity, as suggested by a patron. At that point, I was still figuring out how to format my stitch pattern posts. I put charted design at the bottom of the Serendipity lace post with no written instructions.

I was also a little too ambitious and made an actual sample for the Serendipity charted design. At this point I was fascinated by knitweaving, and this looked like a good design to try with it. I love how it came out!

This week I decided it was time to give this charted design its own post. The instructions and chart below should work for a range of crafts. (Though it will be more suitable for some than others.)

Three columns of an abstract naturalistic design worked in colored yarn on a white background. One column is rust brown, one green, and one chocolate brown.
Chart showing how to work the Serendipity charted design by means of dark and light squares. Written instructions in blog post.
click to enlarge
  • The repeat borders in the chart indicate the section I would repeat if I were using this as an allover pattern. My knitweaving swatch does not (see photo above); instead I added one empty column on each side and worked each repeat in a different color. See the end of the post for how this chart would look as an allover design.
  • Serendipity has a repeat of 4 + 1 columns and 33 rows.
  • It might be interesting after working row 33 to flip the chart vertically, omit the new row 1, and work the remaining 32 rows to make the design vertically symmetrical. Assuming there’s enough space, of course.
  • 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; *1B, 3A; work from *, 1B.

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

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

Round 4: work knit as follows; *2A, 1B, 1A; work from *, 1A.

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

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

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

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

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

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

Round 11: work knit as follows; *(1A, 1B) × 2; work from *, 1A.

Round 12: work knit as follows; *1B, 3A; work from *, 1B.

Round 13: work knit as follows; *(1A, 1B) × 2; work from *, 1A.

Round 14: work knit as follows; *(1A, 1B) × 2; work from *, 1A.

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

Round 16: work knit as follows; *2A, 1B, 1A; work from *, 1A.

Round 17: work knit as follows; *(1A, 1B) × 2; work from *, 1A.

Round 18: work knit as follows; *(1A, 1B) × 2; work from *, 1A.

Round 19: work knit as follows; *(1A, 1B) × 2; work from *, 1A.

Round 20: work knit as follows; *2A, 1B, 1A; work from *, 1A.

Round 21: work knit as follows; *2A, 1B, 1A; work from *, 1A.

Round 22: work knit as follows; *(1A, 1B) × 2; work from *, 1A.

Round 23: work knit as follows; *1B, 3A; work from *, 1B.

Round 24: work knit as follows; *(1A, 1B) × 2; work from *, 1A.

Round 25: work knit as follows; *(1A, 1B) × 2; work from *, 1A.

Round 26: work knit as follows; *2A, 1B, 1A; work from *, 1A.

Round 27: work knit as follows; *2A, 1B, 1A; work from *, 1A.

Round 28: work knit as follows; *1B, 3A; work from *, 1B.

Round 29: work knit as follows; *2A, 1B, 1A; work from *, 1A.

Round 30: work knit as follows; *1B, 3A; work from *, 1B.

Round 31: work knit as follows; *1B, 3A; work from *, 1B.

Round 32: work knit as follows; *1B, 3A; work from *, 1B.

Round 33: work knit as follows; *2A, 1B, 1A; work from *, 1A.

Illustration showing how the Serendipity chart might look as two-color knitting, in brown and cream. It makes horizontal ornate bands with loops and swoops.

Here is how the chart might look when repeated without gaps in between.