Square Up is a Shetland hap made with a non-traditional construction. It’s knitted in the round from the centre out, starting on DPNs (yes, it’s a little fiddly at first) and then progressing onto long circular needles for each of its four sides. It is worked in stocking stitch, with garter stitch stripes for contrast and texture, and yarn overs for the increases at the corners, which create eyelets.

I was using up my lovely Uradale wool, and had a mixture of DK and jumper weight (4 ply) which I mostly used double. Square Up is intended as a project which can use up whichever yarns you have, and thus it can be as large as you like - you could even make a throw or blanket. The construction means you’re always knitting the outside edges. You can vary your stripes and your texture stitches too. In the pattern, I describe how I made mine, and offer alternative suggestions and ideas. I used 5mm needles. If your yarns are DK and aran, I suggest you try 6mm or 7mm needles. If you have lots of 4 ply, try 4mm needles.

If you want to make your Square Up using Uradale DK wool, I calculate you would need three 50g balls of white, and two each of the two contrasting colours, to make the size I made, approx 107cm / 42” square. The pattern includes my list of what I actually had available, and how much I used of it too. I even decided to loosely knot joining yarns, and join colours in the middle of rounds! A real stash-buster, you might say!