4 round dot pattern with 2 “squaring off” rounds.

Each square is 6.5” width/length.

Plan: 9x9 matrix, 9 colors (making 9 dots for each color), using a sudoku solution as layout for nicely-distributed colors

Will use R to generate a Sudoku grid and graph out the colors to find a layout I like: https://medium.com/@tumuhimbisemoses/how-to-generate-play...

I weighed the dot after finishing one, before yarn end woven in: 8.5 grams. With 199 gram skeins, I could get about 23 dots in one skein, but I’m only making 9 per each color… scraps should be fine. This also works out to 15.2 yards per dot.

• The border added about 11 grams. Skein is 199 grams, so I should be able to border 17-18 dots per skein, so I’d need just shy of 5 skeins for all 81 dots. Will need some extra for the joining and afghan border. This also works out to 19.6 yards per border for a dot.

Last round of dot, use my modified not-quite-invisible join (skipping over that extra chain 2 from prior round). I work the yarn end into the lower/back part of the originating stitch (NOT into the top loops of the stitch), so I don’t add more bulk to the top of the stitch. This makes it easier to work sts into it in the next round. See series of pics.

Modified border round 5 (first border round after finishing the dot):

• Each corner is worked into two sts, with three sts worked into each, separated by a ch2 (dc/tr/tr, ch2, tr/tr/dc). I’m going to start the round with the tr (in bold above) JUST before the ch2… will add in the first two stitches at the end of the round:
• Begin with standing tr in any stitch, chain 2, in next stitch: tr, tr, dc. <-- will finish off this corner at the end of the round.
• Along side: dc, 2 hdc, 4 sc, 2 hdc, dc.
• Corners: (dc, tr, tr) in one stitch. Chain 2. (tr, tr, dc) in next stitch.
• And so on.
• At the end of the round (dc, tr) in the same stitch as the first standing treble to complete the set. Slip st to that tr to join.

Modified round 6:

• Chain 3 (counts as first dc)
• In corner space: 2 dc, chain 2, 2 dc
• dc in every stitch along side
• Should have 20 dc along each side.

I can complete one dot in about 7 minutes (minus the border).

To join:

• Use a flat braid-style join which gives it a braided look (pulling the st through the opposing square by dropping loop, inserting hook in other square from RS to WS, and pulling through). Same way I joined my snowflake afghan:

• With RS facing of two squares (one on left, other on right), starting with square on the left, join yarn with slip stitch in ch-2 corner, chain 1, drop loop then insert hook through ch-2 corner on opposing square from RS to WS and pull loop through, ch-1, skip first stitch on other square, slip into next stitch, ch-1, skip 1 stitch on other square, drop loop and pull it through the opposing square, ch-1… continue to end (putting last slip sts in the end ch-2 corner, ending with final chain 1, break yarn, pull through).

• Will join them in strips, then will join the strips.

• To attach strips, using the same flat braid method, when getting to the 4-corners, keep working as established, but slip into each of the corner spaces, back and forth (as you do for the other sts), still separated by chain ones… then chain 1 and carry on. There will still be a small gap there, but I think it looks nice and consistent.

Afghan border:

• Round 1: In the corners: 2 hdc, ch2, 2 hdc. Along the sides: hdc in each stitch. When you get to the join between two pieces, dc in the first space, fpdc around the big border join/chunk, dc in the second space. Continue. Join at end with sl st into first hdc.

• Round 2: Ch1, sc in same st as joining. Sc around, with 3 sc in corner spaces.

486 yarn ends!
81 squares x 4 ends
9 strips x 16 ends
8 strip joins x 2 ends
Afghan border x 2 ends