DuraEuropos Patterns
Contributed by Virginia S. Giffbrd, Washington, D.C.
These two patterns come from the oldest known piece of knitting in existence. The city of Dura-Europos, on the bank of the Euphrates River in Syria, was founded in 300 b.c. and fell in 256 a.d. Archaeological explorations of this city by Yale University and the French Government uncovered samples of textiles made in the period between these two dates, among them a large fragment of undyed tan wool knitted in these patterns.
Tightly twisted stockinette stitch, made by knitting and purling into the backs of the stitches, is characteristic of the earliest knitting. It gives the authentic touch to the patterns, although they can be worked in plain knit and purl stitches also. Alternatively, the stitches may be "crossed" by working into the back loops on right-side rows only.
Knitter, let your hands reach back twenty centuries into the past and touch the hands of your unknown cultural ancestor who made that ancient fragment—never dreaming that he or she was making it for you!
Notes: Increase (inc)—knit into the back of the st in the row below the next st on left-hand needle (inserting right-hand needle from the top down into the purled head of the st below the needle), then knit into the back of the st on left-hand needle.
Purl increase (purl inc)—purl into the front and back of the same stitch.
- center panf.i.: Dura-Europos Pattern 1 side panels: Dura-Europos Pattern II
DURA-EUROPOS PATTERN I
Panel of 17 sts.
Row 1 (Right side)—P6, k5-b, p6. Row 2—K6. p5-b, k6.
Row 3- P4, p2 tog, kl-b, inc, pi, inc, kl-b, p2 tog, p4. Row 4 K5, (pl-b, kl) 3 times, pl-b, k5. Row 5—P3, p2 tog, kl-b, (pi, inc) twice, pi, kl-b, p2 tog, p3. Row 6—K4, pl-b, kl, (p2-b, kl) twice, pl-b, k4.
Row 7—P2, p2 tog, kl-b, pi, kl-b, inc, pi, inc, kl-b, pi, kl-b, p2 tog, p2. Row 8—K3, (pl-b, kl) 5 times, pl-b, k3.
Row 9—PI, p2 tog, (kl-b, pi) twice, inc. pi, inc, (pi, kl-b) twice. p2 tog. pi.
Row 10—K2, (pl-b. kl) twice, p2-b. kl, p2-b, (kl, pl-b) twice, k2.
Row 11—P2 tog, (kl-b. pi) twice, kl-b, inc, pi, inc, kl-b. (pi, kl-b) twice, p2 tog.
Row 15—Purl inc, (kl-b, pi) twice, k2 tog-b. kl-b. pi. kl-b, k2 tog. (pi, kl-b) twice, purl inc.
Rows 16, 18, 20. and 22—Repeat Rows 10. 8, 6, and 4.
Row 17 Pi, purl inc, (kl-b, pi) twice, k2 tog-b, pi, k2 tog, (pi. kl-b) twice, purl inc., pi.
Row 19—P2, purl inc, kl-b, pi, k2 tog-b, kl-b. pi, kl-b, k2 tog, pi, kl-b, purl inc. P2.
Row 21—P3, purl inc, kl-b, pi, k2 tog-b, pi, k2 tog, pi, kl-b, purl inc, p3. Row 23—P4, purl inc, kl-b, k2 log, kl-b, k2 tog-b, kl-b, purl inc, p4. Row 24—Repeat Row 2.
Repeat Rows 1-24.
DURA-EUROPOS PATTERN II
Panel of 15 sts.
Rows 1 and 3 (Right side)—PI, purl inc, k3-b, k2 tog, kl-b. k2 tog-b. k3-b. purl inc, pi. Row 2—K2, pll-b, k2. Row 4—Kl, pl-b, kl, p9-b, kl, pl-b, kl.
Row 5—PI. inc, pi, k2-b, k2 tog, kl-b, k2 tog-b, k2-b, pi, inc, pi. Row 6—Kl. p2-b. kl, p7-b, kl, p2-b, kl.
Row 7—Pi, inc. kl-b, pl, kl-b, k2 log, kl-b, k2 log-b, kl-b, pi, kl-b. inc, pi. Row 8—Kl, p3-b, kl, p5-b, kl. p3-b, kl.
Row 9—PI, inc, k2-b. pl, k2 tog, kl-b, k2 tog-b. pl, k2-b, inc, pl. Row 10—Kl. p4-b, kl, p3-b, kl, pl-b, kl.
Repeat Rows 1-10.
Average user rating: 5 stars out of 1 votes
Post a comment