Knitting in code

by

morse code cowl

So there I was on my couch last week, knitting yet another cowl, trying to arrive at the perfect combination of yarn, stitch pattern and dimensions to create a warm and stylish object I would want to have piled around my neck always, when I began chiding myself for how particularly minimalist this one was. A nice tasteful charcoal. Stockinette with ribbed edges. “Can’t you put a little texture in it or something?” Well maybe I could scatter a few purl rows in there — 3 or 4 spaced-out purl rows? “Daring! But how would that affect the way it lays?” I don’t know. What if they weren’t all solid purl rows but maybe every other stitch, something like that? Or random purl stitches here and there? “What if it wasn’t random, but there was actually some irrelevant organizing principle at play?”

And somehow the next thing my brain came up with was … Morse Code. What can I say? (And, hey!, I’m sure I’m far from the first dork genius to ever make this connection.)

It so happens that I have always liked inscriptions and secret messages and such, so the idea stuck. The next day I was learning the code and charting out a message — using a single purl stitch for a dot and 3 in a row for a dash. (“Dots” and “dashes” really being short and long signals.) And every space is a knit stitch: 1 between the dots/dashes of a single letter; 3 between letters; 7 between words. Then I figured if I’m doing something as dorky as knitting Morse Code, I might as well go all the way and make it punny, right? So this cowl says I wool always love you.

As intended, it gives just a very little bit of visual interest. I centered my three “text” rows on each other but then positioned them toward one end of the object for a little asymmetry. If I knew someone who could actually read Morse Code, could they read the cowl? Maybe. But it’s sort of beside the point. Like an inscription, the wearer is the only one who needs to know.

I’m including the pattern, such as it is, but you could obviously make up anything you want for the “inscription.” Just remember that Morse is a lot of characters, what with all the spaces between letters and words — I mean, “love you” is 83 stitches — so you have to keep it short and break the words up such that they fit within your stitch count. And then knit them right to left, bottom to top.

– – – – – – –

P A T T E R N

Materials:

  • US11 x 24″ circular needle
  • approx 240 yds solid-colored* chunky/bulky yarn
  • stitch marker

Dimensions:

Approximately 32″ circumference and 17″ high, before blocking

Directions:

CO 96 stitches, place marker, and join for working in the round
Work k2/p2 ribbing for 1-1/2″ or 5 rows
Switch to stockinette stitch (knit all rows) until piece measures 4″
Next row: k6, p3, k1, p1, k1, p1, k3, p3, k1, p3, k1, p3, k3, p3, k1, p3, k1, p1, k1, p3, k7, p1, k3, p3, k1, p1, k1, p1, k1, p1, k3, p3, k1, p3, k1, p3, k3, p1, k1, p1, k1, p3, k1, p1, k7
Resume stockinette until piece measures 6″
Next row: k17, p1, k1, p1, k1, p1, k3, p3, k1, p3, k1, p1, k1, p3, k3, p3, k1, p1, k3, p3, k1, p3, k1, p1, k3, p1, k1, p1, k1, p3, k1, p1, k3, p3, k1, p1, k18
Resume stockinette until piece measures 8″
Next row: k18, p1, k1, p1, k1, p3, k1, p1, k3, p3, k1, p3, k1, p3, k3, p3, k1, p3, k1, p3, k3, p3, k1, p3, k1, p1, k7, p1, k1, p1, k19
Resume stockinette until piece measures 15-1/2″
Switch to k2/p2 ribbing for 1-1/2″ or 5 rows
BO and weave in ends

– – –

*The idea here is that this is subtle texture. Doing the Morse stitches in a contrasting color would be too “on the nose” for me personally, whereas a variegated yarn would muddle the stitch pattern — the Morse bits would wind up just looking like mistakes in your work. Hence my recommendation to do this with a single solid color.

p.s. 01.17: Added to Ravelry

morse code cowl annotated

38 thoughts on “Knitting in code”

    • Your spacing leaves much to be desired, but I got it. BTW I’m not a knitter. I’m a Ham Radio Operator!

  7. I am astounded. This is amazingly wonderfully awesomely cool! S…. O…. S…. time to knit faster so I can finish my current project and try this out!

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  11. Pingback: how-to: knit a morse code cowl | make handmade, crochet, craft

  12. Although I don’t knit, I adore the idea of hiding secret messages in artwork, and morse code is the coolest (and so retro)!!!

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  23. I discovered your blog just recently and I’m so happy with the depth it has – like blog reading many years ago. So I’m reading myself through your archives. You wrote something like that with your discovery of the wiksten blog :-)
    Had to smile when I found your code knitting. I did something like this with thread and needles. http://t-tally.blogspot.de/2009/10/textilemonatsseite-wege-wohin-sie.html
    So I rediscovered my own blog with the former in-depth posts.
    And oh yes – my way led me into a fresh heavy knitting and yarn period (again). That is how I found your blog. Yarn and swatch is already prepared for your amanda-kal.
    cu

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  25. You are a genius!!! I totally love the idea of this! What a wonderful gift for a special friend or family member to keep your love close to them, what a treasure it will be to wear! I’m reading your words that are in brackets for example: (I wool = K19/pat59/K18) I understand K19 means knit, but what does pat 19 mean? That you show much for sharing your pattern! I know just who to make it for – my beautiful daughter!

      • Thanks Karen. Now one last question. I printed off your pattern, pulled out the yarn, starting casting on and then realized that I may not be using the right yarn. I wanted to use Lion Brand Thick and Quick which is Super Bulky #6. With this thickness of yarn I’m thinking that 96 stiches is going to make a way-too-wide cowl. Will the pattern still work if I cast on less – like the pattern will just wrap around instead of just being in the front? – any suggestions?

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  27. When learning Morse Code to become an amateur radio operator I would go around the house sounding the code… da’s for dashes and very short d’s for dots. da d da d, da da d da….or C Q, the internationally recognized code for calling anyone out there. I might just have to make this for the hubs…he can send and receive 25 wpm which still, after 50 years, astounds me.

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