Rectangle of Square-Mesh – 5 x 14 squares - Starting from the Middle

How time flies. I had posts completed up through the end of April. At that point I was to have a week free, or so I thought. That week came and flew by so fast I hardly knew it existed. Then one day, weeks after I should have been creating new posts, I realized I had missed a couple of weeks. So, having proved I'm human and can make mistakes, here I am again.

Almost a year ago I made some rectangles of square-mesh netting, starting from the middle. I made one with an even number of squares in both the width and the length and one with an odd number of squares in the width and length. I wondered what would change in the instructions if I made one with an odd number of squares in the width and an even number of squares in the length.

Then I got busy with my husband trying to figure out square-mesh Vandykes and scallops. Recently I realized that I had not tried that combination so I made a rectangle of square-mesh netting to find out the answer to my question.

Rectangle of Square-Mesh – 5 x 14 squares - Starting from the Middle

Here are my instructions for creating this piece of square-mesh netting.

I made it with size 20 crochet thread, and used a #8 and a #6 knitting needle.

Before starting the actual netting:

1. Fill a netting needle or shuttle with thread or cord.
2. Attach it to a foundation loop.  To do this:
1. Tie a slip knot in the thread or cord coming from the needle or shuttle.  Leaving a tail, at least 2 to 3 inches.
2. Slip the foundation-loop cord through the slipknot.
3. Tie the foundation-loop cord into a circle thereby creating a foundation loop.
4. Tighten the slipknot.
3. Attach the foundation loop to a tension device.
4. Choose a mesh stick.

Start the Rectangle

Row 1: Using the small mesh stick, net 6 more knots into the foundation loop.

Remove the mesh stick and turn the work so that the next row can be worked from left to right. (This will be done at the end of each row.)

Row 2: Using the large mesh stick, net 1 knot in each loop. (6 loops in the row)

Row 3: Using the large mesh stick, net 1 knot in each loop except the last 2 loops; net the last 2 loops together. (5 loops in the last row)

Rows 4-6: Repeat Row 3 until there are only 2 loops in the row. (For each additional row, the number of loops will decrease by 1.)   When there are only 2 loops on a row, net those 2 loops together without using a mesh stick.

Cut the thread. Remove the netting from the foundation loop (which unties the knots created in Row 1) and undo the former knots in Row 1 to straighten the loops. Run the foundation-loop cord through one of the other rows of netting. Tie the thread from the netting needle to the loose thread at the end of Row 1.

Lengthen the Rectangle

Row 7: (Increase Row) Net 1 knot in each loop except the last loop; net 2 knots in the last loop. (8 loops in the row)

Row 8: (Decrease Row) Net 1 knot in each loop except for the last 2 loops, net the last 2 loops together. (7 loops in the row)

Rows 9-14: Repeat these 2 rows until the number of rows equals the number of squares desired in the length of the rectangle.

Row 15: Net 1 knot in each loop. (7 loops in the row)

Finish the Rectangle

Row 16: (Decrease Row) Net 1 knot in each loop except the last 2 loops; net the last 2 loops together. (5 loops in the row)

Rows 17-19: Continue by repeating this decrease row until there are only 2 loops in the row. (For each additional row, the number of loops will decrease by 1.)   When there are only 2 loops on a row, net those 2 loops together without using a mesh stick.

Cut the thread and remove the netting from the foundation loop.