Bed-swap blocks (checkerboard / "large moss")

Machine types that can knit it

• Single bed (punch card) + ribber
• Single bed (electronic) + ribber
• Double bed with pushers (Passap type)
• Double-bed hand flat (V-bed)

Steps

1. Cast on multiple of B, all needles.
2. Transfer to B front / B back alternation.
3. Add plating yarn, retune stitch size.
4. Knit R rows.
5. Swap every stitch to the other bed; needles forward (domestic).
6. Knit R rows.
7. Repeat.

The full card

What it looks like

Checkerboard of knit squares and purl squares. Pinned flat: crisp two-colour checker (with plating). Relaxed: squares buckle into diagonal rows of peaks and hollows, spiralling/coiling, like an egg-crate or quilted surface. Small blocks (1×1–2×2) = moss/seed texture. Mixed block sizes = colour-block patchwork with tactile relief. Domestic variant: blocks staggered each section so they lean/travel diagonally.

How it behaves

relief (bubbles/peaks on alternating diagonals); bouncy, elastic in both directions; degree increases with block size.

How it works

Groups of B needles alternate front/back across the row; after R rows every stitch swaps bed (front→back, back→front); repeat.

Machines

Double bed (many transfers per swap—use multi-prong tools). Single bed: garter carriage (Brother) automates bed-map patterns; otherwise manual reforming. Works the same on domestic standard gauge and fine V-bed; only scale changes.

Parameters

B stitches per block (1–20+), R rows per block (≈ B for squarish look; rows are shorter than stitches, so R ≥ B), cast-on multiple = 2B or B, plating on/off, block-size mix.

Steps

1) Cast on multiple of B, all needles. 2) Transfer to B front / B back alternation. 3) Add plating yarn, retune stitch size. 4) Knit R rows. 5) Swap every stitch to the other bed; needles forward (domestic). 6) Knit R rows. 7) Repeat.

Charting

Grid of grey/white squares B×R cells, 1 cell = 1 stitch × 1 row (or scaled). Bold grid every 10 cells.

Limits and common problems

Many transfers per row → slow; risk of missed stitch. Without plating the pattern is texture only.

Combines with

transfer-motif-plated (moss areas as mid-tone), rib-jersey-relief.

Pieces and assembly

Decide flat vs relaxed before measuring; relaxed fabric is much smaller than pinned.

Related techniques

• Alternating vertical-rib and horizontal-rib blocks
• Moss dots in the centre of rib columns
• Plated transfer motifs (reversible two-colour image)
• Vertical rib (N×M)
• Pitch / half-pitch rib arrangement
• Horizontal rib by whole-width bed swap