I have grown fond of playing with ArahPaint’s functions: guess weave from grid, and drawing in repeat, and am constantly amused by the speed with which most design repeats and color separations can now be drafted when compared to the very first efforts in the days of anyone trying to use Excel spreadsheets to accomplish the same tasks.
Drafts designed for handweaving provide endless inspiration for knit design.
In conjunction with ArahPaint, Gimp remains a frequent go-to as well, along with Numbers for Mac for when spreadsheet tables meet charting or design needs.
The programs are free, there is no need to purchase expensive design programs in order to develop DIY motifs.
Developing tiled repeats suitable for multiple stitch types, including tuck , offered some repeats that began with geometric blocks built with squares, rectangles, and lines, some of which are suitable for punchcard knitting.
Many are included here again to serve as a cumulative collection of possible springboards for use as is or for developing more personal variations.
A reminder: the pngs below were saved as indexed, B/W files.
When downloaded, they may be converted automatically to RGB mode.
Prior to downloading any to machines, check their image mode, and if it is RGB, convert it back to B/W indexed. The pixel dimensions text for designs suitable for punchcard machines are highlighted in a different color.
More repeats are available in the post on Working with diagonal patterning in machine knitting
Larger pngs may be subdivided to change their appearance or alignment of specified numbers of cells.
To begin with, cells may be filled in any color, with mode and color changes to indexed BW if for electronic download
8X8 punchcard full repeat
its png
12X12
visualized drawn in repeat X12
and modified using drawing X12 in random repeat for use in electronic machines
introducing dotted squares, another 12X12
19X19
18X18, shown tiled X 9 in both width and height
and modified using random
A Ravelry query prompted these designs
22×22
22X30
32X32
44X54
66X60
The present series:
20X20
25X23
26X23
35X35 68X68
A visit to a quilting blog led to these explorations, beginning with a 20X20 repeat, rotated in 4 directions to be combined in new 40X40 repeats for different movements.
A first simple 40X40 grouping
tiled X5 in width and height, also color reversed to visualize the result with the potential exchange of the yarn positions in the color-changing sequences
Dividing the repeat in half, color inverting the 20X20 segment on the right,
combining it with the left half
And with color inverted quarter segments
In the following designs, the meeting points are slightly offset.
and lastly, aiming for more of a diagonal
Varying shapes
12X12 drawn in repeat X13
26X26
drawn in repeat X6
with color inverted quarters
drawn in repeat X6
16X16
drawn in repeat X10
drawn in repeat selecting random
24X24
24X20
24X24
Developing related series, stop or continue, choose a preferred design anywhere along the way
47X47 94X94 with segment rotations
drawn in repeat X2
a few rows and columns removed, 43X43
86X86
a series beginning with 68X64 pixels
A purposeful effort to create outlines, 22X24
55X59
Alternating outline colors, 50X72
Using pixelated lines to break up blocks
8X28 16X16
drawn in repeat X10
14X14
drawn in repeat X11
24X24
24X24 with quarter-turned segments
drawn in repeat X7
24X47
cropped to 24X40, for different symmetry
Developing repeats evocative of samplers
48X48 64X64
An electronic repeat with shifting angles, 32X32
magnified 2X2 for a better view
Color inverted quarter segments composing a slightly glitched pattern evocative of tartans, 128X128
112X112
Tiny details, large repeat, 48X98
34X140
74X74
The start of a different potential family, 93X32
Introducing circles or parts of them to the library, 19X20
tiledX10
random variations
36X40