I have made a few knitted squares from the free dishcloth patterns that are online. I have seen patterns that are worked through every row that is knitted, as well as by knitting or purling the odd rows while working the relief stitch in the even row. What is the easiest method?
It really depends on what you want to do. Do you want to knit flat or in the round? Do you want to knit in multiple colors? What is the project?
For large blocks of multiple colors when knitting flat you use “intarsia”.
For multiple colors that run across the work you can use “stranded” (aka fair isle) both for flat or in the round. It’s easier in the round though.
Both methods are under advanced techniques in the video section of KH at the tab above.
I am flat knitting, aiming towards an afghan or bed spread once the squares are connected. My project has a theme, “My Catholic Life”. I am using worsted-weight yarns, and size 7 needles. So far I have a rose, a pattern called chalices, wheat ears, vines, angels, waterfalls, and shells. I want to make a Benedictine-styled crucifix, a dove, and the silhouette of Our Lady of Guadalupe. It is an ambitious project, but I am feeling good about the results thus far. It started from purchasing a pattern book called “Knit a Block”. It looked like a good way to learn different knitting patterns. I made a crocheted sampler afghan last year making 63 blocks, all different.
Okay, so you are making squares to seam together. For adding designs such as those you’ve mentioned intarsia would be the method to use if you are using more than one color. If you are using the same color then you would use different stitches like you mentioned in the first post.
If you are looking for charts for the designs ask in the Pattern Central forum. 