mustard yellow cotton block showcasing the free lowercase letter c knitting pattern over a light coloured wooden floor
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Lowercase letter c knitting pattern

Consistency is the heartbeat of a beautiful heirloom project, which is why I’ve revisited a foundational favorite: the lowercase letter c. As part of our ongoing effort to ensure the entire alphabet collection fits perfectly together, this corrected version features a refined width that aligns beautifully with its neighboring letters. Like all our 52SP standards, this block is beginner-friendly, uses only knit and purl stitches, and includes our high-contrast chart for effortless knitting. It’s the perfect time to cast on and see how these subtle changes make your personalized blankets shine.

free lowercase letter c knitting pattern swatch in bright yellow cotton yarn, alphabet knitting pattern series
Project DetailRequirement
Skill LevelBeginner (only knits and purls)
Yarn WeightDK or Worsted
Needle Size4mm / US 6 (and 4.5mm / US 7 for casting on and binding off stitches)
Finished Size8.5” x 8.5” (22 cm x 22 cm)

Materials & Tools for the Lowercase letter ‘c’ block

  • Yarn: 70 yds (64 m) of DK yarn (8 ply). OR 140 yds (128 m) of light fingering yarn (approx 3 ply) USED DOUBLE.
  • Needles: 4mm / US 6 (and 4.5mm / US 7 for casting on and binding off stitches).
  • Tools: tapestry needle for weaving in yarn ends, scissors.
  • Gauge: 21 sts x 28 rows in stocking st with US 6 (4 mm needles) and DK yarn =  4” x 4” (10 cm x 10 cm)

NOTE: You can change the yarn weight and needle size to obtain different sized blocks. Let me know in the comments if you need help!


Lowercase letter c: Knitted alphabet square instructions

hand knitted mustard yellow cotton square showing the lowercase letter c, beginner knitting pattern for dishcloths and blanket blocks, with a 52SP standard badge on the right top corner

Abbreviations:

  • CO: cast on
  • RS: right side
  • WS: wrong side
  • st(s): stitch(es)
  • k: knit
  • p: purl

The Pattern: General Instructions

  1. Cast on sts

    CO 43 sts with US 7 (4.5 mm) needles.
    I always cast on and bind off stitches with larger needles than I use for the main work. This prevents my cast on and bind off rows from being too tight.

  2. Garter stitch bottom border

    With US 6 (4 mm) needles, knit 4 rows.
    Slip first stitch on every row as if you were to knit it, but without knitting it (except on the first row). It will form a neat and sturdy border.

  3. Main pattern with garter stitch side borders

    Continue working the next 55 rows as follows:
    4 garter sts, Lowercase Letter c knitting pattern over 35 sts, 4 garter sts
    You can follow either the row-by-row written instructions or the chart below for the Lowercase Letter c knitting pattern.

  4. Garter stitch top border

    Knit 4 rows.

  5. Bind off

    Bind off all sts with a US 7 (4.5 mm) needle. Cut yarn and weave in ends.

  6. (Optional) Blocking

    Block your square to its final measures.


Lowercase Letter c Knitting Pattern: Row-by-Row Instructions

Click to expand

Row 1) and every following odd row (RS) Knit all stitches

Row 2) Purl all stitches

Row 4) Purl all stitches

Row 6) Purl all stitches

Row 8) Purl all stitches

Row 10) Purl all stitches

Row 12) p13, k9, p13

Row 14) p11, k13, p11

Row 16) p9, k17, p9

Row 18) p8, k19, p8

Row 20) p7, k8, p6, k7, p7

Row 22) p7, k6, p10, k5, p7

Row 24) p7, k5, p23

Row 26) p7, k5, p23

Row 28) p7, k5, p23

Row 30) p7, k5, p23

Row 32) p7, k6, p10, k5, p7

Row 34) p7, k8, p6, k7, p7

Row 36) p8, k19, p8

Row 38) p9, k17, p9

Row 40) p11, k13, p11

Row 42) p13, k9, p13

Row 44) Purl all stitches

Row 46) Purl all stitches

Row 48) Purl all stitches

Row 50) Purl all stitches

Row 52) Purl all stitches

Row 54) Purl all stitches

Row 55) Knit all stitches

Lowercase c Knitting Pattern: Chart

  • Read all odd rows from right to left, and all even rows from left to right.

Note: These charted instructions represent the 35-stitch design area. Remember to work your 4-stitch garter borders at the beginning and end of every row.

high-contrast chart for the lowercase letter c dishcloth or blanket block
legend for knit and purl charts

Pin it!

Use the image below to save this pattern into your Pinterest knitting board.

pinterest image for the free lowercase letter c knitting pattern

Download the Printable PDF

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Looking for more blocks?

If you are looking for more blocks with the same size to join into a blanket, check out the growing Free Square Patterns Library! Here three suggestions from The Animal Kingdom, the Botanical Garden, and the Textures Collection:

close-up of a warbler bird knitting pattern swatch in dark olive green cotton yarn
close-up of a yellow cotton square featuring the maple leaf dishcloth or blanket block pattern, with an 52SP standard badge on the top right corner
boxes and lines knitting pattern swatch in pink yarn, with a 52SP badge on the right top corner

Looking for more letters?

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