Obama Logo

Pattern by Lauren Eaves

Yarn: Paton’s Grace mercerized cotton, Cardinal, Snow, and Azure, on US 4 needles, for a finished logo 6” across. Uses approximately twice as much white as the other colors.
Worsted wool, on US 7 needles, for 7” across.


w&t: Wrap and Turn. Slip the next stitch onto the right needle. Move the yarn to the front of the work. Slip the stitch back to the left needle, then turn the work around. When you finish short rows, pick up the wrap and knit it together with the slipped stitch.
M1: Make one; increase by picking up the bar between stitches, twisting it, and knitting into it.

Notes: Throughout the pattern, color changes are on the right side, on even numbered rows, while increases are on the wrong side, on odd numbered rows. Generally, slip the first stitch of each row to make an even edge.

Field section:
The field of red and white stripes is built with short rows. Every time you turn the work to make a short row, you wrap the next stitch. When you knit back across the short rows, pick up the wraps. Carry the non-working yarn up the edge if you’d like.

CO 15 sts With Red using the cable cast-on method.

R1. Slip 1, k 12, w&t
R2. K 11, w&t
R3. K 9 w&t
R4. K 6 w&t
R5. K 3 w&t
R6. K to last stitch, picking up wraps, m1, k1.
R7. K across, picking up remaining wraps. [16 stitches]

Switch to White.

R8. K across, CO 6
R9. K16, m1, k2, w&t.
R10. K17, w&t
R11. K11, w&t.
R12. K9, w&t
R13. K5, w&t
R14. K to end, picking up wraps.
R15. Sl1, knit to end picking up wraps. [23 stitches]

Switch to Red.

R16 and all even rows through 36. Knit.
R17. Sl1, k1, m1, k8, m1, k11, m1, k2.
R19. Sl1, k1, m1, k17, w&t.
R21. Sl1, k1, m1, k6, m1, k6, m1, k6, w&t.
R23. Sl1, k1, m1, k to last 2 sts picking up wraps, m1, k2. [31 Stitches]

Switch to White.

R25. Sl1, k1, m1, k24, w&t.
R27. Sl1, k18 w&t.
R29. L1, k9, m1, k14 picking up wrap, m1, k to end picking up wrap. [34 Stitches]

Switch to Red

R31. K to end.
R33. K 14, w&t.
R35. K to end picking up the wrap.

Switch to White

R36, 37, 38. Sl1, k to end
R39. K 19 and turn without wrapping.

Sky section:
Continue in White. You will no longer wrap stitches when turning short rows.

R1. K4, turn.
R2. K4, turn.
R3. K1, m1, k1, m1, k1, m1, k2tog, turn.
R4. Sl1, k5, k2tog, turn.
R5. Sl1, k1, m1, k3, m1, k1, k2tog, turn.
R6. Sl1, k7, k2tog, turn.
R7. Sl1, k1, m1, k2, m1, k1, m1, k2, m1, k1, k2tog, turn.

You should now see a small half circle forming in the center of the row. This forms the “rising sun” or the center of the “O” in the logo. At this point it has 13 stitches.

Continue knitting half-circle short rows by slipping the first stitch and knitting the last two stitches together, each row knitting one more stitch. Every wrong-side row, increase 4 stitches, evenly. For the best effect try not to increase in the same place each time.

On row 16, switch to Blue. Continue knitting short rows until all the stitches from the field section are used up. Bind off. Block.