Michael Jackson Portrait Wall Hanging

A beginner-friendly knitted wall panel worked in worsted-weight yarn. The background is plain stockinette with simple garter borders; the Michael Jackson portrait is added afterward with duplicate stitch following the separate attached stitch chart. Perfect for a first color-motif project.

Materials

• Yarn: Worsted weight (category 4), approx. 220 yd (200 m) main color (MC) — black, dark navy, or charcoal recommended for dramatic contrast; 40 yd (37 m) total contrast colors (CC) as needed for the portrait (typically skin tone, red/white accents, metallic gold or silver for details — match the attached chart’s color key).
• Needles: US 8 (5 mm) straight or circular needles, or size needed to obtain gauge.
• Notions: Tapestry needle, scissors, blocking mats and pins, optional dowel or hanging rod (½" / 1.3 cm diameter, 18" / 45 cm long) and two small eye hooks or ribbon for hanging.
• Attached chart: Use the separate Michael Jackson portrait stitch chart panel supplied with this pattern (do not rely on any inline grid).

Gauge

18 stitches and 24 rows = 4" (10 cm) in stockinette stitch, blocked. Gauge is critical for the finished dimensions and for the motif to sit correctly inside the borders.

Finished Size

One size: 16" wide × 20" tall (40.5 × 51 cm), blocked, excluding hanging hardware.

Abbreviations (US)

• BO: bind off
• CO: cast on
• k: knit
• p: purl
• RS: right side
• st(s): stitch(es)
• St st: stockinette stitch (knit RS rows, purl WS rows)
• WS: wrong side

Pattern Notes

• The panel is worked flat from the bottom up.
• Borders are worked in garter stitch (knit every row) for clean edges that resist curling.
• The portrait is not stranded or intarsia while knitting; it is embroidered later with duplicate stitch. This keeps the knitting itself fully beginner-level.
• Always slip the first stitch of every row purlwise with yarn in front for a neat edge (optional but recommended).
• Weave in ends as you go when possible.

Attached Stitch Chart

Use the separate attached chart panel that accompanies this pattern for the full visual grid of the Michael Jackson portrait. The chart is placed as a standalone asset beside or immediately following this written pattern (not reproduced here as ASCII or symbols).

How to read the chart (knitting / duplicate stitch):

• Each square = 1 stitch wide × 1 row tall.
• Work the chart in duplicate stitch on the finished stockinette field after the panel is knit and blocked.
• Read the chart from bottom to top, right to left on odd-numbered (RS-facing) chart rows and left to right on even-numbered rows, exactly as the stitches sit on the knitted fabric when the RS is facing you.
• Follow the chart’s own color key for yarn colors. Change colors by starting a new length of yarn for each distinct area; do not carry long floats on the back when doing duplicate stitch—start and end each color block cleanly.
• The chart occupies a 60-stitch-wide × 80-row-tall field. Center it on the stockinette portion of the panel (see stitch-count integration below).

Color / yarn management & stitch-count integration:

• MC stockinette field = 60 sts wide (the exact width of the chart).
• Side borders = 7 sts garter each side → 7 + 60 + 7 = 74 sts total. (74 sts ÷ 18 sts per 4" ≈ 16.4" width ✓)
• Vertical placement: after the lower garter border, work 12 rows plain St st (MC), then the 80 chart rows are centered on the following 80 St st rows, then 12 more plain St st rows before the upper border. Total St st rows = 12 + 80 + 12 = 104. (104 rows ÷ 24 rows per 4" ≈ 17.3" + garter borders ≈ 20" total height ✓)
• When working duplicate stitch, begin at the lower-right corner of the 60-st field (stitch 8 through stitch 67 of the panel) and follow the chart upward.

Instructions

Lower Border

With MC, CO 74 sts. Rows 1–10: Knit every row (garter stitch).
(10 rows garter ≈ 1.25" / 3 cm)

Body

Row 1 (RS): K7 (border), k60, k7 (border).
Row 2 (WS): K7, p60, k7.
Repeat Rows 1–2 until you have worked 104 rows of stockinette (the 60-st center remains in St st; the 7-st edges remain garter).
(Inline check: 104 St st rows keep the 80-row chart perfectly centered with 12 plain rows above and below ✓)

Upper Border

Next 10 rows: Knit every row (garter stitch).
BO all sts knitwise.

Finishing

1. Weave in all ends on the WS.
2. Block the panel firmly to 16" × 20" (40.5 × 51 cm). Pin flat and allow to dry completely—good blocking makes the later duplicate stitch look crisp.
3. Duplicate-stitch the portrait: With RS facing, locate the centered 60-st × 80-row field (stitches 8–67, rows 13–92 of the St st section). Using the attached chart and tapestry needle, work duplicate stitch in the charted colors. Keep tension even so stitches sit neatly on top of the knitted Vs without puckering. Start and end each color length on the WS with small secure weaves.
4. Once embroidery is complete, lightly steam the motif from the WS if needed (do not crush the stitches).
5. Hanging (optional): Fold the top garter border over a dowel or rod and stitch the bind-off edge to the WS to form a casing, or sew ribbon loops / eye hooks at the top corners.
6. Weave any remaining ends and trim.

Your Michael Jackson portrait wall hanging is ready to display.