Knitting

Free Patterns, Tutorials and Project Ideas

A Perfect Sweater to Knit if You’re New to Knitting Sweaters

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There are so many great simple sweater knitting patterns out there, I feel like I say that patterns are great for beginners or for your first sweater all the time.

Honestly, I love these super basic sweater patterns even though I’ve probably knit 20 or more adult sweaters in my career. Give me a simple stockinette stitch, top-down, circular knit sweater any day. It’s great for TV knitting once you have a grasp on the shaping or when that part is done, and it’s a perfect blank slate project to add colored stripes, textured stripes, use your odd balls, etc.

The Studio Sweater from Ysolda Teague is worked in DK or light worsted weight yarn with an integrated deep ribbed neckline. It has a circular yoke and a bit of short row shaping to lower the front of the sweater. After that raglan shaping is integrated for a better fit around the underarms.

Once the sleeves are separated it’s smooth stitching unless you want to add additional cup shaping for a better fit. There are regular and tall length options, and the straight fit makes it a gender-neutral style.

There are 12 size options in the pattern to fit a chest measurement ranging from 30 to 73 inches, or 70 to 183 cm. You can choose how much ease you want to include, and there are four cup shaping options (from no shaping to a G/H cup).

As the pattern notes say, this would be a great first easy sweater project or a simple, well-fitting sweater project for someone with more experience who just doesn’t want to put a lot of thought into the project. Either way you’re going to get a great sweater, and a good sweater pattern you’ll probably come back to again and again.

You can get a copy of the pattern from Ravelry.

[Photo: Ysolda Teague]

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Free Knitted Crown Pattern for Kids and Adults: A Sweet Handmade Dress-Up Idea

There’s something wonderfully charming about a knitted crown. It’s playful, useful for the dress-up basket, and just the sort of small project that gives a leftover ball of yarn a proper purpose. Much better than letting it roll around the cupboard for another three years.

This free knitted crown pattern for kids and adults combines a simple garter-stitch band with shaped triangular points. The mustard-gold colour gives it that storybook crown look, although pink, purple or woodland green would be equally lovely.

A Manageable Next Step for Beginner Knitters

The construction is the appealing part of this design. Everything is knitted flat, so you won’t need double-pointed needles or experience joining stitches in the round.

You knit the band first, then work each crown point separately over a group of 12 stitches. Paired decreases gradually narrow each triangle, giving you a small, repeatable section to concentrate on.

I’d describe this as a confident beginner knitting project. You’ll need to know how to knit, work two types of decreases, hold unused stitches and sew a simple seam. There are several yarn tails to weave in, so a little patience with finishing will help.

Three Sizes With Room to Personalise

The pattern includes three sizes, with seven, eight or nine crown points. Choose by the wearer’s head measurement rather than age, and check your gauge carefully. Yarn stretch will make a noticeable difference to the fit.

For birthdays, an embroidered initial would be a sweet finishing touch. Contrasting yarn diamonds could suggest little jewels without adding hard embellishments.

What to Know Before Casting On

This is a soft knitted crown, so expect gentle points rather than a rigid costume accessory. A springy wool or wool-blend yarn should give the shaping more support than a very drapey yarn.

The stitch calculations have been checked, but the design has not yet been sample-knitted. The accompanying image is an illustrative mockup, so the finished texture and proportions may vary with your yarn and tension.

For a small handmade birthday accessory or a cheerful addition to the dress-up box, this is an appealing idea. And if an adult needs a matching crown for supervising the royal household, the larger size has that covered too.