Add Adorable Animals to Your Sweaters and Hats

With the vast collection of handknits I have, I don’t have a lot of colorwork sweaters (and no colorwork hats that I regularly wear). And when you look at the colorwork, there’s not a lot that I’d consider fun.

That’s really sad, because there are a lot of great whimsical colorwork knitting patterns out there. Today I’d like to introduce you to two of them. Or really four of them.

Vicky Chan has two sets of really cute colorwork designs that include a matching hat and sweater: Averie and Fiona (all links ahead point to Ravelry, FYI).

Averie is a sweater and hat pattern that feature fern fronds, flowers and a little bird. Fiona is a similar design, except here the bird has been replaced by a cat

All of the designs use worsted weight yarn. The hats come in one size and start with a provisional cat on so that the colorwork can be knit from the top down and the rest of the hat from the bottom up. The colorwork portion of all the patterns is charted. Because there are some long floats, instructions are given both for trapping floats and using ladder back jaquard if you prefer.

The sweaters have seven size options, but the largest size is on 56 inches/142 cm, and the design is intended to be worn with 2-8 inches (5-20 cm) of positive ease, which lowers that sizing even more.

But if you do happen to fall into that range of sizes (the smallest one is 32 inches or 81 cm) these sweaters are super cute. It might be fun to work the cats or birds in a different color from the rest of the colorwork (though that would involve even more long floats) or to use a multicolored yarn for the colorwork. There’s one in the Fiona sweater patterns that added color to the cat so check that out if it’s something you want to try!

[Photos: Vicky Chan]

Next Pattern:

I’ve been writing about knitting online for a long time, and a lot of things have changed. But one good thing I think has changed over the years is that fewer people see knitting as a seasonal activity. Most people don’t seem to think anymore that there’s a time when it’s too hot to knit or too hot to wear knits.

I don’t know if the proliferation of knit tank top patterns caused that shift or is the result of it, but either way, summer knitters and knitwear-wearers are the beneficiaries, and every year there seem to be more great tank top knitting patterns to share.

How about the super cute Fleur Cami from Woolbirdx on Etsy? This sweet V-neck with thin straps features vertical panels of eyelets and ribbing. It’s worked from the bottom up in the round and is available in nine sizes. It calls for super fine yarn.

Or there’s the knitted lace V-neck top from Exotic Works Hub. This one has lace panels on the front at the center and is otherwise worked mostly in stockinette stitch. It’s worked from the bottom up in fingering weight yarn and comes in six sizes.

The Mixed Rib Cami from Florence Miller is another on that caught my eye. Worked in light fingering weight yarn, it is worked from the top down using twisted rib stitches and optional waist shaping. It’s finished with I-cord edges for a super clean look. The pattern has nine sizes available and you can find it on Ravelry.

Stine HoelgaardJohansen’s Golden Girl top is a cute sport weight top with a round neckline that’s deeper in the back, and worked from the bottom up in broken rib. There are nine size options (and six languages) and you can grab it for free on Ravelry.

Prefer a sporty look? Andrea Gaughan’s Sumac tank is worked in fingering weight yarn from the top down with contrasting edges. The pattern has 10 sizes and two fit profiles, graded to a traditionally masculine or feminine frame respectively. You can find the pattern on Ravelry.

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