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Add Some Doodles to Your Cowl with this Fun Arctic Pattern

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It feels like winter gets sucked up in Christmas trees and elves and doesn’t leave enough time for adorable winter animals, snowflakes and the like. But today we’re going to focus on a pattern that’s decidedly winter but not necessarily a holiday pattern, and you can make it any way you like.

Arctic Doodles by Jamie Lomax is one of her doodle series of patterns, which we’ll talk about more in a minute. The doodle patterns allow you to mix and match different little colorwork designs so you can make a totally unique project. In this set of designs you’ll find polar bears, snowflakes, trees, moose, walruses and more. The cowl pattern itself comes in three different sizes and you can mix and match any of the designs you like, in whatever colors you like, to make a project the size you want.

It uses DK weight yarn and you can grab the pattern on Ravelry.

In addition to the Arctic doodles, though, Jamie has a whole series of interchangeable pattern motifs that you can use to make a project on a particular theme or just mix and match the ones you like.

For example there are monsters and other Halloween motifs; fall-themed designs like a fox, fall leaves and pumpkins; a floral set with flower motifs and butterflies; even a Rhinebeck set of patterns that include sweaters, socks, hats, rabbits, sheep and more in honor of the famous wool festival.

Once you’ve bought a pattern that includes the general instructions for making the cowls, you can by any of the motif sets as an expansion pack, which is less expensive than buying the full pattern again.

This idea is so much fun (and a great way to use your yarny leftovers, of course) and I’m sure she’s going to keep making them with different designs in the future so you’ll want to check back and see what other fun she has in store.

[Photo: Jamie Lomax]

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Bucket Hat Knitting Patterns

As I was starting to write this post I thought that it was true that I’d never done a roundup of bucket hat knitting patterns before. But then I looked, and I actually did one last year (which you can find here) but there are plenty of cute bucket hats to do another post about, right? 

The one that made me want to write about this (again) is the Red Heart Knit Fanfare Bucket Hat from Yarnspirations. This cute striped hat can be worked in team colors, and while I might prefer a non-acrylic yarn for a summer hat, it would be fine when it’s not too hot outside (or try a cotton yarn instead). 

Claire Slade’s Sunlit Bucket Hat has an angled brim to help keep the sun out of your eyes. It’s worked from the bottom up using worsted weight cotton yarn, and comes in three sizes. You can find the pattern on Ravelry. 

Get a little air flow in your bucket hat with the Shady Bucket Hat from Wool & Beyond. This one uses DK weight yarn and an eyelet pattern throughout the body to keep it cool. It comes in sizes ranging from newborn to adult large, and is worked in one piece from the top down. You can grab the pattern (in English or Swedish) on Ravelry. 

If you’re looking for a fun, floppy sun hat for kids or adults, this pattern from Muki Crafts is a little more slouchy than a traditional bucket hat but it’s super cute. It comes in baby, toddler and bigger kid sizes and adult. I uses worsted weight yarn and is worked from the bottom up. 

Another variation on the classic bucket is this one that’s more of a cloche style. Made by branda, it uses bulky yarn so it’s more of a winter bucket hat, but now’s a fine time to knit it if you live somewhere that’s warm right now (or even more so if you live somewhere that’s cold right now). 

Another one to get you ready for colder weather is Tirmety, a two-layer bucket hat from ViTalina Craft, which has a textured stitch pattern on one side and stockinette on the other. You can wear either side out or even make them different colors if you want. The pattern is sized for toddlers, kids and adults. 

And if you want to add some extra cuteness to your bucket hat, I love this (of course totally optional but also totally adorable) embroidered deatila on the New York Bucket Hat from Pauline Fanguin. It uses two strands of DK weight yarn held together for extra sturdiness, and uses changes in needle size to shape the hat. Of course you could also knit stripes or use different textures of yarn to change up the look. This pattern is made to fit your head and is available in French and English.