Knitting

Free Patterns, Tutorials and Project Ideas

An Easy Sleeve for Summer Sweaters

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magic sleeve jordana paigeI enjoy knitting sweaters and tops, but I will admit that I’m not a huge fan of knitting sleeves. For one thing, I always seem to knit one a few rows longer than the other, even when I’m counting carefully. For another, getting the sleeve to fit into the armhole is not always an easy feat.

Lately I’ve been knitting top-down style sleeves on just about everything. You pick up stitches all the way around but then work short rows across progressively longer sections of the top of the sleeve to form the cap that goes over the shoulder. Then you join in the round and work the rest of the sleeve down as long as you need it to go.

But this idea from Jordana Paige is also intriguing. She calls it the Magic Sleeve and says it works for drop shoulder, modified drop shoulder and set in sleeve patterns. It starts with picking up stitches and knitting flat for half the armhole width, and then is worked in the round for the remainder. You have to sew up the underarm seam when you’re done but it’s pretty simple and makes a nice little casual sleeve for a summery top.

Looking for more summer top knitting patterns? Check these out.

How do you deal with sleeves? I’d love to hear your favorite methods.

[Photo via Jordana Paige.]

Have you read?

A Nostalgic Christmas Pudding Knitting Pattern for Your Handmade Decorations

There are some Christmas decorations I’ll always have a soft spot for, and a little knitted Christmas pudding is definitely on that list. Brown yarn, white icing and a cheerful red cherry—it’s a simple combination, but it brings back that lovely feeling of unpacking the handmade decorations each December.

This Christmas pudding knitting pattern from CraftBits is a small decorative project worked on straight needles. If you enjoy knitting Christmas ornaments but prefer to avoid working in the round, the flat construction makes this one worth a look.

A Small Project for Leftover Yarn

One of the appealing things about this project is its modest materials list. The pudding uses brown and white 8-ply yarn, with a little red yarn for the cherry and green felt for the holly leaves. You’ll also need 4 mm needles, stuffing and your usual sewing-up supplies.

It’s the sort of project that sends me straight to the leftover yarn basket. Those small balls that seem too useful to throw away finally have somewhere to go, and you can choose a rich chocolate brown or a softer, more muted shade depending on your Christmas colours.

The felt leaves are a practical finishing touch, too. They give the pudding its familiar festive appearance without adding another fiddly knitted component.

How the Knitted Pudding Comes Together

The pattern begins with 40 stitches and a brown stocking-stitch section. Colour changes introduce the white icing, followed by a white top that decreases towards the centre.

Once the knitting is finished, the piece is sewn together, stuffed and gathered at the bottom. A separately knitted cherry and the felt holly leaves complete the decoration.

I like projects where the finishing makes such a difference. A flat piece of knitting becomes a rounded little ornament, and those final details give it personality. It would look lovely tucked into a Christmas shelf display or sitting among greenery on a mantelpiece. You could also add a securely attached hanging loop for the tree.

A Pattern Detail to Check Before Starting

The design is charming, but the published instructions would benefit from a clearer technical edit. Some readers have reported difficulties with the colourwork rows, particularly the stated row endings.

I haven’t knitted a sample myself, so I wouldn’t describe this as a tested recommendation for a first colourwork project. Before starting, read through the pattern and check that each colourwork row accounts for all 40 stitches. Keep the carried yarn loose enough that the fabric can expand when stuffed.

A little more detail about the cast-on colour, finishing and finished measurements would also make the tutorial easier to follow.

A Lovely Idea for a Traditional Handmade Christmas

What appeals to me most is the pudding’s old-fashioned simplicity. It doesn’t need beads, elaborate embellishments or a perfectly coordinated decorating scheme. The knitted texture and little holly topper do the work.

For knitters comfortable checking a pattern and sewing up small projects, it’s a sweet source of festive inspiration. I’d be tempted to make a small collection in slightly different browns, keeping that lovely homemade character rather than trying to make every pudding identical.

Find the Christmas pudding knitting pattern at CraftBits and read through the instructions and reader comments before casting on.