Knitting

Free Patterns, Tutorials and Project Ideas

Are You Knitting in Public?

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craftsy knitting in publicWorld Wide Knitting in Public Day has expanded through the years from a couple of days to now more than a week. This year’s event celebrating knitting outside the home is taking place from June 8 through the 16 with all sorts of events happening all over the world.

Click on the website linked above to search for events in your area or to start one of your own. You’ll have to create a free account and jump through a couple of hoops to do so, so if you already know of events happening where you live you might want to skip it. You can also check the Craftsy meetup page to find yarn-related meetups in your area or to start one.

I participated in a local event once a few years ago — as well as a yarn bombing a different year for International Yarn Bombing Day, which happens around the same time — and both were a lot of fun. It’s nice to get to know other knitters in your area, but it’s also just nice to take your knitting out and let people see you knitting.

I knit in public a lot, so this isn’t too strange to me, but if you don’t I want to encourage you to give it a go. Be warned that people will react to you, but it’s mostly positive, and it’s a great way to spread the word about this awesome craft that we love.

Comments

  1. I’ve been knitting in public for a while and it always generates a conversation – living in London, I love that it gets people chatting on the tube. It’s also a great way to bring knitting to a wider audience. Like getting children to understand that vegetables grow in the ground, they always react with excitement when they see a sock on the needles. To those who haven’t knit in public before, I say grab those sticks and get out there; knit al fresco!

  3. I have tried to knit the Sunburst Sling Bag and end up taking it out several times and finally putting it away for later, Can some one put a tutorial on this project, I can’t seem to master it and it is frustrating. Thank you Katie Wells

  4. I bring my project bag everywhere – I really enjoy it when young kids show interest in knitting and I encourage them to learn.

Have you read?

Knit a Classic Aran Cardigan with this Free Knitting Pattern

Not too long ago I did a test knit for another designer that was for a cabled cardigan. It’s really cozy and nice but it just about broke me in a ton of different ways. I couldn’t get gauge, which I suppose is my own problem, but mainly I was somehow both bored and forced to pay attention at the same time. 

Because it used the same cable all over, I always had to know what row I was on, but nine out of ten of those rows, nothing in particular was going on. So I couldn’t stop paying attention, but what I needed to attend to was boring. 

It may have ruined me for knitting cabled sweaters, but maybe I just need something that’s more engaging. Like this Modern Aran Cardigan pattern from Lion Brand Yarn. 

This is a reworking of an old pattern from their archives, and you can tell that form the classic look of the cables and the oversized feel (nothing cropped about this one!). It has allover cables, but like a classic Aran sweater it’s not the same cable, so you’ll have to pay attention to what row you’re on and what cable turns happen for which cables on that row. 

Because of this, it’s considered an intermediate knitting pattern, but if you’re comfortable working from multiple charts at once it shouldn’t be a problem for you. There are three different charts and seven different cable moves. 

Also because the pattern is so big and boxy there are only two sizes available, with a finished chest measurement of either 49 or 63 inches (that’s 124.5 or 160 cm). It’s up to you to decide how much ease you would like and whether that will work for your body. 

The pattern uses worsted weight yarn (and calls for another classic, Lion Brand Fisherman’s Wool). It calls for six buttons and includes pockets to make it extra cozy. 

This one looks like a great winter project to make and to wear if you’re up for a bit of a challenge. You can grab the free pattern or buy a kit with the yarn needed direct from Lion Brand Yarn. 

[Photo: Lion Brand Yarn]