Knitting

Free Patterns, Tutorials and Project Ideas

Bandana Cowl Knitting Patterns

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I like to knit shawls, and I like the look of a shawl, but I don’t wear my knit shawls very often because they’re often a pain to keep where you want them on your body (not to mention the difficulty of eating with a giant piece of knitting wrapped around your neck!). 

A great compromise is a bandana cowl, which has a triangular shape in the front but a cowl neck so you can slip it on over your head and it stays where you want it. If you’re new to this genre of knitting, allow me to introduce you to some bandana cowl knitting patterns. 

You can start simple like the chunky garter stitch bandana cowl from Pixie Bell. This project uses super bulky yarn and you can have the front standing up or rolled down for extra warmth. 

Or try the LYS cowl from Stitchology Shop, which uses mostly stockinette stitch with an I-cord edging and a bit of ribbing at the neck edge. This one uses DK weight yarn and is lovely in a multicolored yarn.

Of course you can add any stitch pattern or technique to one of these cowls, such as this easy eyelet pattern from Happy Dog Crafts (kind of reminds me of my winter kerchief). The original was worked in DK weight yarn but you can also use worsted weight for a little more warmth if you like. 

Or how about Sweater Freak’s Endless Chances cowl (on Ravelry)? This one uses the fun and easy broken rib pattern and calls for DK weight yarn. 

Add in a little color with the Creativity Cowl by Tori Yu, which uses a solid color and either a multicolored yarn or scraps to make the stripes. The original used DK weight yarn but the pattern is written so that you can use any yarn or gauge. Grab the pattern on Ravelry. 

Make your bandana cowl a little more interesting with a scalloped edge like on the Asti pattern from Natasja Hornby. This fingering weight project has a pretty mosaic knit pattern along the edges and a solid color on the cowl. It’s worked flat and seamed at the back for easy wearing. Find it on Ravelry.

Play with two color brioche on a bandana cowl with this pattern from Lavanya Patricella. It’s worked in DK weight yarn and gives you practice working brioche flat and in the round. 

A Simple Cowl for When You Need to Think [Knitting]

Add Some Doodles to Your Cowl with this Fun Arctic Pattern [Knitting]

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Pencil Knitting Patterns

Getting ready for back to school makes me think about pencil crafts, so let’s take a look at some pencil themed knitting patterns! 

I recently made a pencil on a circular knitting machine, and it was a fun, quick, easy project that uses little bits of leftover yarn (and if you don’t have yellow you can make it a colored pencil using whatever color’s your favorite). And if you want to make a bigger version check out this pattern from Orange Olive Road on Etsy.

If you want to knit a pencil pillow by hand, check out Sketchy, available on Ravelry from Shana S. Cohen. This one uses worsted weight yarn and has two size options and the choice to make a pencil with an eraser or a colored pencil. 

Pencil scarves seem to be the most popular kind of pencil knitting pattern, and there are lot of cute ones. This one from Cosy Craft UK mostly uses garter stitch, with some welts to add texture and what looks like an I-cord edging. It calls for DK weight yarn. 

If you want to go all garter stitch try this version from Emsley Co Creations, which uses five colors of DK weight yarn and just a little shaping to make the point of the pencil.

There’s also this fun, mostly stockinette so it looks like it curls a bit, pencil pattern that looks like it’s worked in chunky yarn from Little Knits Studio. This one uses just a little garter stitch and easy shaping for the point. 

If you don’t want a pencil scarf, how about some pencil socks? The No. 2 Pencil Socks from The Yarn Enabler are available from Ravelry and use five colors of sock yarn. They feature wide ribs to mimic the texture of a pencil and have options to be worked from the top down or the toe up. 

Needs Sharpening by Alexander Walker is a free pattern on Ravelry that uses five colors of sock yarn to make a sort of shortie sock. The little bit of black at the tips of the toes inspired the name. These, too, can be worked in either direction and are available in three sizes.