Big, Bulky Yarn is Still in

Fall knitting season is definitely upon us, and the stories about fall fashion trends are starting to come in now that New York Fashion Week is done.

I hear from Glamour (because it’s the first place I looked) that neon is still big, as well as faux fur and shearling, which are all looks that could be incorporated into knitting projects. (Especially neon, since you can use it in a scarf, say, if you don’t want a whole neon sweater.)

Brown, black and winter white are also popular colors, go figure. Turtlenecks are also in, apparently.

But one trend that was noted that I’ve seen other places, too, is that chunky knits are still going strong, especially oversized sweaters. Check out these tips from Stylecaster on how to wear a giant sweater (hint: skinny pants, or shorts!) if you’d like to try the bulky look for yourself.

Yarn manufacturers are in on the bulky trend in a big way, with lots of new yarns coming out in the bulky and super bulky arena, as well as tons of pattern support for those big yarns.

A few examples I’ve seen recently:

Berroco has a new super bulky called Gusto, which is perfect for super-quick accessories like this cowl, called Juniper. It’s a simple stitch pattern with eyelets for air flow that will knit up in no time.
Casa Sonia is another great one from Berroco, using super cozy Ultra Alpaca Chunky. It’s another easy stitch pattern, using knits and purls to add geometric texture.
Noble Knits has a couple of great patterns from Universal Yarns using their Classic Shades Big Time Yarn, which looks lovely and like lots of fun to work with. Check out the Cog Shawlette (such a great shape, made with short rows) and the Big Time Cowl (a simple bias knit loop) if you want to bring some quick color into your life.
And speaking of big cowls, and Noble Knits, here’s another quick and easy one from Erika Knight Yarns, the Cobblestone Street Cowl. A little textured knitting keeps this one interesting but it’s still a quick project.
HiKoo Rub-a-Dib might not be a yarn you’d go to for warmth, but it is a great choice for luxurious spa accessories that knit up in a flash. Hello, holiday gifts.
And here’s another one that’s not for wearing, but you might want to stitch it up for plenty of fall and winter warmth. The Angled Eyelets Blanket from Yarnspirations uses the aptly named Bernat Blanket yarn and a relatively easy lace pattern that keeps the blanket from being too hot and makes the knitting more fun.

Are bulky knits on your knit list this season? I’d love to hear what you’re working on!

Over the years I have shared a lot of pumpkin knitting patterns, and I’ve knit and crocheted a lot of pumpkins myself. But it feels like there are always more fun things to try with knit pumpkins, so this year I wanted to look a little more beyond basic stockinette or ribbed pumpkins and share some pumpkin patterns with cables, bobbles and colorwork.

In the cable collection we’ve got these cute little basic cable and ribbed pumpkins from Elly Bear Knits. There are two sizes that make a wide, flat pumpkin and a taller round pumpkin. Both are worked in the round as a tube that’s cinched top and bottom when you’re done, and they use bulky weight yarn.

Another cute cable pumpkin knitting pattern comes from Gray Bear Akswokrat. This one is knit flat and it looks like a chunky yarn but you could use other weights to make pumpkins of different sizes. This one also has an I-cord stem and uses yarn to cinch up the sections of the pumpkin, giving it a more natural look.

Add some bobbles to your pumpkins with this design from Autumn Shelter Makes. Also worked in the round in a tube, it features a repeating pattern of bobbles and uses yarn wrapped around the outside to make segments. This one looks like worsted weight yarn to me.

Of course there’s nothing that says your pumpkin has to be a single color, so let’s throw in some colorwork. I love the look of the Cozy Fall Pumpkin knitting pattern from South Stitch Girls. The little leather loop adds a rustic touch but you could also just add a stick. These pumpkins have five colorwork options and are worked in worsted weight yarn in the round.

There’s also the Autumn Fair Isle Trio pumpkins pattern from Equestriann Style, which has three different sizes of pumpkins with four colorwork designs. They are worked in super bulky yarn in the round and look good with high contrast or more muted color combinations.

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