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Book Review: Simple Chunky Knits

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Big yarn doesn’t seem to be going away, and projects worked with super bulky and jumbo yarn — whether with big needles, your arms or a big crochet hook — can be finished quickly for nearly instant gratification that’s also great for gift giving.

Eriko Teranishi’s Chic & Simple Chunky Knits includes 23 projects using really big yarn and arm knitting, needle knitting and crochet to make all sorts of accessories in no time.

The book starts with a gallery of the projects, which includes scarves and cowls, caps, headbands, a vest, a bunch of crocheted bags, a pillow, blanket, basket and other items for the home.

Basic instructions for knitting, crochet and arm knitting are given, and projects are described in words, with charts and with step-by-step photos for the first few projects to describe the techniques.

The style will be familiar to people who have worked with Japanese knitting books, though as is often the case when produced for the American market, there are more words and details than you might find in a Japanese knitting book. If this format is new to you, start with one of the patterns that includes step-by-step instructions so you understand what the chart is telling you to do.

The designs are mostly pretty basic, quick to work and good introductions to the crafting method used. Some of the project have a bit more flair, like a crocheted lacy collar or a rug made up of floral motifs (also crochted). Knitting projects that use needles include a keyhole scarf, a couple of two-toned cowls, a cabled cowl, a Stockinette Stitch hat, a vest with a waist tie, a cabled pillow cover, Stockinette throw and a Moss Stitch stool cover.

This book would be a good option for people who love chunky yarn and quick accessories and don’t mind different crafts for different purposes. It might be a fun way to pick up crochet or arm knitting, too, if you don’t already know how to do them.

About the book: 64 pages, 23 patterns, hardcover. Published by Tuttle Publishing, suggested retail price $14.99.

Looking for more Vest patterns to knit? Check out these Vest Knitting patterns on Etsy.

Specific to knitters, you can join our Knitting Patterns Only group to get, well, knitting patterns, ask questions and gain inspiration for what to knit next.

Looking for more Cable-styled knitting patterns? Check out these Cable Knit Patterns on Etsy

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Patchwork Blanket Knitting Patterns

Any time of year is a good time for stash busting, but if you can combine it with knitting a blanket that will keep you warm when it (finally!) gets cooler that’s even better. Let’s take a look at some fun patchwork blanket knitting patterns. 

If you want to keep it super simple, you can just make blocks of garter stitch and sew them together, like the beginner’s patchwork baby blanket from Mini Baa Baa or the color block blanket from Make and Do Crew. Both projects are worked in strips and sew together, with the baby version calling for two strands of DK or light worsted weight yarn held together and the larger one using bulky yarn. 

Add a little more texture with the mixed blocks of the cottage quilt throw from Mama in a Stitch. This one combines garter stitch and seed stitch and uses worsted weight yarn. She used a crochet join to make the chains on top of the blocks, but you can join them however you like. It calls for eight colors but you can use what you have, and there are three size options. 

Get a real sampler style patchwork blanket with this design from Knit Sew Make. It calls for worsted weight yarn and has four size options. All of the patterns just use knit and purl stitches so this one is still pretty easy for beginners. 

If you want a more complex colorwork project that will keep you entertained all season, try the Peace by Piece blanket pattern from Needle and Feather. This one is made up of two color colorwork blocks and calls for worsted weight yarn. You can choose to use just a few of the blocks and repeat them more often, or make multiples of the whole set. 

The knitted patchwork recipe from Martine Ellis (free on Ravelry) uses mitered squares in fingering weight yarn, so it’s perfect for using up all your leftover sock yarn and mini skeins. This one is a tutorial more than a pattern so you can make your blanket as big as you like or keep going until you run out of yarn. 

Susan B. Anderson’s 100 Squares blanket (find it on Ravelry) has a lot of mitered squares, too, but they’re arranged in fun ways and includes some quilt inspired designs as well. This one also is a bit of method more than pattern but it sure looks like a lot of fun for using all the leftovers. 

Of course you can totally improvise a patchwork blanket using the yarn and stitches you like, but I hope these patterns inspire you to look at your leftover yarn in a new way.