Bowling Set Knitting Pattern

A thing that I love about knitting is that you can make just about anything you want out of the same basic stitches. You can make the most intricate lace shawl, complicated Aran sweater, amazing colorwork, fun toys, simple things, funny things, amazing things just with sticks and string.

I love having the opportunity to share as many of the options as I can with you all, which brings me to today’s post about a knit bowling set.

Take the Toddlers Bowling by Emily Ivey is exactly what it sounds like: a pattern for a bowling pin and ball. The pattern is worked with worsted weight yarn (black, white and red if you want to keep it traditional, but if you’re making it for kids rainbow colored pins are a great choice, too) and worked in the round. There’s a fair bit of shaping on the pins, but it’s not too difficult.

The designer used jar lids in the bases of the pins to help them stand up, and stuffing the ball with bits of old T-shirts gives it a bit of weight to help it knock down the pins. The yarn that was used was made with recycled polyester, which added eve more eco-friendliness, but that yarn has since been discontinued. Use something from your stash if you can and save yourself a trip to the store or your yarn a trip to you.

If I had known about this pattern when my daughter was younger I absolutely would have made it for her for a fun indoor playtime thing to do when it’s cold outside. I’m a little tempted to make one now anyway, even though she’s 15. We could all use some whimsical yarn projects in our life, right? I’m also thinking making them with thinner yarn might make them small enough to make a tabletop-sized bowling set. If you try it let me know if it works!

The pattern is available as a free Ravelry download.

[Photo: Emily Ivey]

I rarely understand why something becomes a trend in crafting. Gnomes and geese are both cute I guess, but I never thought we’d be making them for all seasons. (See, for example, this collection of gnome knitting patterns, or these knit geese.)

Another one I don’t totally understand is sardines or little fish more generally. Sure, they’re cute, and the shape is fun, but I had no idea when I was sharing this pattern for a fish-shaped pouch last year that it would become a hugely popular pattern that people are still searching for on the site. It is pretty cute, though, so if you weren’t around then or don’t remember you should got check it out.

Recently another fishy knitting pattern crossed my monitor: the little knit fish from Classical Songbird Designs.

Just as the name suggests, these fish are little, about 4.5 inches or 11 cm from end to end. They look like little sardines and take about 12 yards of sock yarn to make.

You can even make a two-tone fish and use just 6 yards of each color.

This sounds to me like just about the perfect use for the yarn that’s left over after knitting a pair of socks, or a mini skein or several that have been sitting around unused in your stash.

The fish are knit flat in one piece, which makes it easy to stitch on the eyes with more yarn or embroidery floss before stuffing, and you can stitch up the sides while you stuff (though it’s not a very big piece so you could probably stitch and then stuff, finishing with the end of the tail).

Because I’m pretty sure I’m not the only one wondering, I measured an Altoids box and as the pattern is written the fish are a little too big to fit in it (the box is about 4 inches/10 cm long). But you could make the fish a little smaller if you want to make a box of them. Or just make a fishy bag to put them in!

You can grab the free pattern for the little knit fish at Classical Songbird Designs.

[Photo: Classical Songbird Designs.]

Have you read?