Knitting

Patterns, projects and techniques

Braided Headband Knitting Pattern

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The best way to learn any new skill in knitting is to try it on a small project, preferably something that doesn’t have to be perfect in terms of size.

I love using scarves as learning projects, but if you want something a little smaller you can try a washcloth. Or if you’d rather make something you can wear even as you’re learning new skills, headbands and earwarmers are great projects for that.

These little projects don’t take a lot of yarn or time to knit. They don’t have to fit exactly perfectly because they can stretch (and heads come in lots of different sizes). And they give you a little canvas to play with stitch patterns, colorwork and other kinds of knitting techniques.

In this case, a little cable.

The braided headband pattern from Mirella Moments uses worsted weight yarn and has a braided cable running down the middle. There are smaller cables on each side and a bit of garter stitch edging to hold it all together. The little side cables are so small you can even use them to practice working cables without a cable needle.

The pattern comes in one size but should fit a variety of heads. If you want to make it smaller or larger you can just subtract or add length as you go. The project is knit flat and seamed into a circle when the knitting is done.

Once you get the hang of it, this pattern would make a great gift knit, or you could donate them to charity in the winter months.

You can grab the free pattern from Mirella Moments.

Looking for more easy cable knitting patterns? I love this cable knit hat as a beginner cable project, or you can check out my collection of cable knitting patterns to boost your skills.

[Photo: Mirella Moments]

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Felted Bag Knitting Patterns

I feel like felting is a knitting genre that deserves a resurgence. My first knitting book (which came out in 2008, eek!) was all about felting, but I don’t feel like there are a lot of felting knitting projects out there these days. I really like the technique as an easy way to make a thicker, more durable knit fabric, and it’s actually perfect for knitting bags.

The ZZ Bag from yamagara recently caught my eye and got me thinking about felted bags, and maybe remaking one of the bags that was in that book. This one has a fun zigzag pattern and is worked in worsted weight yarn. You can find the pattern on Ravelry.

A lot of the other knit and felted bag patterns I could find were older, but that doesn’t make them bad patterns. I’ve always loved the booga bag from Black Sheep Bags (the pattern is on their website but the photo is broken so you can also check it out on Ravelry). This is a fun one because you can use all your leftovers or a self-striping yarn (the original was made with Noro) to give it a colorful look that’s super easy to knit. 

An envelope purse is another easy shape to knit, and this version from Lavender Hill Knits on Etsy comes in different sizes for younger girls and teens or adults. The small version is worked with one strand of worsted weight yarn, while the larger uses two held together.

The Japanese knot bag is a classic, and a felted version is a lot of fun. You can find this pattern from Cindy Pilon on Ravelry and knit one for yourself using bulky yarn. I also love her bag The Curve, which is also on Ravelry and has a fun rounded shape and contrasting handles.

And there’s also the amazing stained glass bag from Knitting Dream, which also uses a Noro yarn, but you could use wool scraps on the different fans to give it a unique look. There are two size options to choose from and it’s not as tricky as it looks.