Cactuar Cactus Knitting Pattern

I’m going to admit at the top here that I had no idea what a cactuar was when I first picked this pattern to write about. I just thought it was cute and would fit well into my continuing series of whimsical knitting patterns.

If you know what it is you can skip this paragraph. This little guy is an anthropomorphic cactus in a running pose that has been featured in the Final Fantasy video games and is considered a mascot of the game. It has been both an enemy and a summon and is known for being elusive and for its dangerous 1000 Needles attack (thanks, wiki fandom!).

This design from Fibrously uses worsted weight yarn in green and a little bit of black for the features. It’s worked in the round in pieces, with the body worked in one piece and the legs, eyes and mouth are worked separately and sewn on after stuffing.

Of course you could work it in a different weight of yarn if you want to make a bigger or smaller cactuar. You can check out the different versions that have been made over the years on the pattern’s Ravelry page. They look like they are of various sizes, and one person noted working with yarn held double to make a bigger version. You could also try working it with blanket yarn to make a really huge version that’s super huggable despite being a cactus creature.

You can find the pattern at Fibously.

If you want to check out some more whimsy-filled knitting patterns, you can knit a hot air balloon, some nesting cats, a super cute pigeon, some silly goose socks, or a family of hats that look like mushrooms. If you’ve knit something fun like these patterns I’d love to hear about it and have you share a pattern if there is one!

[Photo: Fibously]

As we get into the part of the year with a lot of food-forward holidays, it might be time to start thinking about knitting some new things for your table. While a few of these are more fall/Thanksgiving focused, just changing up the colors would make others work for Christmas, or keep it neutral and use them all year long.

What got me started thinking about this was the lovely and simple Fresh Bread Dishtowel, a free pattern from Purl Soho. Worked in a lovely cotton and linen blend, the towel is mostly stockinette stitch with a bit of texture on the borders.

You could use this same kind of pattern to make anything from placemats to a table runner, but let’s look at some specific patterns for those kinds of projects as well.

The easy moss stitch table runner from Glass Bird Knits is beginner friendly can can easily be modified to fit your table (or, again, to make placemats instead of or in addition to a runner). This version is worked in macrame cord, but you could also use bulky yarn.

Emielle Design has a garter stitch runner pattern that’s made with braided cotton cord for a lot of texture without a lot of work. But be sure to take a lot of breaks when knitting with cord because it can be rough on your hands!

I also love the diamond pattern on the Hamilton Table Runner from Wyndlestraw Designs. It calls for a DK weight cotton and linen blend yarn and comes in three sizes with different widths and lengths. The pattern has both written and charted instructions.

Amy Marie’s Table Pumpkins (on Ravelry) is a fun mosaic knitting pattern that would be great to use as a table runner through the fall and for Thanksgiving. It uses a worsted weight cotton yarn in two colors, and you can make it as long as you like for your table.

The no cable knit placemats from Yarn Culture Studio have a fun faux cable look that would be great for the table through the fall and winter.

Or here’s another pattern from Wyndlestraw Designs, this time for an easy knit and purl stitch placemat pattern that looks different but still good on both sides. It calls for worsted weight cotton and comes in two sizes for placemats, but also has instructions for coasters, a hot pad and a table pad all using the same stitch.

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