Knitting

Free Patterns, Tutorials and Project Ideas

Cotton=Summer. Summer=Cotton.

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Nancy, of NobleKnits.com puts out a really cute newsletter. In her latest, she outlines the Top Ten Reasons To Knit With Cotton. 

  1. Cotton is hypoallergenic.  It doesn’t irritate sensitive skin or cause allergies.
  2. Cotton is soft and never itchy.
  3. It doesn’t cause static electricity.
  4. If cared for properly, cotton is long lasting.
  5. Cotton blends well with other fibers.
  6. Cotton is highly absorbent and produces vibrantly colored yarns.
  7. It draws heat away from your body to keep your skin cool and comfortable.
  8. Cotton absorbs moisture easily and can take up to one fifth of its weight in water before it actually feels damp. Cotton absorbs body moisture and evaporates it to the surrounding air, thus allowing your body its natural tendency to breathe – keeping you cool in summer and dry and warm in winter. Not only are you more comfortable in cotton, you are healthier wearing it!
  9. Cotton does not contain any chemicals making it a natural fiber.
  10. Cotton has individuality & character. Each fiber grows a little differently–with sunshine & soil–and takes on characteristics that indicate its life & style… just like the people who wear it.

The Bolero Style sweater above is knit from Knit One, Crochet 2’s Ty Dy Yarn. I’ve knit with this before, and it’s really soft. Does split a bit, but that tends to be a cotton thing. You’ll never guess what color I used. Ok, yeah, it was green, and the item I knit was never finished. The yarn – really gorgeous flowing colors, the vest pattern? Not so much, but this Bolero is more my style. Do I smell a tinking session?

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Pencil Knitting Patterns

Getting ready for back to school makes me think about pencil crafts, so let’s take a look at some pencil themed knitting patterns! 

I recently made a pencil on a circular knitting machine, and it was a fun, quick, easy project that uses little bits of leftover yarn (and if you don’t have yellow you can make it a colored pencil using whatever color’s your favorite). And if you want to make a bigger version check out this pattern from Orange Olive Road on Etsy.

If you want to knit a pencil pillow by hand, check out Sketchy, available on Ravelry from Shana S. Cohen. This one uses worsted weight yarn and has two size options and the choice to make a pencil with an eraser or a colored pencil. 

Pencil scarves seem to be the most popular kind of pencil knitting pattern, and there are lot of cute ones. This one from Cosy Craft UK mostly uses garter stitch, with some welts to add texture and what looks like an I-cord edging. It calls for DK weight yarn. 

If you want to go all garter stitch try this version from Emsley Co Creations, which uses five colors of DK weight yarn and just a little shaping to make the point of the pencil.

There’s also this fun, mostly stockinette so it looks like it curls a bit, pencil pattern that looks like it’s worked in chunky yarn from Little Knits Studio. This one uses just a little garter stitch and easy shaping for the point. 

If you don’t want a pencil scarf, how about some pencil socks? The No. 2 Pencil Socks from The Yarn Enabler are available from Ravelry and use five colors of sock yarn. They feature wide ribs to mimic the texture of a pencil and have options to be worked from the top down or the toe up. 

Needs Sharpening by Alexander Walker is a free pattern on Ravelry that uses five colors of sock yarn to make a sort of shortie sock. The little bit of black at the tips of the toes inspired the name. These, too, can be worked in either direction and are available in three sizes.