Knitting

Free Patterns, Tutorials and Project Ideas

Free Knitting Patterns – Intricate Dish Cloth Patterns

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Because we’re talking about potholders, dishcloths and other kitchen knitting this week I thought I’d head to Ravelry and take a look at some dishcloth knitting patterns.

Of course when you search for free knit dishcloth patterns you get more than 4,000, so I couldn’t possibly share them all, but I picked out a few that are interesting and fun and I hope you’ll check them out!

Dishcloths are a great way to try new-to-you knitting stitch patterns on a small project, so there are lots of different patterns available, including:

Really those top two sites have a ton of different designs with basic stitch patterns, I just didn’t want to fill up the post with them, especially considering the sites are no longer published.

You can also find patterns with all sorts of shapes on them, such as:

The Mason-Dixon Knitters offer the Linoleum Dishcloth and the classic Ball-Band Dishcloth.

Yarnspirations has a doily-shaped cloth, while Leisure Arts has one with a stitch pattern reminiscent of crocus. And there’s a great one shaped like a star, from Frugal Knitting Haus.

J.G. Miller has a ton (OK, like 52) of different mosaic patterns worked in dishcloths; here is one.

Need even more options? Knit Picks is now on its second year of free dishcloth patterns, though some of them are crocheted. You can find more than 50 linked at All Free Crafts, and more than you can count at Knitting Pattern Central.

That should keep you in stitches for a while!

Why use dishcloths? Dishcloths are re-useable and save on kitchen waste. Most dishcloths are made using cotton yarn and can be thrown into the washing machine when dirty. This makes them very hygienic, especially when compared to kitchen sponges, which sit on the sinks for days if not weeks.  Another great thing about dishcloths is when it comes to knitting the knit up quickly and are great for gift giving. Everyone needs a dishcloth.  For gifting, It’s not something that has to be in fashion or a certain colour for the recipient to like it, though there are so many great dishcloth pattern designs out there.

Easy Knitted Dishcloths For Beginners – Dishcloth Knitting Patterns

 

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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.