Knitting

Free Patterns, Tutorials and Project Ideas

Double Knitting Patterns

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One of the skills I want to use more this year is double knitting. This is a technique that uses slipped stitches in a particular way to make a double-sided fabric.

You can use it with a single color, or with a different solid color on each side, like in this knit bandana from Ozetta on Etsy, which uses two colors of fingering weight yarn to make a pretty little reversible accessory.

But most commonly this technique is used for colorwork, because the cool thing about it is the colors reverse when you knit with two colors on each side. That makes for really fun projects that are reversible in a different way.

A lot of double knitting projects are for scarves, and that’s a great place to start because it gives you lots of practice (and lots of ground for detailed designs, as we’ll see).

If you’re totally new to double knitting, a project like the Dottie Scarf would be a great option for you. It has just a little bit of colorwork so you can focus on your technique, and it makes a super cozy scarf as it’s worked in worsted weight yarn. You can get the pattern from Originally Lovely on Etsy.

You can also try knitting a bit of double knitting as the base of a reversible hat. Carissa Browning’s Niefling hat has a double knit brim that transitions into reversible two-color brioche. This is another good way to practice because it’s just a solid color on each side of the double knitting. You can find this pattern on Ravelry.

Ready for more of a challenge? J Hummingbird Designs on Etsy has this lovely dahlia scarf, which really shows off the difference when the colors are reversed.

But of course you don’t have to use the same pattern all over your project. Hearts and bears decorate this lovely baby blanket from Loani Prior. I love the rainbow stripe on one side and the solid color on the other, but you can use two contrasting colors instead if you know the colors of the baby’s room.

Go on a journey with a cat with the Catventure Scarf from Lisa Hannan Fox on Ravelry. This two-color design follows kitty as they go from the house, claw on a tree, play around and finally come home in the evening.

And I’m pretty sure I’ve shared this one before, but no talk of double knitting projects would be complete without sharing the Star Wars Double Knit Scarf from Jessica Goddard. This one is on Ravelry and it pretty much speaks for itself. It’s also free, so grab it when you’re up for a galactic challenge.

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Knit Summer Tops with Fun Necklines

I mentioned the other day that there are, or at least it feels like there are, a lot more options for knitting garments to wear in the summer, and I want to share as many of them as I can, but it’s sometimes hard to classify them in a way that makes sense. Thus the collection of knit summer tops with fun necklines. Enjoy. 

For example, the Kyoto keyhole top from madebyrosh. This cute little top is made from the top down mostly in the round with a keyhole opening for the neckline and cap sleeves. It’s a made to measure pattern so you can use whatever yarn and gauge you like to make a top that fits just the way you want. The pattern, which is available on Ravelry, includes a PDF lookbook so you can see a bunch of different options for how to stitch up your top. 

Una Gil’s Miu Top has a wide boatneck and is worked with a sport weight yarn and a mohair yarn held together. It has a ribbed waist for a cinched look and a more relaxed, drapey upper body. The boatneck can be worn off one shoulder or both, or you can wear it as a classic boatneck. The pattern is on Ravelry and is available in five sizes. 

The Anna Top from Lea at kisskiss.rhinestones can be styled two different ways: as a sort of standard looking sleeveless turtleneck or with the hook and eye closures worn at the front. This is more of an option for those with smaller busts, but you can give it a try regardless. There’s also some optional bust shaping in the pattern, which would no longer make it reversible. There are nine size options and the pattern uses sport weight yarn. You can find it on Ravelry. 

Ekaterina Filippova-Blanchard has the XOXO Tank pattern, which has a deep V-neck with a wide crossed stitch border at the neckline and the hem. This one uses DK weight yarn and would be a great piece to transition into fall because you can wear it like a vest. There are eight size options and you can find the pattern on Ravelry.