Fashion Trends You Can Use in Your Knitting

This time of year knits, if not exactly knitting, are in the news a lot. Everyone wants to don a knit sweater, hat or accessory to stay warm and look fashionable through the season.

I’ve written before about knitting related fashion trends (giant scarves and cowls, and in general anything bulky) but today I’ve got a few more for you.

The Guardian has declared 2015 the year of the pom-pom beanie, which it describes as “one part library geek, one part glamour,” and saying “this hat channels that adorbs Instamodel thing where they go out for casual pizza nights and take squad photos looking gorgeous pulling silly faces. And you don’t even have to wash your hair.”

The examples shown in the story are mostly furry not yarn pom-poms, but of course we can make our own and add them to our own handknit hats.

Another stylish accessory of the moment we can make ourselves is the knit headband. PopSugar recently put together a slideshow of options, most of which we could easily knit ourselves. Look above to see the crazy simple knit headband from Barney’s that costs, I kid you not, $125. One case in which you can easily knit it yourself for less, even if you use cashmere. Get started with my collection of headband knitting patterns.

One knitting-related trend you might not want to DIY is sweater nails. Using gel polish and a dotting tool, you (or a trained professional, let’s be honest) can make textures on your nails that look like cabled sweaters. They’re really cute but I’m guessing I don’t have patience for such a thing. How about you? Would you do it?

Looking for more Knitted Beanie patterns? Check out these Knitting patterns we found on Etsy.

Looking to buy your Yarn online? Check out these online yarn specials.

Specific to knitters, you can join our Knitting Patterns Only group to get, well, knitting patterns, ask questions and gain inspiration for what to knit next.

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I love a little cowl because it’s perfect to tuck into your coat when the weather is cold, but you can also wear it when it’s not as cold because it doesn’t make you as warm as a big scarf wrapped around your neck.

They’re also faster to knit than a big long scarf or shawl, and they make great gifts for anyone on your list. They can also be a way to learn new skills, like with my mosaic knit cowl if you haven’t done mosaic knitting before. Let’s check out some more great small cowl knitting patterns you can whip up as last-minute holiday gifts or a way to treat yourself.

If you’re looking for a perfectly simple cowl knitting pattern for beginners, Luxe Knittery has what you need. Their one skein knitting pattern is mostly stockinette stitch, with a cute picot border on one end and a I-cord bind off on the other. It calls for worsted weight yarn (though they also have a sport weight version) and there are links to video tutorials for the special skills needed for the edges.

Stitch up simple warmth in a hurry with the super bulky Sunrise Cowl form Wooly Bear Knits. This is a great one to use leftover yarn to make an ombre effect, of you can stitch it in stripes or a solid color if you’d rather. Either way it will stitch up in no time and be super warm and cozy!

Add a little more colorwork that’s still really easy with the Over the Rainbow knit cowl from Spruce Hill Knits. This free pattern calls for five colors of yarn but it would also be fun to do with a variegated yarn as the contrasting colors (which would give a similar look as my cowl linked above, just with a different motif). This pattern calls for DK or light worsted yarn and is so cheery it would be perfect for gray winter days.

The Odds and Ends Cowl from Kathryn Ashley-Wright offers a lot of options for using what you have. There are fingering/sport weight and DK/worsted weight options, and you can use as few as two or as many as nine colors depending on what you have on hand. You can grab this one on Ravelry.

For allover colorwork, try the Horae Cowl from VSR Design. It uses two colors of fingering weight yarn, so it will take longer to knit than some of these other options but it will keep you cozy without being too heavy. There’s also a matching tam pattern.

Add a little whimsy with the Road Runner Cowl pattern from Jennifer Berg, which you can find on Ravelry. It uses DK weight yarn in two colors and features a large bird on the body of the cowl.

And lest you think all small cowls have to be tubes, Cloud Drift from Gudrun Johnston turns a small cowl into a kerchief cowl with a fun colorwork design. It uses fingering and lace weight yarns held together (a wool and a mohair/silk blend) to work at a DK gauge and make an accessory that’s light as a cloud. It’s also worked flat and seamed at the back for easy wearing. Find it on Ravelry.

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