Free and Easy Shamrock Knitting Patterns

Knitting a flat shamrock is a great way to practice this fun shape. You can add it as an applique to another project (like a placemat, tea cozy, hat or scarf) or make a bunch and turn them into a garland or scatter them across a flat surface to add some festive decor. These easy shamrock patterns are a great way to get started.

Studio Knit’s pattern uses three clover leaf shapes knit separately, then sewn together and attached to an I-cord stem. These pieces are really quick and easy to knit because they are basically heart shapes, and if you know how to slip, slip, knit and knit 2 together you know all the skills you need to make them.

The knit shamrock pattern from Natural Suburbia also uses heart-shaped clover pieces worked separately and stitched together. On these the center stitches are worked in stockinette while the outer edges are garter stitch, which adds a fun contrast in texture. The stem for hers is a I-cord picked up and knitted after the shamrock pieces are sewn together.

Fitting in Knitting has a design that uses more of a teardrop shape leaf. These are still worked flat and in pieces, but the pattern gives the option for working the petals in stockinette or garter stitch and making a three-leaf clover (aka a shamrock) or a four-leaf clover if you’d rather. If worked in Stockinette you’ll want to knit two body pieces for each leaf and sew them together so they don’t curl.

This one might not be quite as simple but it is a pretty little clover, and there’s a video tutorial to help you along. Samuele Scomparin’s little shamrock knitting pattern is perfect to wear in a lapel and is worked in the round. You can get the written pattern from Ravelry or follow along on the video tutorial on YouTube (I think it will help with the setup to watch the video, especially if you’re new to magic loop knitting.

Not too long ago I did a test knit for another designer that was for a cabled cardigan. It’s really cozy and nice but it just about broke me in a ton of different ways. I couldn’t get gauge, which I suppose is my own problem, but mainly I was somehow both bored and forced to pay attention at the same time.

Because it used the same cable all over, I always had to know what row I was on, but nine out of ten of those rows, nothing in particular was going on. So I couldn’t stop paying attention, but what I needed to attend to was boring.

It may have ruined me for knitting cabled sweaters, but maybe I just need something that’s more engaging. Like this Modern Aran Cardigan pattern from Lion Brand Yarn.

This is a reworking of an old pattern from their archives, and you can tell that form the classic look of the cables and the oversized feel (nothing cropped about this one!). It has allover cables, but like a classic Aran sweater it’s not the same cable, so you’ll have to pay attention to what row you’re on and what cable turns happen for which cables on that row.

Because of this, it’s considered an intermediate knitting pattern, but if you’re comfortable working from multiple charts at once it shouldn’t be a problem for you. There are three different charts and seven different cable moves.

Also because the pattern is so big and boxy there are only two sizes available, with a finished chest measurement of either 49 or 63 inches (that’s 124.5 or 160 cm). It’s up to you to decide how much ease you would like and whether that will work for your body.

The pattern uses worsted weight yarn (and calls for another classic, Lion Brand Fisherman’s Wool). It calls for six buttons and includes pockets to make it extra cozy.

This one looks like a great winter project to make and to wear if you’re up for a bit of a challenge. You can grab the free pattern or buy a kit with the yarn needed direct from Lion Brand Yarn.

[Photo: Lion Brand Yarn]

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