Free Patterns to Show Your School Spirit

This Saturday is the first football game of the college football season, and where I live that’s a BIG deal. My Facebook page has lately been full of people asking where they can get Razorbacks dresses or wreaths for their door, and I’m sure there are lots of crafty people all over the area breaking out their red and white stuff, if they haven’t already.

It’s going to be a little warm for school-colored knits for a few games, but it’s never too early to start. Here are some cute, easy patterns you can insert your school colors into to bring a little warmth whether you’re going to a fall football game, a winter basketball game or any other event.

Lion Brand has an easy School Colors Hat, which is worked flat in garter stitch with the color changes made on the right side for extra texture and interest. It’s a bit on the small side, so it might be better for high school kids than adults. The School Spirit Striped Scarf from Social Knitworking uses three colors and stockinette stitch worked in the round to make for a nice looking scarf that knits up quick.

And the only slightly more complex High School Colors Scarf from A.D.D. Knitter uses slip stitches to mix the two colors up and provide a much more interesting look.

Of course you could work any two-color pattern you like in your school colors to make it a “school” project, too.

Are you planning any school colors knitting? Spill it!

[Photo by Social Knitworking.]

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Blankets are a great blank slate project that you can change up in a million different ways. From color to stitch pattern to size, the possibilities are almost endless.

Jared Flood, the designer behind Brooklyn Tweed, was inspired by a log cabin quilt his mother made in 1995 to re-create that design in knitting, which led to more blankets and ultimate Brooklyn Tweed’s Knit and Crochet Blankets, which includes 25 patterns from an array of designers using different skills and techniques to make cozy, pretty blankets.

The patterns are divided into three aesthetic themes: traditions, minimalism and colorplay. The patterns are rated on a scale of one to five, with one being the easiest, and there aren’t any pieces rated five. Two blankets are rated one, 14 are two, eight are three and one is four.

In addition, three of the 25 patterns are crocheted, but they either use single crochet or granny stitch, so they are pretty easy even if you don’t do a lot of crochet. You can see all the patterns on Ravelry.

Some of my favorites include Rattan by Rastus Hsu, a chunky blanket worked in knits and purls with simple crossing stitches to make a raised woven look; Homewood by Seth Richardson, covers in dramatic, loopy cables; Ainur Berkimbayeva’s Tessellate, one of the beginner projects that doesn’t really look beginner but is totally worked in knit and purl stitches; Warp + Weft by Aist? Butkevi?ien?, which is mostly knits and purls but makes a fun woven look fabric that blew my mind a little bit; and the same designer’s Canyonland, a multicolored blanket with wavy stripes.

The patterns tell you how to resize them for different dimensions and include information on pattern repeats where it is possible to make a totally custom size.

Many different techniques are included here such as cables, lace, shadow knitting, intarsia and other colorwork techniques, as well as modular knitting and lots of sewing pieces together. The patterns are all presented with charts, but there are line by line written instructions available on the Brooklyn Tweed website if you need them.

The book ends with a deep dive into log cabin knitting, telling the story of the quilt Jared’s mom made and how he made it in knitting, as well as the multitude of variations you can make if you want your own log cabin style design.

The back of the book includes a little written information about some of the special techniques needed, but there are no photos.

This is a lovely book full of inspiration for knitting and crochet blankets for any skill level. If you like to make blankets as gifts or aspire to have a handmade blanket in every room of the house, these designs would be a great place to start.

About the book: 192 pages, paperback, 25 patterns. Published 2024 by Abrams Books, suggested retail price $24.99.

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