Knitting

Free Patterns, Tutorials and Project Ideas

Get Cozy with This Colorful Shawl Knitting Pattern

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I know cozy is a word that we typically use to mean the feeling of wearing our favorite sweater or sitting and knitting in front of a fire. But the act of knitting can be cozy, too, when we’re in the groove or feeling confident in our skills, even when a project isn’t totally simple.

The Harvest Hues shawl from Tamy Gore is, I think, both kinds of cozy. It’s a top down shawl worked in three colors and it has lots of interesting bits for you. We’re talking two-color brioche, some easy eyelets, a bit of colorwork and some stripes.

None of it is super difficult, especially if you’ve done two-color brioche before, but it is satisfying, a way to use your skills without being overwhelming. You know, cozy.

And of course there’s nothing squishier than brioche knitting, especially in worsted weight yarn, which just ups the fluff factor. This is also a good sized triangle so it’ll be great to wrap yourself in warmth when the cold days come back (or if you live somewhere it’s cold right now, whichever).

(Side note: the yarn the designer used in her sample is a combination merino and Devon Zwartbles, which sounds like something out of Dr. Seuss, so I had to look it up. Turns out the Devon Zwartbles sheep is originally from the Netherlands, and it’s a brown sheep with a white blaze on its forehead and two white socks on their back legs, plus a little white on the end of their tails. It produces a “voluminous, bouncy yarn, according to John Arbon Textiles, which made the yarn. So now you know that, too.)

The pattern uses worsted weight yarn in three colors, and calls for a size 7 US or 4.5 mm circular knitting needle to accommodate all the stitches. You can download the pattern from Ravelry.

[Photo: Tamy Gore.]

Have you read?

Book Review: Knitted Safari Friends – 20 Adorable Animals to Make

If you have a weakness for knitted animals wearing tiny clothes, Knitted Safari Friends by Sarah Keen is going to be very difficult to resist.

This colourful collection includes 20 safari and savannah animals to knit, including a lion, tiger, elephant, flamingo, hippo, crocodile, rhinoceros, zebra and giraffe.

And yes, many of them have their own little outfits.

The lion in purple overalls is probably enough to sell me on the whole book.

Cute Animals With Plenty of Personality

What I like about this collection is that the animals are clearly designed as characters rather than realistic wildlife models.

They are bright, friendly and a little quirky, which makes them particularly appealing as handmade gifts for children or animal-loving adults.

Looking at the sample pages, the hippo and flamingo patterns have a cheerful illustrated layout, with the finished animals shown in little safari scenes alongside the practical pattern information.

There is also plenty of variety in the shapes, which means you aren’t simply knitting the same basic body 20 times and changing the ears.

If knitted animals with interchangeable clothes are already your thing, have a look at our Knitted Wild Animal Friends book review. That collection includes elephants, giraffes, lions, tigers, zebras and other animals with an entire wardrobe of tiny knitted clothing.

Is Knitted Safari Friends Beginner Friendly?

The publisher describes the patterns as easy to follow, and the book includes a techniques section, abbreviations and knitting conversions to help you through the projects.

I would still put this more in the confident beginner to intermediate category rather than recommending it as someone’s very first knitting project.

Toy knitting usually involves shaping, joining pieces, stuffing and finishing neatly, and that finishing stage can sometimes take almost as long as the knitting itself.

Ask anyone who has ever had a finished knitted animal sitting in pieces on the craft table for three weeks waiting for its legs to be sewn on.

For knitters who are still learning the basics of toy making, our Knitted Amigurumi Animal Friends review is another useful option, with smaller animals and simple clothing pieces.

A Great Gift Knitting Book

These would make lovely handmade gifts for children, particularly if you matched the animal to their favourite safari creature.

You could also knit several of them together as a nursery display or create your own little safari collection.

The clothes and accessories add another level of fun, too. Once you’ve knitted an elephant, there is something wonderfully satisfying about then deciding what that elephant ought to wear.

Apparently this is where my crafting priorities are now.

My Take

I think Knitted Safari Friends is one of those books that you buy intending to make one project and then immediately start planning an entire knitted zoo.

The bright colours, cute facial expressions and tiny outfits give the animals loads of personality, while the variety of creatures should keep the knitting interesting.

Sarah Keen has been designing knitted toys for years, and that experience shows in the way these animals have been turned into characters rather than simply miniature versions of real wildlife.

If you enjoy toy knitting, handmade gifts or anything involving animals in overalls, this one is definitely worth a look.

Knitted Safari Friends: 20 Adorable Animals to Make is written by Sarah Keen and published by GMC Publications. It was released on April 21, 2026, with a listed RRP of $26.99.