Get Ready for Christmas with Ugly Sweater Patterns

I hate to admit it, but we’re a little over half way to Christmas. It’s probably already time to start thinking about whether anyone in your circle is worthy of Christmas knitting and what you might like to make for them.

But if you’re not quite ready to face that fact just yet, why not make something for yourself for the holiday season, such as an Ugly Christmas Sweaters?

Knit Picks has a great free ebook with six ugly Christmas sweater patterns designed by Kim Cameron, who apparently wins awards for the fabulousness of her ugly sweaters.

The book includes patterns for bedecking your sweater with an elf, a reindeer, a snowman, a Christmas tree, ornaments on a garland and a mantel full of Christmas stockings.

You’ll also be inspired — if you want to call it that — to embellish your sweater even further with pompoms, lights and other delights.

Have you ever knit an ugly Christmas sweater? (I made a Christmas bra once, but that’s a story for another day.) I’d love to hear about it!

Looking for more Christmas themed Knitting patterns? Check out some of our favorite Knitting patterns on Etsy and

These Christmas Knitting Pattern Books on Amazon

[Photo via Knit Picks.]

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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