Great Knitting Patterns for Brand-New Knitters

There’s always a little problem that new knitters have: you want to knit something great, but you don’t have the skills or confidence yet for something really big or complicated. You don’t want your first projects to take forever, but you also don’t want them to be boring.

Wooly Simple has collected 10 knitting patterns that are great for beginners.

What makes a pattern good for new knitters? Her criteria are that it only uses knit and purl stitches, is knit flat on straight needles, has clear instructions, great style and is free.

Come to think of it they’re pretty great for more seasoned knitters, too.

Check out her full list on the blog. I love this one; it’s the Malt Baby Blanket from Tin Can Knits.

Don’t forget to join our Exclusive Knitting Group on Facebook. With over 25 Vintage knitting patterns available to download immediately. Subscription to this group is the cost of a single vintage pattern.

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Looking for more Baby Knitting patterns? Check these out on Etsy.

[Photo: Tin Can Knits via Wooly Simple.]

Next Pattern:

Many times when I write these posts I will say something like “you can use any yarn you want” or “this would be a great stash-busting project.” That’s just how my mind works. And my stash, too, since I probably have sweater quantity of two or three yarns at most, but tons of singles and odd balls and leftovers.

Blankets are generally a really good way to use up those bits, but in this case, I think you’re going to want to plan it out a bit better.

Looking at photos of the Color Study Blanket from Purl Soho, it looks like it’s made with two yarns held together, and that block in the center is worked with one of each color from the adjoining sides to make a mixed up color.

But that’s not actually how it’s done. This is three separate colors (four, really, with the neutrals in the corners) chosen form a yarn with an expansive palette so they play off each other. The project calls for a worsted weight superwash wool, which is a great choice for a blanket that’s both warm and washable.

This pattern was originally designed by Laura Ferguson and was updated by Hiromi Glover. It is worked in one piece in garter stitch intarsia, which is a great way to learn the intarsia technique if you don’t already know it. It comes in crib or throw sizes.

Despite the introduction to this post, I am going to go ahead and say that, yes, of course you could do this blanket with scraps or odd balls or even just choose five colors that don’t blend together so easily. But I really do love the look of the color play, and I think it would be worth your time to find colors that play well together to get a similar effect.

This pattern is available for free from Purl Soho.

[Photo: Purl Soho]

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