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.

Specifically for knitters, you can join our Knitting Patterns Only group to get the latest knitting patterns, ask questions and gain inspiration for what to knit next in our online community.

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

[Photo: Tin Can Knits via Wooly Simple.]

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]

Have you read?