Knitting

Free Patterns, Tutorials and Project Ideas

Have You Ever Knit with Fabric?

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Knit a funky pillow using fabric as yarn.Knitting with fabric, whether T-shirt yarn or another material, can be a lot of fun. It’s usually pretty bulky yarn, meaning you can knit up a project in a flash that has a lot of texture and personality.

For example, there’s this fabric cushion from We are Knitters. It’s worked in two pieces in double moss stitch, with tassels for the ends. The company sells a fabric yarn to go with this free pattern, but you can also make your own to make this a recycling/upcycling project as well as a fun accessory for your home.

Check out my instructions for making T-shirt yarn, which is similar to making fabric yarn. I have a friend who has a ton of old sheets torn up for photo backdrops, and I’ll bet they’d work for knitting as well.

Have you ever done this? I’d love to hear about it!

[Photo via We are Knitters.]

Comments

  1. Oh yes – I just recently finished crocheting a rug using a ball of fabric scraps (that were sewn together – a garage sale find!) I haven’t posted it to my blog yet, but here’s a photo on my FB page:

    I love how squishy they are! I also used T Shirt scraps to make yarn and knitted it up as a rug for our bathroom. Loved that too!

Have you read?

Free Knitted Crown Pattern for Kids and Adults: A Sweet Handmade Dress-Up Idea

There’s something wonderfully charming about a knitted crown. It’s playful, useful for the dress-up basket, and just the sort of small project that gives a leftover ball of yarn a proper purpose. Much better than letting it roll around the cupboard for another three years.

This free knitted crown pattern for kids and adults combines a simple garter-stitch band with shaped triangular points. The mustard-gold colour gives it that storybook crown look, although pink, purple or woodland green would be equally lovely.

A Manageable Next Step for Beginner Knitters

The construction is the appealing part of this design. Everything is knitted flat, so you won’t need double-pointed needles or experience joining stitches in the round.

You knit the band first, then work each crown point separately over a group of 12 stitches. Paired decreases gradually narrow each triangle, giving you a small, repeatable section to concentrate on.

I’d describe this as a confident beginner knitting project. You’ll need to know how to knit, work two types of decreases, hold unused stitches and sew a simple seam. There are several yarn tails to weave in, so a little patience with finishing will help.

Three Sizes With Room to Personalise

The pattern includes three sizes, with seven, eight or nine crown points. Choose by the wearer’s head measurement rather than age, and check your gauge carefully. Yarn stretch will make a noticeable difference to the fit.

For birthdays, an embroidered initial would be a sweet finishing touch. Contrasting yarn diamonds could suggest little jewels without adding hard embellishments.

What to Know Before Casting On

This is a soft knitted crown, so expect gentle points rather than a rigid costume accessory. A springy wool or wool-blend yarn should give the shaping more support than a very drapey yarn.

The stitch calculations have been checked, but the design has not yet been sample-knitted. The accompanying image is an illustrative mockup, so the finished texture and proportions may vary with your yarn and tension.

For a small handmade birthday accessory or a cheerful addition to the dress-up box, this is an appealing idea. And if an adult needs a matching crown for supervising the royal household, the larger size has that covered too.