Knitting

Free Patterns, Tutorials and Project Ideas

Houndstooth Knitting Patterns

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One of my favorite basic colorwork patterns is houndstooth, and I’m honestly a little shocked I’ve never done a houndstooth knitting pattern roundup before. Now’s the time, thanks to my coming across the Rakish Shawl from The Lamb & Kid Designs recently.

This pattern is free on Ravelry and it looks so cozy. It’s worked in worsted weight yarn and uses mosaic/slip stitch to make the design.

Speaking of cozy, the Hennessey Houndstooth Cardigan from Knit One Purl One Design looks like the kind of sweater I would want to wear all fall long. This one uses DK weight yarn and stranded knitting to make the design (which is the more common approach to houndstooth). It comes in nine sizes and you do need to be able to read and follow a chart to make this one work.

If you’re new to houndstooth, a good place to start might be this super bulky hat knitting pattern from Knotty Gang. It uses two colors and three sizes of needles so you don’t have to mess with increasing or decreasing in the colorwork.

A houndstooth hunting cap is a classic, and this option is from Orochi Knit. This is a free Japanese knitting pattern, meaning it’s in chart form (there are some written instructions but they are in Japanese and I didn’t try to translate it). But it’s very cool looking if you want to give it a try!

Add in a third color for the edges on the Houndstooth Bandana from Jocelyn Tunney and it makes the whole project pop that much more. This one uses DK weight yarn and you can buy it on Ravelry.

This multicolored houndstooth cowl from Yarnspirations was worked with their Pantone yarn, which included small balls of coordinating colors. That yarn has been discontinued but you could do the same thing with mini skeins, or just use one multicolored yarn.

Have you read?

Knit a Sweet Blanket with a Pocket for Treasures

When my daughter was in early elementary school we were at Joann together (RIP) and she picked out some variegated pink and white blanket yarn for me to knit a blanket for her bed. Now probably 10 years later, it’s one of her favorite possessions. I note this because the blankets we give to little ones might seem simple on the surface, like something they need to keep warm, but they can turn into so much more. 

Take the Pocketful of Love Blanket from Purl Soho. On the surface this is a pretty but also easy to knit blanket for a little one. It’s worked in garter stitch stripes using sport weight yarn (the sample is a superwash wool, but this would also be nice in cotton or a blend) and available in a crib or small throw size. Though of course because it’s garter stitch, it’s pretty easy to make it any size you want. 

But what makes this blanket extra special is the little details. The slip stitch selvedges and I-cord bind off give it a crisp look that’s perfect with the garter stitch of the body. 

And then there’s the pocket. 

This is a big pocket. At 10 inches wide and 12.25 inches tall (that’s 25.4 by 31 cm) for the crib size and 12.75 by 14.25 inches (32.4 by 36 cm) for the throw, you can easily fit a favorite stuffed animal, toy or book into the pocket. 

I love how even though it uses the same striped garter stitch pattern as the blanket, it’s stitched down so the stripes run the opposite way (horizontal when the blanket stripes are vertical), though of course you can match stripes if you’d rather.

I think this blanket has the potential to be greatly loved by the little one its given to, and by the knitter look for an easy, pretty baby blanket with a little extra useful twist. 

Grab the free pattern from Purl Soho. 

[Photo: Purl Soho]