Knitting

Free Patterns, Tutorials and Project Ideas

How About a Hood?

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knit hoodI’m a big fan of cowls over scarves because it feels like more of the fabric is up around your face where you need it, but a knit hood might be an even better idea.

This hood, call Friend of the Forest from Balls to the Walls Knits, is really simple in looks and design, using short rows to shape the back of the head into a rounded shape that will fit well and keep you snuggly.

It’s worked in an alpaca blend yarn, perfect for keeping out winter chill, but any animal fiber would be great in this application.

And of course it doesn’t have to be a solid color — try stripes or a multicolored or self-striping yarn for a little more pizzazz on the coldest of days.

Do you have a knit hood? I’d love to hear about it!

[Photo: Balls to the Walls Knits.]

Looking to buy your Yarn online? Check out these online yarn specials.

Specific to knitters, you can join our Knitting Patterns Only group to get, well, knitting patterns, ask questions and gain inspiration for what to knit next.

Check out these books dedicated to Knitted Cowl Patterns still looking for more cowl patterns? Check these out on Etsy.

Comments

  2. That’s a great question. Most of the natural fibers that don’t come from animals are not known for warmth, so maybe a good-quality acrylic like Knit Picks Brava? Or a cotton/acrylic blend might be nice, too.

Have you read?

Knit Back at AI Patterns with the AIlephant

Lots of craft designers are understandably frustrated about the proliferation of AI “designed” patterns and photos of projects that have no basis in reality. People who don’t know how to tell if a project is AI are often also frustrated when they see a picture for something but there’s no pattern because it’s not real, or they buy a pattern that doesn’t actually explain how to make the thing or ends up looking totally different from the picture. 

Some designers have taken it upon themselves to try to make some of those AI patterns that we see online, often with hilarious results. 

Katherine Foster was inspired by a famous AI elephant to make what she calls “AIlephant,” which is now a free knitting pattern on Ravelry. 

Her prototype uses worsted weight yarn, but you can use whatever yarn you like to make different sizes of elephants. 

The elephant features a cable running down the trunk and a different cable pattern on the back. It’s worked in pieces that are joined and stuffed as you go. It uses German short row shaping on the body and includes written instructions as well as a chart for the cable patterns. 

Reading through the pattern, it sounds a little fiddly, which makes sense because it was designed to look like a pattern that isn’t real. But it’s doable, as evidenced by the handful of projects you can find on Ravelry. The ears on her version aren’t quite as big and round or maybe don’t sit in quite the same place as the AI version (which if you haven’t seen it there’s a photo of that on the projects page, too). But it’s a pretty honest replica of a dishonest photo, and a really cute elephant in its own right. 

If you make this one I would love to hear about it!

You can grab the free pattern on Ravelry. 

[Photo: Katherine Foster]