How to Make and Use I-Cord

I’ve probably mentioned that I’m teaching some fiber arts classes for kids this summer, and one of the projects we are going to tackle is making spool knitters and making knit cord.

Of course you can do the same thing with knitting needles, and it’s called I-cord (check this tutorial from Nemcsok Farms for the details if you don’t know how) and you can do the same sorts of things with your finished cords regardless of how you made them.

But what exactly can you do with knit cord?

Knitting-and has a list of 101 uses for knit cord (that actually only has 35 items), from holding two mittens together to making a coiled basket from a really long piece.

The cool thing about it is that you can make it different shapes to form words and images that can be applied to knitting or, if you string a wire through the cord, can stay in shape on their own.

You can braid lengths of it together to make a bracelet or a headband, which is probably one I will do with the kids. Or you can make one long piece and make a wrap bracelet.

Need more ideas? I found two great Pinterest boards on the subject of using I-cord: I-cord Ideas and Knitted I-cord Uses (love the Celtic knot keychain linked there!).

Do you have fun uses for knit cords? I’d love to hear them!

Looking for more Knitted Headband Patterns? Check these patterns out on Etsy. Headbands are a great gift idea as they knit up fast and are well received by friends and family. Everyone loves wearing Knit headbands right?

Next Pattern:

As I was starting to write this post I thought that it was true that I’d never done a roundup of bucket hat knitting patterns before. But then I looked, and I actually did one last year (which you can find here) but there are plenty of cute bucket hats to do another post about, right?

The one that made me want to write about this (again) is the Red Heart Knit Fanfare Bucket Hat from Yarnspirations. This cute striped hat can be worked in team colors, and while I might prefer a non-acrylic yarn for a summer hat, it would be fine when it’s not too hot outside (or try a cotton yarn instead).

Claire Slade’s Sunlit Bucket Hat has an angled brim to help keep the sun out of your eyes. It’s worked from the bottom up using worsted weight cotton yarn, and comes in three sizes. You can find the pattern on Ravelry.

Get a little air flow in your bucket hat with the Shady Bucket Hat from Wool & Beyond. This one uses DK weight yarn and an eyelet pattern throughout the body to keep it cool. It comes in sizes ranging from newborn to adult large, and is worked in one piece from the top down. You can grab the pattern (in English or Swedish) on Ravelry.

If you’re looking for a fun, floppy sun hat for kids or adults, this pattern from Muki Crafts is a little more slouchy than a traditional bucket hat but it’s super cute. It comes in baby, toddler and bigger kid sizes and adult. I uses worsted weight yarn and is worked from the bottom up.

Another variation on the classic bucket is this one that’s more of a cloche style. Made by branda, it uses bulky yarn so it’s more of a winter bucket hat, but now’s a fine time to knit it if you live somewhere that’s warm right now (or even more so if you live somewhere that’s cold right now).

Another one to get you ready for colder weather is Tirmety, a two-layer bucket hat from ViTalina Craft, which has a textured stitch pattern on one side and stockinette on the other. You can wear either side out or even make them different colors if you want. The pattern is sized for toddlers, kids and adults.

And if you want to add some extra cuteness to your bucket hat, I love this (of course totally optional but also totally adorable) embroidered deatila on the New York Bucket Hat from Pauline Fanguin. It uses two strands of DK weight yarn held together for extra sturdiness, and uses changes in needle size to shape the hat. Of course you could also knit stripes or use different textures of yarn to change up the look. This pattern is made to fit your head and is available in French and English.

Next Pattern:

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