Knit a Cozy Pencil Skirt

If you live in a part of the world that’s going into cold weather, this one is for you. And even if it’s getting warmer where you live right now, this is a great pattern to keep in mind or make ahead for the cold season that will be back before you know it.

The Julia Slit Pencil Skirt by Kunbi Ayo-Okanlawon is a simple project in the best possible way.

It’s worked from the bottom up, starting with a flat panel to allow for the slit on one side, which is required for ease in walking in such a long skirt.

After that the piece is joined in the round for the rest of the body, and a slip stitch pattern adds interest to the field of stockinette.

It has an elastic waistband and some waist shaping and negative ease for a sleek fit.

The reason this is for the folks experiencing colder weather is that it’s knit with chunky yarn, which is great because it makes a big project like this go a lot faster. And I for one love the idea of a chunky wool skirt over a pair of leggings (maybe even knit leggings?) with a chunky sweater when it’s cold outside. Though it’s also super cute styled with a T-shirt and jacket like Kunbi did.

The skirt has nine sizes available, ranging from a waist circumference of 21 to 47.5 inches (that’s 53 to 121 centimeters) and a hip circumference of 29 to 57 inches (74 to 145 cm). Those are garment measurements, not body measurements; the Ravelry description says it has negative ease but I’m not sure how much. (I’m very interested in this one so if I knit it I’ll update to let you know!)

You can find this pattern on Etsy. And if you like the idea of knitting skirts I’ve shared another of this designer’s patterns before that might be better for folks heading into the warmer seasons, so check out the Hopeful Skirt too!

[Photo: Kunbi Ayo-Okanlawon]

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Getting ready for back to school makes me think about pencil crafts, so let’s take a look at some pencil themed knitting patterns!

I recently made a pencil on a circular knitting machine, and it was a fun, quick, easy project that uses little bits of leftover yarn (and if you don’t have yellow you can make it a colored pencil using whatever color’s your favorite). And if you want to make a bigger version check out this pattern from Orange Olive Road on Etsy.

If you want to knit a pencil pillow by hand, check out Sketchy, available on Ravelry from Shana S. Cohen. This one uses worsted weight yarn and has two size options and the choice to make a pencil with an eraser or a colored pencil.

Pencil scarves seem to be the most popular kind of pencil knitting pattern, and there are lot of cute ones. This one from Cosy Craft UK mostly uses garter stitch, with some welts to add texture and what looks like an I-cord edging. It calls for DK weight yarn.

If you want to go all garter stitch try this version from Emsley Co Creations, which uses five colors of DK weight yarn and just a little shaping to make the point of the pencil.

There’s also this fun, mostly stockinette so it looks like it curls a bit, pencil pattern that looks like it’s worked in chunky yarn from Little Knits Studio. This one uses just a little garter stitch and easy shaping for the point.

If you don’t want a pencil scarf, how about some pencil socks? The No. 2 Pencil Socks from The Yarn Enabler are available from Ravelry and use five colors of sock yarn. They feature wide ribs to mimic the texture of a pencil and have options to be worked from the top down or the toe up.

Needs Sharpening by Alexander Walker is a free pattern on Ravelry that uses five colors of sock yarn to make a sort of shortie sock. The little bit of black at the tips of the toes inspired the name. These, too, can be worked in either direction and are available in three sizes.

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