Knitting

Free Patterns, Tutorials and Project Ideas

Knit Flowers on Your Sweater

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I feel like I’ve knit most things that you can knit through my many years of knitting and designing, but one thing I’ve never done is a sweater worked in fingering weight yarn. It just sounds like too much commitment to me, like it will take forever and be too delicate for me to want to wear.

I know none of that is true. Despite the gauge fine knit sweaters don’t necessarily take longer than other projects, especially if they have something to hold your interest like fun colorwork. And the level of detail you can get in a project with so many stitches really can’t be beat.

Consider Bloem by Natasja Hornby. This bottom up crew neck sweater has colorwork all over, whether it’s stripes or these big mandala-like flowers on the front and back (flowers also show up on the sleeves).

I think there’s really something to the idea that colorwork goes faster because you want to see what’s going to happen next, and in the case of this sweater there are other design elements that you’ll be excited to knit. The yoke of the sweater is a hybrid design that ensures a good fit and probably a knitting experience you haven’t had before.

You’ll knit the body of the sweater in the round from the bottom up to the underarms, then knit the sleeves separately and join all together for the yoke.

The pattern has 8 size options, with finished bust measurements ranging from 33.5 to 61 inches, or 84 to 152.5 cm.

You can choose more muted, harmonious colors like the ones shown in the sample or go bolder for a real showstopping piece. Check out the finished projects on Ravelry to give you some ideas and see how it fits on different size bodies. There’s one where the knitter made all the flowers different colors that I just love. 

Learn more and grab a copy of the pattern on Ravelry.

[Photo: Natasja Hornby]

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Add Mushrooms to Your Knits with these Fun Knitting Patterns

A few years ago I wrote a post that was full of patterns for knit mushrooms, but I don’t think I ever did a post that was knitting patterns with mushrooms on them, so today’s the day. 

I love the Fungi Beanie from Jacki Bean, which calls for worsted weight yarn and uses duplicate stitch to add the mushrooms and other details. I think the colors she used for the design are tonal/multicolor so it doesn’t use as many colors as it looks like, but you can use whatever red, green, brown and white yarn you have in your stash for those details. 

How about some mushroom socks? The Magic Toadstool sock form Stone Knits includes a ring of mushrooms around the leg, contrasting heel and toe and a little more colorwork at the toe for extra cuteness. As shown it uses four colors and comes in three sizes. 

Or there’s the Fairy Ring Socks from Katie Green, which have mushrooms of two sizes on the legs, plus a bit of wavy grass. They have a contrasting cuff, heel and toe and some colorwork flecks in the body of the sock as well. This one is available in eight sizes to fit everyone from a baby to an XL adult. 

This trippy cowl from Hunt Hand Knits looks like a lot of fun to knit. The Fungus Among Us Cowl is shown using four colors of DK weight yarn, though you can do it with as few as two if you’d rather. 

Stitch some mushroom mittens with this cute pattern from Holly C Watson. This design uses three colors, and it’s shown with a self-striping yarn on the mushroom caps, which makes the colors change without you having to do any work. The pattern is charted but it’s a pretty easy repeat. The mittens are one size. 

If you don’t feel like knitting mushrooms but still want to give your project a touch of the forest, the Toadstools Cardigan from Julie Taylor may be what you’re looking for. It’s stitched as a plain cardigan worked in DK weight yarn and sized for newborns up to 4 years old. The mushrooms are added with embroidery and the pattern includes the design, which you can trace onto water soluble stabilizer to stitch the mushrooms onto your sweater. Or anything else you want. You can find this pattern on Ravelry.