Knit in the New Year

I’m not sure there’s a lot of call for knitting things to commemorate the new year, but if you’re hosting (or attending) a New Year’s Even party it might be fun to have something stitched up — like a washcloth or cup cozy — that has the new year on it for a bit of extra handmade fun.

A search on Ravelry didn’t reveal any patterns worked with 2015 yet, but it’s simple enough to change the last number on a chart to make it correspond with the coming year. Here are a few projects you might want to add to your holiday stitch list.

This little 2009 cloth form Kris Knits is really cute and relatively simple, with a seed stitch border and garter stitch numbers. It’s 5.5 inches square, so it will knit up really quickly, just remember when you change the numbers that the chart shows them worked backwards (you could also just redraw the chart and have them facing the other way, if you’d like).

If you like an iced coffee throughout the year, this extra large cup cozy, originally worked for 2011 by Sandy Davis, would be a great choice. It uses five different colors and says KH for “Knitting Help” (because it was knit for a Knitting Help New Year’s Eve Party) but you could easily change that to your initials, leave that part blank or repeat the little ball and needles design that’s also featured.

For 2012, she also worked up a simple stitcher’s wallet or pocket to hold tools. Again it includes KH on one side and the year on the other, but you could easily change it up in any way you wante.

One Crafty Mama worked a 2012 dishcloth (which she also updated for 2013, and a 3 is almost a 5) that’s super simple and would be great to use all year.

Lisa Millan had a 2008 New Year’s dishcloth in her store that includes the year and a pair of clinking champagne glasses. If it’s still sold, it runs $2.

Have you ever knit something that marked the new year? I’d love to hear about it.

Next Pattern:

Blankets are a great blank slate project that you can change up in a million different ways. From color to stitch pattern to size, the possibilities are almost endless.

Jared Flood, the designer behind Brooklyn Tweed, was inspired by a log cabin quilt his mother made in 1995 to re-create that design in knitting, which led to more blankets and ultimate Brooklyn Tweed’s Knit and Crochet Blankets, which includes 25 patterns from an array of designers using different skills and techniques to make cozy, pretty blankets.

The patterns are divided into three aesthetic themes: traditions, minimalism and colorplay. The patterns are rated on a scale of one to five, with one being the easiest, and there aren’t any pieces rated five. Two blankets are rated one, 14 are two, eight are three and one is four.

In addition, three of the 25 patterns are crocheted, but they either use single crochet or granny stitch, so they are pretty easy even if you don’t do a lot of crochet. You can see all the patterns on Ravelry.

Some of my favorites include Rattan by Rastus Hsu, a chunky blanket worked in knits and purls with simple crossing stitches to make a raised woven look; Homewood by Seth Richardson, covers in dramatic, loopy cables; Ainur Berkimbayeva’s Tessellate, one of the beginner projects that doesn’t really look beginner but is totally worked in knit and purl stitches; Warp + Weft by Aist? Butkevi?ien?, which is mostly knits and purls but makes a fun woven look fabric that blew my mind a little bit; and the same designer’s Canyonland, a multicolored blanket with wavy stripes.

The patterns tell you how to resize them for different dimensions and include information on pattern repeats where it is possible to make a totally custom size.

Many different techniques are included here such as cables, lace, shadow knitting, intarsia and other colorwork techniques, as well as modular knitting and lots of sewing pieces together. The patterns are all presented with charts, but there are line by line written instructions available on the Brooklyn Tweed website if you need them.

The book ends with a deep dive into log cabin knitting, telling the story of the quilt Jared’s mom made and how he made it in knitting, as well as the multitude of variations you can make if you want your own log cabin style design.

The back of the book includes a little written information about some of the special techniques needed, but there are no photos.

This is a lovely book full of inspiration for knitting and crochet blankets for any skill level. If you like to make blankets as gifts or aspire to have a handmade blanket in every room of the house, these designs would be a great place to start.

About the book: 192 pages, paperback, 25 patterns. Published 2024 by Abrams Books, suggested retail price $24.99.

Next Pattern:

Have you read?

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