Knit Olympic Rings Double as a Stacked Bracelet

I wanted to knit a little something to celebrate the Olympic Games, so I came up with the idea to knit Olympic rings, since they are an icon of the Games that can come out every two years.

As I was thinking about how I would do it, it occurred to me that if I made the rings the right size they could also be used as a giant stacked cuff bracelet.

I don’t know if this idea was brilliant or crazy, but I like the way it turned out and am totally going to make more bracelets this way with different colors and textures of yarn in the future.

This is more of an explanation than a pattern, because it’s super simple. You’ll need a small amount of medium-weight yarn in each of the ring colors –blue, yellow, black, green and red — and two size 8 US/5 mm double-pointed knitting needles or one circular needle.

The rings are each made of five-stitch I-cord: cast on 5, knit 1 row, *slide the stitches to the opposite end of the needle without turning the work, then knit 1 row. Repeat from * until ring is desired size. Bind off, leaving a tail to sew the ends together.

Make one ring of each color, then sew the strips into rings as you sew them together in the order of the Olympic rings: blue, yellow, black, green and red.

Arrange alternating up and down to display, or stack the rings on top of each other to wear as a bracelet.

This is a super quick, easy and fun project that I hope you’ll try, and if you do I’d love to hear what you think!

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Just about anything you can make in fabric you can make in knitting, but there are some styles that you just don’t see that often translated into knitting.

For example, a button down collared shirt. This is a classic design, of course, and it looks great in a knit version, but it’s just not something you see much of.

Noma Ndlovu’s Guglethu shirt is the pattern to try if you want to knit your own button down shirt. This one is inspired by cashmere tops (though the sample was made out of yak yarn, not cashmere, and uses two strands of lace weight yarn held together) and includes lots of high-fashion details like double-knit cuffs, collar and shoulder seams.

It has a patch pocket on the front and 10 buttons including the button band and the cuffs.

The designer says you can also use a DK weight yarn held singly if you’d rather, and that the shirt looks good in a variety of yarns. There is another version on Ravelry that uses Berroco Remix Light, which is a mix of nylon, cotton, acrylic, silk and cellulose fibers. It has a more relaxed look but it still really pretty.

The pattern has 12 sizes, with a full bust measurement ranging from 32.35 to 72.25 inches, or 82 to 183.5 cm. The designer suggests 2 to 6 inches, or 5 to 15 cm, of positive ease when you pick your size. I could totally see knitting one that’s even bigger to wear more like a jacket, because I do that a lot with button down shirts I already own.

I love all the details on this shirt, which isn’t necessarily difficult to knit, but might introduce you to some things you’ve never knit before (like those cuffs with the plackets, or a shirt collar like this).

To learn more about this shirt and grab a copy of the pattern for yourself, head to Ravelry.

[Photo: Noma Ndlovu]

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