Knitting

Patterns, projects and techniques

Knit Your First Sweater with Easy Raglan Patterns

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I know a lot of people like to start knitting sweaters that are made flat in pieces, and that’s totally fine. That way you can focus on getting the stitches and the shaping right while you’re knitting, but the skills required to finish a sweater well when it’s been knit in pieces are not always things beginners have a good handle on. (It takes practice to make even mattress stitch seams, for example.)

My first sweater was worked in pieces so I didn’t know until it was done that it was alarmingly small. (My second sweater was worked from the top down in one piece, fit correctly and is still in my closet 20-some years later.)

Which is why I want to make an argument for learning to knit sweaters by working in the round. You don’t have to worry about finishing, and, in the case of top-down designs, you can even try it on as you go to make sure it fits.

If you’re looking for a good first sweater knitting pattern, or just want something easy you can modify with stripes, stitch patterns or other embellishments if you like (or leave plain if you don’t, I love a plain stockinette sweater!), try the Step by Step Sweater from Florence Miller.

This free pattern on Ravelry is sized for chest measurements of 90 to 150 centimeters, or 35.5 to 59 inches. It uses worsted weight yarn and you can work in a solid color, add stripes, make it a stash buster, whatever you like. There are two neckline options and the pattern includes videos to help you along, though none of the techniques are that tricky.

If you want to try a bottom up raglan instead, check out Nina Petrina’s children’s raglan sweater. It’s worked in one piece from the bottom up and shown with contrasting hem, cuffs and collar (one of my favorite stash-busting techniques), but here too you can add stripes or other colorwork or patterns as you like. It’s sized for kids 1-10 years (6 sizes in all) and is free on Nina’s website (scroll down for the English version).

The Key to Raglan Cardigans that Fit

A Sleeveless Raglan for Summer

A Great Raglan Pullover to Knit

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Bucket Hat Knitting Patterns

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.