Knits from Outer Space -Knitting Patterns

With all the excitement surrounding the Pluto flyby this week, I thought it might be fun to look for some knit representations of space. I didn’t find any knits celebrating Pluto specifically, but there’s lots of fun space-themed stuff out there.

Of course we can’t talk about space and knitting without at least a brief mention of Space Invaders. The little aliens from that classic video game are perfectly shaped for knitting, and there are lots of Space Invader themed knits out there. Two I really liked were this tam from Erica Grønntun and Emily Sontag’s double knit Old School Space Invaders Scarf.

The Illusion Knit Space Scarf by Andrea Blumberg uses a fun technique to make a design that features a rocket, planet and stars you can only see when you look at the scarf just right.

If you love knit hexipuffs (like on the Beekeeper’s Quilt) check out the space-themed charts from Louise Lavender. There’s a rocket, a robot, a moon and Jupiter, and you could use them on other projects as well (I’m seeing them along the bottom of a sweater for a little person).

I also love SJ Griffin’s Moon and Star Socks, which feature lovely stranded colorwork and would be really warm as well as fun to wear.

If you’re willing to shell out a few bucks for some fun patterns, also check out the Little Ringed Planet pattern by Dawn Finney (it’s $2.50) or the super cute Aliens from the Planet Flangelzwat by Liz Wray (somewhere around $4).

Not too long ago I did a test knit for another designer that was for a cabled cardigan. It’s really cozy and nice but it just about broke me in a ton of different ways. I couldn’t get gauge, which I suppose is my own problem, but mainly I was somehow both bored and forced to pay attention at the same time.

Because it used the same cable all over, I always had to know what row I was on, but nine out of ten of those rows, nothing in particular was going on. So I couldn’t stop paying attention, but what I needed to attend to was boring.

It may have ruined me for knitting cabled sweaters, but maybe I just need something that’s more engaging. Like this Modern Aran Cardigan pattern from Lion Brand Yarn.

This is a reworking of an old pattern from their archives, and you can tell that form the classic look of the cables and the oversized feel (nothing cropped about this one!). It has allover cables, but like a classic Aran sweater it’s not the same cable, so you’ll have to pay attention to what row you’re on and what cable turns happen for which cables on that row.

Because of this, it’s considered an intermediate knitting pattern, but if you’re comfortable working from multiple charts at once it shouldn’t be a problem for you. There are three different charts and seven different cable moves.

Also because the pattern is so big and boxy there are only two sizes available, with a finished chest measurement of either 49 or 63 inches (that’s 124.5 or 160 cm). It’s up to you to decide how much ease you would like and whether that will work for your body.

The pattern uses worsted weight yarn (and calls for another classic, Lion Brand Fisherman’s Wool). It calls for six buttons and includes pockets to make it extra cozy.

This one looks like a great winter project to make and to wear if you’re up for a bit of a challenge. You can grab the free pattern or buy a kit with the yarn needed direct from Lion Brand Yarn.

[Photo: Lion Brand Yarn]

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