Knitting

Free Patterns, Tutorials and Project Ideas

Knitting Goes Hi-Tech.

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So you’re ready to take your knitting to the next level, raise the bar, go high tech? Do we have the answer for you!
Software designed for the knitter, enabling you to make up your own patterns and designs without fiddling with all that fussy math.

Here are some I’ve found:
Knitware – Knitting and crochet pattern design software for hand knitters, machine knitters, and crocheters

Here’s a Random Stripe Generator, from Biscuits and Jam, it generates random stripe patterns for knitting sweaters, scarves, blankets, etc. It’ll give you an idea of what the finished sweater will look like, but it still leaves some unpredictability to the stripe pattern.

Of course, there’s the ever popular, Sweater Wizard. This program generates schematics and text directions for sweaters customized to the knitter’s specifications. Sweaters may be charted for flat or round knitting, using any gauge.

Knitware has a free trial. This program designs for hand and machine knitters as well as crocheters.

Swatch Wizard calculates your rows and stitches to give you an accurate guage. It will NOT, however, knit your swatch for you 😉

The Sole Solution provides hundreds of sock patterns for the price of about 5-6 individual patterns.

DesignaKnit touts itself as being professional design software. Complete with lace and cable modules, this looks to be for machine knitters.

And last but not least, at Woodland Woolworks you can find Sock Wizard, Stitch and Motif Maker, Sweater Wizard and Print a Grid.

Don’t forget to enter our Knitting Stuff Giveaway! Just leave me a comment, making sure to give me your email address. I’ll pick a winner on 1.1.09.

Comments

  2. Thanks for the links, I am having fun checking them out! I have never designed my own knitwear, but I may start now.

    Jane

Have you read?

Knit Little Fish to Use Your Yarn Scraps

I rarely understand why something becomes a trend in crafting. Gnomes and geese are both cute I guess, but I never thought we’d be making them for all seasons. (See, for example, this collection of gnome knitting patterns, or these knit geese.)

Another one I don’t totally understand is sardines or little fish more generally. Sure, they’re cute, and the shape is fun, but I had no idea when I was sharing this pattern for a fish-shaped pouch last year that it would become a hugely popular pattern that people are still searching for on the site. It is pretty cute, though, so if you weren’t around then or don’t remember you should got check it out. 

Recently another fishy knitting pattern crossed my monitor: the little knit fish from Classical Songbird Designs. 

Just as the name suggests, these fish are little, about 4.5 inches or 11 cm from end to end. They look like little sardines and take about 12 yards of sock yarn to make. 

You can even make a two-tone fish and use just 6 yards of each color. 

This sounds to me like just about the perfect use for the yarn that’s left over after knitting a pair of socks, or a mini skein or several that have been sitting around unused in your stash. 

The fish are knit flat in one piece, which makes it easy to stitch on the eyes with more yarn or embroidery floss before stuffing, and you can stitch up the sides while you stuff (though it’s not a very big piece so you could probably stitch and then stuff, finishing with the end of the tail). 

Because I’m pretty sure I’m not the only one wondering, I measured an Altoids box and as the pattern is written the fish are a little too big to fit in it (the box is about 4 inches/10 cm long). But you could make the fish a little smaller if you want to make a box of them. Or just make a fishy bag to put them in!

You can grab the free pattern for the little knit fish at Classical Songbird Designs. 

[Photo: Classical Songbird Designs.]