Knitting Patterns for the Year of the Sheep

Whether this year is the year of the sheep, goat or ram is a matter of debate in the Western world, but we knitters know it’s the year of the sheep in our hearts.

Looking for more fun sheep patterns to knit? Check these out on Etsy.

This is the year to knit with all the wool you can, and if you’d like to show a little more love to our wooly friends, knit some projects that involve sheep. Here are some great ideas to get you started.

What better place to start you sheepy knitting adventures than with a knit Shaun the Sheep? This adorable pattern by Magni Flyum is a free Ravelry download and is available in English and Norwegian.

Another cute sheep comes from Juanita McClellan, whose Sheepy the Sheep is built on a frame of pipe cleaners and batting.

Dona Carruth’s knit sheep ball ornaments are super cute and a great way to recycle a glass or plastic ball ornament that isn’t looking so great anymore (or buy one for this purpose). And the Eleanor Dishcloth by Elaine Fitzpatrick (scroll down in the post, past the cow) is super cute and a great way to keep the year of the sheep on your mind all year long.

I am in love with Denise de Lelys’ Sheep Cozies, adorable little sheep sleeves to keep your coffee warm. Hers are worked in gray and white, but I’ll bet you could knit a black sheep, too, if you identify with that color more.

This sweet Sheep Backpack from Tatyana Federova is super cute for sheep loving kids, and it looks like Shaun the Sheep, too. (The notes on Ravelry says this is the designer’s first attempt at writing a pattern in English, so be patient, OK?)

Mariann An’s Sheep and Duck sock pattern (shown with sheep only) is not really a pattern, but it does include a chart for the sheep that you can add to any sock pattern you like. So cute! Pair them with Jennifer Little’s Sheep Yoke Baby Cardigan and I’m pretty sure no one will be able to stand the cuteness.

Go your own way with a design by adding the Sheep Outline pattern by Rachael Tomasino to an existing project. The finished sheep is 24 stitches by 30 rows tall, and I think he’d be great on the side of a knit bag!

The Hundred of Sheep sweater by Sangmi Lee is amazing and I would love to wear it but I’m not sure I would ever take the time to knit it. But I love that there are knitters who do such awesome things, don’t you? And in the same vein I also love the Stranded Sheep Scarf by Chelsea Amanda. Another one that’s a lot of work but so, so lovely.

Are you planning to knit anything special to celebrate the year of the sheep? I’d love to hear about it!

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You probably know by now if you’re a regular reader (and if you’re not, welcome!) that I love a knitting pattern that’s a little silly or a little different from the usual. Classic patterns are great, too, but sometimes you just want to make something with a bit of whimsy. And when it’s super functional, too, that’s even better.

That’s the case with the Bananen-Socken pattern from Susanne Shahin. These banana socks are one of those patterns no one seems to be totally sure where it came from, and this free pattern on Ravelry explains how she makes them based on how she learned it.

It’s a sock that’s curved and when not on a foot it looks rather like a banana. There’s no heel, and you can use whatever number of stitches you need to make it fit your foot. If you’ve knit enough socks to know how many stitches you like you can just use that number, or the pattern notes include sizing charts to help. (It needs to be multiples of 2 for the ribbing.)

After working a traditional cuff, the body is made with ribbing on the back and welts (or what the pattern calls horizontal ribbing) on the front, which is what gives it the curved shape. There’s no heel, but there is toe shaping, but for the leg and the foot you just keep working the same pattern as long as you like.

I’m a little skeptical about how these socks will feel with ribbing on the bottom of the foot, but I’m definitely intrigued and will probably give them a try.

The pattern notes are available on Ravelry in English, German, French, Italian and Spanish. If you head to the pattern page you can see a photo of what it looks like on a foot, and it just looks like a normal sock.

Have you ever knit banana socks or do you want to now? I’d love to hear your thoughts!

[Photo: Susanne Shahin]

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