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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I guess the trend of little scarves and bandanas isn’t going away, and there’s a good reason for that. These little projects are fast, and they’re good for beginners because of the low commitment and they make something that doesn’t necessarily look like a beginner made it.

And when you can combine a simple pattern with some super luxurious yarn, it’s a little treat that even more experienced knitters can get behind.

The Little Dot Bandana from Purl Soho (designed by Gianna Mueller) is a project like that. It’s a simple eyelet triangle, worked from the long side down to the point, so there’s a lot of decreasing happening but it’s a really easy project.

It calls for a hank of silk yarn and one that’s silk mohair, which gives the project a fuzziness and a little bit of a silky glow.

Of course you can use different yarn to get a different look. A linen yarn would be fun for a summer kerchief, or combine wool and mohair for a warm and cozy kerchief for cold mornings.

The pattern comes in two sizes, so you can stitch up a kerchief or a simple triangle shawl. The stitch multiple is 8 plus 23 stitches, so you can use that to make a triangle of any size you like, or you can use a heavier weight of yarn to make a different size if you prefer. The two strands held together as called for in the pattern makes a sport weight gauge, so you could try DK or worsted for a bigger and warmer project if you want.

This pattern is available for free from Purl Soho, or check out the pattern notes on Ravelry to find how other people made this project.

And if you need more options for kerchiefs to knit, check out this collection of kerchief knitting patterns.

[Photo: Purl Soho]

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