Knitting

Free Patterns, Tutorials and Project Ideas

Lana Grossa Nordic Knits – Top Down V Neck Pullover 99cent Pattern

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Oh this one is a very different vibe, but still very much a “yes please” kind of knit.

This Top-Down V-Neck Pullover from Lana Grossa (from the Nordic Knits collection) is one of those patterns that feels quietly confident. It’s not shouting for attention, but the longer you look at it, the more you appreciate how wearable and well thought out it is. You can see it becoming that sweater you grab without thinking.

Clean, flattering, and very grown-up

The V-neck is what really makes this one stand out. It gives the sweater a lighter, more flattering feel than a crew neck, especially if you like layering over a shirt or wearing it with a scarf. It’s classic without feeling dated, which is honestly harder to find than it should be.

The stitch work is subtle and tidy — nothing overly decorative, but definitely not boring. It has that Nordic-inspired simplicity where the shape and structure do most of the talking.

Top-down = knitter sanity saver

This one’s worked top-down, which I’ll always cheer for:

  • No seams to wrestle with at the end

  • Easy to adjust the length of the body and sleeves

  • You can try it on as you go (which saves so much second-guessing)

It’s a great pattern if you enjoy relaxing knitting with just enough interest to keep you engaged without needing to concentrate on every single row.

Yarn + fabric feel

As you’d expect from a Lana Grossa design, the yarn choice gives a beautifully smooth fabric with good drape and stitch definition. This is the kind of sweater that sits nicely on the body rather than feeling stiff or bulky — very wearable, very everyday.

Who this pattern is perfect for

If you like:

  • timeless sweaters you’ll actually wear

  • V-necks that flatter without feeling deep or fussy

  • calm, enjoyable knits that don’t take over your brain

…this one’s well worth a look.

You’ll find it over at Jimmy Beans Wool, and it’s the sort of pattern that earns its keep in your pattern library — not trendy for a season, but reliable year after year.

 

Have you read?

Pencil Knitting Patterns

Getting ready for back to school makes me think about pencil crafts, so let’s take a look at some pencil themed knitting patterns! 

I recently made a pencil on a circular knitting machine, and it was a fun, quick, easy project that uses little bits of leftover yarn (and if you don’t have yellow you can make it a colored pencil using whatever color’s your favorite). And if you want to make a bigger version check out this pattern from Orange Olive Road on Etsy.

If you want to knit a pencil pillow by hand, check out Sketchy, available on Ravelry from Shana S. Cohen. This one uses worsted weight yarn and has two size options and the choice to make a pencil with an eraser or a colored pencil. 

Pencil scarves seem to be the most popular kind of pencil knitting pattern, and there are lot of cute ones. This one from Cosy Craft UK mostly uses garter stitch, with some welts to add texture and what looks like an I-cord edging. It calls for DK weight yarn. 

If you want to go all garter stitch try this version from Emsley Co Creations, which uses five colors of DK weight yarn and just a little shaping to make the point of the pencil.

There’s also this fun, mostly stockinette so it looks like it curls a bit, pencil pattern that looks like it’s worked in chunky yarn from Little Knits Studio. This one uses just a little garter stitch and easy shaping for the point. 

If you don’t want a pencil scarf, how about some pencil socks? The No. 2 Pencil Socks from The Yarn Enabler are available from Ravelry and use five colors of sock yarn. They feature wide ribs to mimic the texture of a pencil and have options to be worked from the top down or the toe up. 

Needs Sharpening by Alexander Walker is a free pattern on Ravelry that uses five colors of sock yarn to make a sort of shortie sock. The little bit of black at the tips of the toes inspired the name. These, too, can be worked in either direction and are available in three sizes.