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Looking for a Challenge for the New Year? Join a Knitalong

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There are lots of potential New Year’s resolutions a knitter might have — and I’d love it if you’d share yours! — but one thing that’s fun and a way to build your knitting skills is to join a knitalong.

You can find all sorts of knitalongs on Ravelry, related to everything from knitting a particular kind of garment or project to knitting along to “Downton Abbey” or another television show. (And of course they’ll be whatever they decide to call the knitting marathon that happens to coincide with the Winter Olympics.)

Knitalongs can be events where you choose the pattern you want to knit, sometimes along a theme (like 1920s inspired, or socks), or where you are knitting the same pattern as all the other participants (these are often run by the designer or a yarn company). Then there are the mystery knitalongs, where you don’t really know what the finished object is going to look like until you’ve knit it. These always sound a little scary to me.

But I recently heard about one that Underground Crafter is doing in 2014 that could be a lot of fun for newer knitters. It’s a mystery sampler that will take you through basic knit and purl stitches on to cables, bobbles and more fun techniques. In all there will be 25 blocks, and there are monthly prizes for participants, too.

Would you ever take part in a mystery knitalong? I’d love to hear your thoughts!

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Comments

  1. the mystery sampler sounds like a lot of fun, and a way for a new knitter to get some practice on the basics.

  2. KALs are so a great way to take the mystery out of a project especially if you’re newer to knitting. I really like them because good ones explain how to modify patterns to fit, or adjust garment dimensions to suit.

    I hadn’t realised you get KALs for programmes! Great concept.

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Bucket Hat Knitting Patterns

As I was starting to write this post I thought that it was true that I’d never done a roundup of bucket hat knitting patterns before. But then I looked, and I actually did one last year (which you can find here) but there are plenty of cute bucket hats to do another post about, right? 

The one that made me want to write about this (again) is the Red Heart Knit Fanfare Bucket Hat from Yarnspirations. This cute striped hat can be worked in team colors, and while I might prefer a non-acrylic yarn for a summer hat, it would be fine when it’s not too hot outside (or try a cotton yarn instead). 

Claire Slade’s Sunlit Bucket Hat has an angled brim to help keep the sun out of your eyes. It’s worked from the bottom up using worsted weight cotton yarn, and comes in three sizes. You can find the pattern on Ravelry. 

Get a little air flow in your bucket hat with the Shady Bucket Hat from Wool & Beyond. This one uses DK weight yarn and an eyelet pattern throughout the body to keep it cool. It comes in sizes ranging from newborn to adult large, and is worked in one piece from the top down. You can grab the pattern (in English or Swedish) on Ravelry. 

If you’re looking for a fun, floppy sun hat for kids or adults, this pattern from Muki Crafts is a little more slouchy than a traditional bucket hat but it’s super cute. It comes in baby, toddler and bigger kid sizes and adult. I uses worsted weight yarn and is worked from the bottom up. 

Another variation on the classic bucket is this one that’s more of a cloche style. Made by branda, it uses bulky yarn so it’s more of a winter bucket hat, but now’s a fine time to knit it if you live somewhere that’s warm right now (or even more so if you live somewhere that’s cold right now). 

Another one to get you ready for colder weather is Tirmety, a two-layer bucket hat from ViTalina Craft, which has a textured stitch pattern on one side and stockinette on the other. You can wear either side out or even make them different colors if you want. The pattern is sized for toddlers, kids and adults. 

And if you want to add some extra cuteness to your bucket hat, I love this (of course totally optional but also totally adorable) embroidered deatila on the New York Bucket Hat from Pauline Fanguin. It uses two strands of DK weight yarn held together for extra sturdiness, and uses changes in needle size to shape the hat. Of course you could also knit stripes or use different textures of yarn to change up the look. This pattern is made to fit your head and is available in French and English.