Knitting

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Lunar New Year Decorations to Knit

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If you celebrate the Lunar New Year or want to appreciate and learn more about the holiday as someone who doesn’t have that tradition, these knit Lunar New Year decorations from Tina Tse Knits are a fun option.

There is a rectangle and a diamond-shaped option, both with the Chinese character ? worked on them in stranded colorwork knit flat. The character, “fuk” in Cantonese or “fu” in Mandarin, means good fortune, luck and prosperity.

One design was worked with aran weight yarn, while the other is DK held double, so you can use whatever yarn you have in red and gold to make these decorations.

As Tina reminds those of us who do not celebrate Lunar New Year, it’s fine to appreciate as long as we don’t appropriate.

You can find the free pattern for both designs on her website.

[Photo: Tina Tse Knits.]

Looking for more Lunar New Year Knits? Check these patterns we found on Etsy.

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Bookmark Knitting Patterns

It’s always a good time for a bookmark, and even more so as we start thinking about back to school time. Reading is more fun when you have a pretty bookmark. That’s just science. 

Plus bookmarks are fast, portable, and a fun way to try out different skills. So let’s get busy with some bookmark knitting patterns!

This set of three bookmark knitting patterns from Lucky Fox Knits includes one worked in garter stitch, an easy eyelet lace and one with eyelets running down the center. I love the little I-cord for the tassel!

Add a simple textured stitch to a bookmark to make it a little more fun. This one from Franciscan Gypsy is called the paper towel bookmark, and I’ll bet you can pick it out above just from that description. This one calls for fingering weight yarn. 

Another pretty allover pattern is this slip-stitch lace design from Handy Little Me. Inspired by Taylor Swift’s Speak Now, it’s a sweet little design worked in fingering weight yarn. This one is a little extra fun because it has two tassels. 

I love this undulating wheat ear bookmark pattern from KMKnits Shop. It’s an interesting stitch pattern perfect for advanced beginner knitters, and it uses sport weight yarn. 

A lot of knit bookmarks have a bit of lace, and they’re actually a great way to pick up some lace knitting skills on a tiny project that doesn’t have to be perfect. I like this lacy one from Val Knitting Shop, which is inspired by daisy petals. It calls for fingering weight yarn. 

The Jasmine Bookmark from Valentina Fezova-Georgieva is another pretty lace pattern that’s a little more complex but still totally doable. It calls for fingering weight yarn and is available on Ravelry.

If you want a more literal inspiration of flowers in your bookmark pattern, try the pair of floral bookmarks form Warm and KnittedS. One has a little rosette and the other just has leaves. They look like I-cord but they’re actually worked flat on two needles and will stitch up in no time for a last minute gift or to tuck into your latest read.