Knitting

Free Patterns, Tutorials and Project Ideas

Make a Sweater to Dupe a Fashion Brand

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Free People is known for its casual, boho look, and sometimes spendy styles that cause knitters and crocheters to say “I can make that!”

Amanda Solomon was inspired by the fashions of Free People to design her Dupe Sweater, which looks like something they would carry. (I cannot confirm it’s a direct dupe but it looks like several things on their website.) The pattern is meant to embrace the effortless style Free People is known for while providing knitters with an effortless, meditative knit.

Her version is made with two strands of fingering weight yarn held together for a marled look. It’s worked in the round from the top down and has deep drop shoulders that go almost down to the elbow, and an oversized fit for a casual and comfy look. The sleeves look to be about three-quarter length, but you could make them longer if you want.

It has a faux seam up the center front of the sweater, and it looks like there might be seams on the sleeves as well (I’d guess there’s probably also one on the back but no photos show the back).

The pattern is available in nine sizes, but the pattern information on Ravelry doesn’t give the measurements, it only says that the pattern fits from XS to 5XL. If any of you happen to have a copy or buy a copy of this pattern and want to let me know the chest measurements, I’d love to add them to this post.

If you don’t have a bunch of fingering weight yarn sitting around to make this sweater with, you could also work with a single strand of DK weight. Or mix and match a bunch of leftover yarn with a single solid color held together for a cool marled effect.

You can grab your copy of this pattern from Ravelry.

[Photo: Amanda Solomon]

A Perfect Sweater to Knit if You’re New to Knitting Sweaters

 

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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.