Knitting

Free Patterns, Tutorials and Project Ideas

Practice Short Rows with This Colorful Knit Blanket

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I feel like there are a lot of things in knitting that seem hard until you do them. Everything from cable knitting to lace to knitting socks just sounds hard and weird until you try it. Once you understand what’s happening and learn to trust the process, you’ll probably wonder why you hadn’t tried that technique before. 

Short rows are one of those things in knitting that gives some knitters pause (and it’s part of why socks seem hard because shaping the heel just sounds weird in words). 

If you want to learn how to do short rows and master them in a short amount of time, try the Cozy Claws Knit Blanket from Yarnspirations. 

Designed by Erin Black, in is made in blocks of two colors worked in wedges that are shaped with short rows. Because the project is worked in garter stitch this is about as easy as short rows get, and you’ll get a ton of practice making them as you work this blanket. 

The pattern calls for five colors of bulky weight yarn (specifically Patons Inspired, which I had never heard of before, but it’s a bulky acrylic and wool blend that’s great for fall and winter knits and is machine washable) and comes out to about 43 inches or 109 cm square. It’s a great size for a little kid or a blanket for tummy time for a baby.

But because the blocks are worked separately you can make your blanket any size you want. And of course you can make it a stash busting project and use even more colors if you have leftover bits of bulky yarn from other projects. Just make sure if you plan to machine wash this blanket and are mixing yarns that all of them can be washed. 

You can grab the free pattern for the Cozy Claws Knit Blanket from Yarnspirations.

[Photo: Yarnspirations]

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.