Quick Knitting Throws and Afghans

It may not quite be the season for snuggling up under a big blanket in the Northern Hemisphere, but let’s be honest, it’s going to be air conditioning season soon and then you’ll need blankets all over again.

Leisure Arts recently released two little booklets that will help you knit afghans and throws (is there really a difference?) in a jiffy.

Quick Throws to Knit by Rena V. Stevens has four patterns, one for each season. They’re all sampler projects, worked in panels or strips in different colors and types of yarn and in different stitch patterns. This would be a great book to work from if you have a large stash of yarn in similar colors that you’re looking to knit up into one fantastic project.

Rita Weiss’ Make in a Weekend Afghans to Knit has 10 projects, including baby blankets and larger designs for the whole family. They all use the same stitch pattern all over, though some include stripes or are worked in panels of different colors to make it a little more interesting. They’re mostly easy patterns worked on bigger needles so they go pretty quickly.

Either of these books would offer good inspiration if you are ready for a quick and easy stash-busting project or you need to make a blanket for a gift.

Don’t forget to join our Exclusive Knitting Group on Facebook. With over 25 Vintage knitting patterns available to download immediately. Subscription to this group is the cost of a single vintage pattern.

Specifically for knitters, you can join our Knitting Patterns Only group to get the latest knitting patterns, ask questions and gain inspiration for what to knit next in our online community.

Looking for more Baby Knitting patterns? Check these out on Etsy.

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.

Have you read?