Knitting

Free Patterns, Tutorials and Project Ideas

Quilt Inspired Knitting Patterns

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I’ve written before about how much I love it when different crafts come together, and I particular enjoy when motifs from one craft show up in another, like the trend toward knitting patterns inspired by quilts. It’s just an extra layer of sweetness and crafty history all in one. 

The project that got me thinking about quilt inspired knitting this time around was the Blouse 3 pattern from Tine Rousing. Of course stars are a common motif in knitting already, but the patchwork nature of this top, worked with two strands of lace weight yarn held together, really reminds me of quilts. It’s worked in garter stitch flat from the bottom up in pieces using lots of intarsia (and charts). It’s finished with a split hem and a button placket and rounded neckline, and it comes in three sizes. You can find it on Ravelry in English and Danish.

Sally Melville’s Poppy’s Garden had to get a spot in this roundup because it reminds me of the grandmother’s flower garden quilts in my family. This one is heavy on crochet because the hexagon motifs are crocheted, but they are joined with knitting and back is knit in a knit-purl diamond pattern. The pattern is available in five sizes and uses DK weight yarn. The pattern includes lots of tips and extra help to get you through any tricky bits. It’s also available on Ravelry. 

The Quilt Block Scarf from Star Crossed Knits is even more straightforward about its inspiration. Here are those classic stars again, this time worked as an allover colorwork pattern worked in the round to make a tube. It calls for worsted weight yarn and you can work the stars in a single color, stripes as shown or just use up stash to make a super colorful project. 

The Once Upon a Quilt socks from Renardeendormie use a patchwork style for the stars on the legs. They’re worked from the top down and call for three colors, but you can use more if you want. There are three sizes and you can adjust to your desired fit. 

Or how about a hat on the same motif? The Ambler Quilt Hat from Katryn Seeburger is a fingering weight hat worked with two colors all around and has a folded over cuff that’s sewed to the body of the hat. The pattern includes six sizes to fit a newborn through adult large. 

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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.