Remember November with this Knit Hat and Mitt Set

I don’t know what happened to Vanessa Smith that one November so that she needed to commemorate it in yarn, but I think it’s a good thing for the rest of us that she did.

The Novemberist hat and mitts patterns feature two-color stranded colorwork in a chevron pattern, making them classic enough to wear every day but with a spark of something special, too.

Use a tonal or multicolored yarn for one of the colors to make it look like a much more complicated project than it is.

The hat is worked from the bottom up and has a doubled brim, as well as being extra thick because of the stranded knitting on the rest of the hat. The mitts are the same, with turned hems on both ends and stranded knitting everywhere else. That makes the mitts warmer than you might expect from fingerless gloves while still being functional. Both patterns use DK weight yarn, so they’re warm without being too heavy.

The hat comes in two sizes and the mitts in one, women’s medium, so you can stitch them up for yourself or any of your friends who might need some stylish warmth this season.

And they don’t use a whole lot of yarn so you can maybe even use leftovers from other projects if you’re making just the hat or the mitts, or make them with different colors if you don’t care about them matching perfectly.

You can find both patterns on Ravelry: the hat is here, and the mitts here.

If you’re a fan of chevrons, check out this cute chevron yoked sweater, a great fleecy throw, this classic single-color chevron sweater or this bold chevron throw with a great color gradient. If I didn’t already have too many blankets I would definitely knit that one!

[Photo: Vanessa Smith]

Get Ready for Fall with Sunset Stripes Mittens

Knit a Sweet Chevron Pullover

Chevron Stripes Give This Cowl Knitting Pattern Bandana Style

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There are certain things that just make sense to knit at this time of year, and market bags are one of them. We tend to use our canvas bags more often in the summer with trips to the farmer’s market and the library, but string bags and market bags are great to use all year.

I love the Three Oranges Bag by Hana Cho, which looks just like a knit version of a plastic shopping bag, but with three cute oranges stitched on. The bag uses intarsia to make the oranges, but you could use duplicate stitch or intarsia to add a different design if you like. It calls for fingering weight yarn and you can find the pattern on Ravelry.

Sharyn Anhalt’s Market Square bag (also on Ravelry) uses worsted weight yarn and a mosaic pattern to make a pretty bag you’ll want to use every time you go shopping. The bag comes in two sizes and is worked in two colors of the same yarn for a fun mixed up effect that’s almost like weaving.

Speaking of fun colors, the Market Bag from Hubbabubbie Art uses a multicolored cake yarn (specifically Lion Brand Mandala) to produce fun color changes without any extra work. This bag is worked from the bottom up with a crocheted bottom and knit mesh sides. It’s a free pattern on Ravelry.

The Pike Place Market Bag from Blue Bird Pine Shop looks like a massive bag to hold all your market goodies (that is a child holding it, but still). The bag calls for worsted weight cotton yarn and the mesh is worked on extra large needles to help it open up to hold everything you want held.

The Knit Farmer’s Market Bag form Design BCB is another good one, made mostly of mes with a little stockinette for extra stability. The base is also worked in stockinette so items you put in it will sit flat.

This mesh bag from Sheep and Stitch doesn’t have a base, and the body is worked flat before being joined in the round to make the top and handles. That makes it easy to make the bag just the size you want because you can stop knitting whenever you feel it’s big enough. The pattern includes a step-by-step video if you need extra assistance.

And the Eco Market String Bag from Mama in a Stitch has a solid knit base worked in a contrasting color from the mesh body. It’s an easy project that comes out a great size for your market needs without being too huge.

Do you have a favorite knit market bag pattern? I’d love to hear about it!

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