Knitting

Free Patterns, Tutorials and Project Ideas

Some Fun Scarves, Shawls and Cowls

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I’m back with another lightning round of patterns from yarn companies that would make perfect projects for fall. This time it’s a bunch of accessories that go around the neck. Enjoy!

carves

The Zig Zag Scarf from Lion Bran Yarn is an easy but fun little project where you’re increasing and decreasing regularly to make the undulating shape. Worked in a tweed yarn, it’s a lot of fun, but it would surely be great in a solid as well.

Berroco calls the triangular Fleming a scarf, but it could also be labeled a shawlette. Either way, it has a really interesting cable and lace motif and is worked in cozy alpaca and wool yarn. Berroco’s Bal Bullier is another genre-spanning warmer, this time a wide geometric scarf worked in garter stitch with a bit of intarsia at the color changes.

Meg Meyer’s Avalanche Scarf for Classic Elite Yarns is a cozy take on a drop-stitch scarf, spacing drops between large, wide swaths of garter stitch. shawl knitting patterns

Shawls

In the “definitely a shawl” category are a couple of great season-spanning projects. Berroco’s Malemute uses three different kinds of yarn for an ethereal shawl that’s also still plenty warm.

And Josephina is a lovely three-color shawl with eyelets, stripes and a lace edging, designed by Amanda Rios in a merino and silk yarn for a little bit of shine all year long. cowl knitting patterns

Cowls

A cowl is like an easier to deal with version of a scarf, and I find myself knitting a lot more cowls than scarves lately. If you feel the same way, check out the Big Hug Cowl from Rock and Purl, which is worked in the round with a pretty easy eyelet pattern and contrasting edging.

Or try the Kendal Cowl from Tahki Stacy Charles, another quick and easy project that uses drop stitches for big effect.

See a pattern you like? I’d love to hear what you’re queuing.

For more Valentine’s Day knitting pattern roundups, check out my collection of knit hearts and heart-themed scarves.

Looking to buy your Yarn online? Check out these online yarn specials.

Specific to knitters, you can join our Knitting Patterns Only group to get, well, knitting patterns, ask questions and gain inspiration for what to knit next.

Check out these books dedicated to Knitted Cowl Patterns still looking for more cowl patterns? Check these out on Etsy.

Have you read?

Knit a Log Cabin Blanket with All Your Scraps

I guess I must have had this pattern on my mind, because I had chosen this log cabin blanket recipe to write about, promptly forgot about it and a couple of weeks later started knitting a log cabin blanket using all my pink yarn. 

It might stay pink if it makes it to baby blanket sized, or I might add in some pastel green and blue, too, to make a bigger blanket. We’ll see. I’m also holding several strands of yarn together to make a kind of bulky yarn, which means it’s deeply satisfying how much yarn is used even as the project is still relatively small. 

In Kristen Finlay’s version, DK weight yarn scraps (or fingering/sock yarn held double) are used to make a simple scrappy log cabin blanket that’s lighter weight than my version. Log cabin is a great technique for knitters of any skill level because it’s worked in garter stitch. The only not completely basic technique you need for log cabin knitting is picking up stitches. 

If you’ve never worked a log cabin knitting project before, this is a good introduction, and it is really nice to use all your yarn scraps in one big project you’ll use for years to come. 

If you use a lot of DK weight yarn you can keep building on it whenever you finish a project, or if you use more worsted weight you can do the same thing with it, it will just be a little bigger starting out than the pattern calls for. How big it gets is totally up to you. 

I have really been enjoying working on my log cabin project, and it’s my current sitting at my desk and need a break knit (do you have one of those or is it just me?). 

Ready to start your own log cabin blanket knitting project? You can grab the free pattern from Kristen Finlay on Ravelry. 

Need more log cabin inspiration? Check out more log cabin knitting patterns. 

[Photo: Kristen Finlay]