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St. Patrick’s Day Knitting Patterns for the Home

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I recently shared some shamrock accessory knitting patterns for you to make and wear, but I thought it would be fun to share some St. Patrick’s Day knitting patterns for items you can use around the home.

The good news is that these are quick and easy patterns you still have time to knit and use before the holiday, or give as gifts to your favorite person of Irish heritage (or Irish at heart).

Washcloths are an easy way to add a little holiday cheer to your decor, no matter the time of year. The (Ravelry link ahead) March Shamrock Washcloth from Nicole Smith uses simple textured stitches and a heart-shaped leaves to give the shamrock dimension.

Or try the St. Patrick’s Day Washcloth (also on Ravelry) by Mary C. Gildersleeve. This one uses yarn over eyelets and decreases to shape the shamrock, which also has heart-shaped leaves. It’s a free pattern on Raverly.

Another fun option for adding a bit of green to your days is making cup cozies. Use the textured Shamrock Cup Cozy by Svetlana Kolesova to keep your coffee cup from warming your fingers. It’s worked in the round in one piece with the textured stitches shown in a chart. You can get the pattern on Ravelry.

If you’d rather work your clover in color, the Lucky Clover Cozy from Purls and Pixels makes a white clover on a green background. This one isn’t technically a shamrock because it has four leaves, but it’s fine for St. Patrick’s Day and beyond.

Looking for more fun things to knit for St. Patrick’s Day? Check out these super cute leprechaun knitting patterns I collected a few years ago. Usually crochet seems to get all the cute little doll patterns, but these are some great ones for knitters to try, too!

Shamrock Knitting Patterns for Accessories

Knit a Sweet Shamrock for St. Patrick’s Day

3-D Shamrock Knitting Pattern

And now for some history of the Shamrock

The shamrock is a symbol of Ireland and has been used as a symbol of Irish heritage for centuries. According to legend, St. Patrick, the patron saint of Ireland, used the three-leaved shamrock to explain the Holy Trinity to the Irish people. Each leaf represents one of the three persons of the Holy Trinity: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.

The shamrock has also been associated with good luck, particularly in Irish folklore. It is said that finding a four-leaf clover, which is a rare variation of the shamrock, can bring good luck and fortune.

The shamrock clover has been used as a symbol of Irish nationalism and pride. During the 18th and 19th centuries, Irish revolutionaries wore the shamrock as a symbol of their desire for Irish independence from British rule.

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Have you read?

Review: The Knitting Pattern Writing Handbook

I know not all of you are interested in writing patterns, but for those of you who are (or who already do), The Knitting Pattern Writing Handbook by Kristina McGrath and Sarah Walworth is a great guide to things you need to consider as you are designing, writing and preparing your pattern for publishing.

While a lot of this information (such as grading patterns for particular sizes, the importance of size inclusivity in patterns and common sweater design pitfalls) is specific to designers or garments, this information is important for designers to think about and for knitters to look out for when purchasing patterns.

The book covers the basics and beyond of writing a knitting pattern, including:

  • foundations of a good pattern
  • components of a pattern
  • gauge
  • charts
  • sizing
  • common sweater pitfalls
  • working with a tech editor

The goal of all this is to get designers thinking about how they want to present their patterns, from how abbreviations are handled to when charts are used, how many sizes are included and how elements of the pattern might need to change as garments get larger (such as increasing at a different rate on raglans so the armhole is not too deep when accommodating a larger bust size).

McGrath and Walworth are professional tech editors who host the Tech Tip Talk YouTube page, and their aim is for patterns to be clear, consistent, correct, size inclusive, accessible to a range of knitters (both in terms of physical ability and skill level).

They definitely have opinions about how knitting patterns should be written, such as how to convert from inches to centimeters and that measurements for sweaters should be taken from the upper bust rather than the full chest. But they also note that a tech editor’s job isn’t to be dogmatic or make changes without good reason.

The book also covers other subjects of importance to designers such as the difference between tech editing and test knitting, why you might want to do both and in what order. Each chapter includes a checklist of things to think about when writing you pattern and questions and answers to common questions they come across in their tech  editing businesses.

The back of the book includes detailed guidelines for where and how to measure bodies, plus standard size charts for kids, women and men. There’s also a sample style sheet for use with a tech editor and plenty of resources for learning more about design, accessibility and more.

This book is a great resource for people thinking about getting into knitwear design (particularly garment design), or for designers who want to make their patterns better and their editor’s job easier.

About the book: 176 pages, hardcover. Published 2023 by Storey. Suggested retail price $20.

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