Stitch a Sweater with Stripes of Color and Texture

One of the best ways to use a special ball of yarn that’s been hanging out in your stash that you’re not sure what to do with is to incorporate it into a bigger project via color blocking or stripes.

The Highlights Pullover from Tif Neilan uses a bold pink yarn to make the stripes, as well as a confetti yarn as the main color used to add even more color and texture. (Choose a tweed yarn for a similar but less bold look.) There are actually two different pink yarns used in the sample, but you can use the same yarn or a couple of different coordinating yarns as you like.

Texture is also added with sections worked in stockinette stitch, garter stitch and a slipped stitch pattern, and the pink becomes more prominent at the cuffs of the sleeves. I love the little duplicate stitch patch that looks like visible mending has happened, but of course that’s optional if you don’t like the look. Or use another contrasting color there to make your sweater look instantly aged.

It also features a slip stitch at the center front and back like a faux seam.

The sweater is worked from the top down, starting with the front and back worked flat and separately, then joined to work in the round below the armholes until you get the split for them hem. It features a drop shoulder design as is meant to have a relaxed fit.

There are 11 size options with an actual bust measurement ranging from 33.25 inches to 68.75 inches, and is meant to be worn with 2.5 to 5.5 inches of positive ease. It looks like a somewhat cropped length, but you can always add more length to yours if you need it.

You can find the pattern on Ravelry.

[Photo: Tif Nielan]

Fall will be here before we know it, and that means there are holidays coming right behind where we might be entertaining at home. It’s always fun to have a hand knit touch in your home for other people to see, and if you’re going to be in the kitchen all day you might as well have some nice knit dish cloths to use.

I love this little plaid hand towel from Darling Jadore. Use a little bit of leftover cotton yarn from another project for the plaid portion. It looks like the horizontal stripes are worked as you knit and the vertical stripes are done with duplicate stitch, making this a quick and easy project even newer knitters can make.

Combine garter stitch and an easy eyelet pattern worked sideways to make the Annette Dish Towel from Cluck Cluck Boots, which is meant to be reminiscent of flour sack towels. It calls for DK weight yarn and you can work it in one color or two (or even three!).

Add a little more texture with this set of kitchen towels from Whileberry Creative. They’re mostly worked in garter stitch with borders in easy knit/purl patterns, and you can work them in sport or worsted weight yarn.

Two of Wands Shop has another cute allover knit and purl pattern they call the Seersucker Textured Tea Towel. It’s an easy repeating pattern worked in worsted weight yarn, and there’s a chart in the pattern you can use, but don’t have to, if you want to practice knitting from a chart.

The Classic Cloth dish towel from Handmade Home by Connie is another one that can use a little leftover yarn in a contrasting color, or you could color block it our use stripes throughout the pattern. This one uses worsted weight yarn and another easy repeating knit purl stitch pattern.

If you like to hang your towel on the oven handle or elsewhere but it’s always falling off, try the Stay Put kitchen towel from Fancy Step Knits. This project is worked in garter stitch and includes a hole partway through so you can pull the towel through itself over a rod or handle. Stripes are optional but a nice addition.

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