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]

Over the years I have shared a lot of pumpkin knitting patterns, and I’ve knit and crocheted a lot of pumpkins myself. But it feels like there are always more fun things to try with knit pumpkins, so this year I wanted to look a little more beyond basic stockinette or ribbed pumpkins and share some pumpkin patterns with cables, bobbles and colorwork.

In the cable collection we’ve got these cute little basic cable and ribbed pumpkins from Elly Bear Knits. There are two sizes that make a wide, flat pumpkin and a taller round pumpkin. Both are worked in the round as a tube that’s cinched top and bottom when you’re done, and they use bulky weight yarn.

Another cute cable pumpkin knitting pattern comes from Gray Bear Akswokrat. This one is knit flat and it looks like a chunky yarn but you could use other weights to make pumpkins of different sizes. This one also has an I-cord stem and uses yarn to cinch up the sections of the pumpkin, giving it a more natural look.

Add some bobbles to your pumpkins with this design from Autumn Shelter Makes. Also worked in the round in a tube, it features a repeating pattern of bobbles and uses yarn wrapped around the outside to make segments. This one looks like worsted weight yarn to me.

Of course there’s nothing that says your pumpkin has to be a single color, so let’s throw in some colorwork. I love the look of the Cozy Fall Pumpkin knitting pattern from South Stitch Girls. The little leather loop adds a rustic touch but you could also just add a stick. These pumpkins have five colorwork options and are worked in worsted weight yarn in the round.

There’s also the Autumn Fair Isle Trio pumpkins pattern from Equestriann Style, which has three different sizes of pumpkins with four colorwork designs. They are worked in super bulky yarn in the round and look good with high contrast or more muted color combinations.

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