Knitting

Free Patterns, Tutorials and Project Ideas

Stitch Easy Cables on Fingerless Gloves

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Cable knitting is one of the basic skills of knitting that I think everyone should try once or twice. So many beginning knitters think that cable knitting is hard, and while it can be challenging when there are lots of twists and turns of different kinds in the same pattern, it’s actually not difficult as a concept.

All cable knitting asks of you is that you knit stitches in a different order than the way you normally would. This makes a twist that, through regular repetition, makes a cable pattern.

It’s a great idea to start learning about cable knitting with a simple pattern that includes just one or two cables across the work. That way you just have to focus on when and where to turn your cables one at a time, which makes it a lot easier.

The Thicket Fingerless Gloves from Mirella Moments are a good option for a first cable knitting project if you’re already comfortable working in the round. (And if you aren’t, why not learn two skills at once?)

These are fun because the cable is mirrored on each glove, with a right twist on one and a left twist on the other. That way in this one project you get plenty of practice with the mechanics of cables and you’ll be ready for a more complicated cable knitting project right away should you choose to try another.

This pattern uses worsted weight yarn and some in one size. The pattern doesn’t include a cable knitting tutorial but if you need more help than the description of how to do it, that’s easy to find elsewhere.

These mitts would be a great gift for that person who is always cold, too, so why not get a jump on your holiday knitting and whip up a pair?

The free pattern is available from Mirella Moments.

[Photo: Mirella Moments]

Make Your Mittens with Colorwork

Sock Yarn Mittens and Mitts Knitting Patterns

Line Your Knit Mittens for Extra Warmth

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Beyond Basic Pumpkin Knitting Patterns

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.