Knitting

Free Patterns, Tutorials and Project Ideas

Syncope Sweater Knitting Pattern

by

I can’t say for sure what has come over me, but I have lately been feeling like I want to knit a cropped sweater. I do not particularly have a wasitline that I would consider conducive to cropped sweaters, but maybe this is part of me accepting my body as it is in middle age (gasp).

In truth I’ve started to think it would be cute to have a cropped sweater to wear over dresses or with button down shirts. If things get really wild, it might cause me to experiment with high-waisted pants. Look out, world.

Syncope means fainting, and the reason this sweater has that name is because the designer, Winter’s Weather Knits, has lately been prone to fainting spells because of low weight and blood pressure. They say this sweater feels like the sensation of fuzziness before fainting, which doesn’t really sound like a good thing, but they report that it is kind of comforting.

Whatever the name, it’s a cute cropped drop shoulder sweater with a slipped stitch pattern that gives it a lot of simple texture. It’s worked from the bottom up in one piece and comes in nine sizes.

Chest measurements for the sweater range from 39 to 71 inches, or 99 to 180.5 cm, and it is meant to be worn with 8.5 to 10.5 inches/21.5 to 26.5 cm of positive ease. You can adjust that as you like, and you could also make it longer if you want, though it’s harder to adjust bottom up patterns because you can’t try them on as you go. If you know how long you typically like your sweaters you can go by that measurement.

The sweater is worked in fingering weight yarn, so it’s great for that weird time when nature can’t quite decide what season it is. Or for layering when you don’t want to add too much extra weight or warmth.

You can find the pattern on Ravelry.

[Photo: Winter’s Weather Knits]

Etsy Feature-Easy Chunky Knit Pullover Jumper

A Pretty Circular Yoke Sweater to Get You Through Winter

Have you read?

Pencil Knitting Patterns

Getting ready for back to school makes me think about pencil crafts, so let’s take a look at some pencil themed knitting patterns! 

I recently made a pencil on a circular knitting machine, and it was a fun, quick, easy project that uses little bits of leftover yarn (and if you don’t have yellow you can make it a colored pencil using whatever color’s your favorite). And if you want to make a bigger version check out this pattern from Orange Olive Road on Etsy.

If you want to knit a pencil pillow by hand, check out Sketchy, available on Ravelry from Shana S. Cohen. This one uses worsted weight yarn and has two size options and the choice to make a pencil with an eraser or a colored pencil. 

Pencil scarves seem to be the most popular kind of pencil knitting pattern, and there are lot of cute ones. This one from Cosy Craft UK mostly uses garter stitch, with some welts to add texture and what looks like an I-cord edging. It calls for DK weight yarn. 

If you want to go all garter stitch try this version from Emsley Co Creations, which uses five colors of DK weight yarn and just a little shaping to make the point of the pencil.

There’s also this fun, mostly stockinette so it looks like it curls a bit, pencil pattern that looks like it’s worked in chunky yarn from Little Knits Studio. This one uses just a little garter stitch and easy shaping for the point. 

If you don’t want a pencil scarf, how about some pencil socks? The No. 2 Pencil Socks from The Yarn Enabler are available from Ravelry and use five colors of sock yarn. They feature wide ribs to mimic the texture of a pencil and have options to be worked from the top down or the toe up. 

Needs Sharpening by Alexander Walker is a free pattern on Ravelry that uses five colors of sock yarn to make a sort of shortie sock. The little bit of black at the tips of the toes inspired the name. These, too, can be worked in either direction and are available in three sizes.