Thinking about Fall Knitting?

I guess it has something to do with this unusually cool summer (as I write this from Northwest Arkansas it’s been raining all day and is 75 degrees, when the average temp this time of year is 89 and it’s often quite warmer) but I’ve been feeling like knitting things for fall and winter for a few weeks now.

Of course it’s the perfect time to start such projects so they’ll be finished when the air turns cooler, so I guess that’s a good impulse.

And it’s one I share with a lot of people, including Melanie Smith at Craftown, who recently published what she calls her Thinking Fall Cowl.

The colors of her version are lovely and fall-like, but you can use whatever you like to whip up this pretty bulky number, which uses dropped yarn overs to add a little airflow into the design. It’s also knit flat with a twist worked in before you sew it into a loop, which is a quick and easy way to get a cowl that looks special.

Looking for Fall patterns to Knit? Check out these Fall knitting patterns we found on Etsy.

[Photo via Craftown.]

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Not too long ago my daughter and I had a discussion about what a chestnut really looks like. The nut itself is small and brown, of course, but on the tree they’re covered with this weird kind of spiky, kind of fuzzy shell. It’s a wonder anyone ever figured out they were edible.

If you didn’t know that, you might wonder why this project is call Chestnut balaclava, but now you know.

This fun design from Yevheniia Pyroh is covered with spikes just like a chestnut shell, and is even the same color, though of course you can make yours whatever color you like. It uses two strands of fingering weight yarn held together (which it says is fingering weight but you could try a light/DK yarn and see if you get gauge with it if you’d rather).

There are two different design options in the pattern. One is a more fitted balaclava style hat (it doesn’t cover the face but does go around the neck) and a looser fit hood.

It’s worked primarily in garter stitch, with shaping done by knitting and purling in the same stitch and through various decreases (including a knit 3 together).

The pattern is charted but also explained in words. It’s worked flat to the size you want, and then joined into a hood shape with ribbing at the neck. The opening for the face is finished with I-cord.

This hood/balaclava would definitely be a conversation starter and in different colors it might read more dinosaur than chestnut, which could also be fun. The sizing is totally custom so you can make it fit whatever head you’re stitching for.

If you want to try it for yourself (and I’d love to hear about it if you do!) you can download the free pattern from Ravelry.

[Photo: Yevheniia Pyroh]

Balaclava Knitting Patterns

Colorwork Balaclava Knitting Pattern [Knitting]

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