Knitting

Free Patterns, Tutorials and Project Ideas

This Dropped Stitch Cowl is a Great Project for Spring

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I love scarves and shawls and often wear mine throughout the year, but it is nice to have a few knit accessories that are made for the warmer months.

The Alcea Cowl by Hannah Maier for Knit Picks is just such a project. It’s worked almost entirely in Stockinette Stitch, and stitches are strategically dropped and allowed to unravel to give the piece an airy feel without a lot of work.

It’s knit flat, too, so you can make it whatever size you like, or however long works for the yarn you have.

Grab the free pattern from the Knit Picks website.

[Photo: Knit Picks.]

Check out these books dedicated to Knitted Cowl Patterns still looking for more cowl patterns? Check these out on Etsy.

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Knit Yourself Some Pockets

It’s a common complaint among women and femme dressing folk that our clothes do not include enough (and enough useful) pockets. And even if your clothes do have good pockets, there’s always a chance that you’d rather have another pocket to put some essentials in rather than having to carry a whole bag. 

But because we are knitters, we can take this problem into our own needles and knit ourselves some auxiliary pockets. 

Beatrice Mase did just that, with a kind of fancy toolbelt pocket accessory that they call VELVET Pockets. 

The stitch pattern has a plush, sort of velvet effect, thus the name, but it’s worked with regular fingering/sock weight yarn. (The sample uses wool, but you could experiment with other fibers, too.) It calls for 776 yards of 710 meters, which you might just have in your sock yarn stash. 

The pattern includes several pockets of different sizes, with the main body of the pocket worked flat in one piece and the exterior pockets sewn on at the end. You also have the option of adding screw rivets and a coordinating clasp that make it look even more toolbelt chic. 

The design is worked with a loop of knit fabric at the top so it can slide onto a belt. The pattern includes explanatory diagrams, photo and video tutorials and is adjustable to fit different sizes of belts. 

It’s almost enough to make me want to start wearing belts again, even though I haven’t for years. Because who wouldn’t want a few extra little pockets to hold things when you don’t have enough to really justify carrying a bag around? 

The pattern is available in English and French on Ravelry and you can also buy a kit complete with the yarn, rivets and clasp (the pattern is not included in the kit) direct on Etsy. 

[Photo: Beatrice Mase]