Knitting

Free Patterns, Tutorials and Project Ideas

This Grandpa Cardigan Isn’t Just for Grandpas

by

I love big, roomy cardigans with shawl collars, sometimes called grandpa cardigans because they look like something an old man would wear.

But really they’re great for everyone, and it doesn’t take a lot of detailing to elevate these projects into something special.

Take the Forest Park Cardigan by Kay Hopkins. This top down, seamless cardigan is made a little more fun with the addition of a stripe of trees (inspired by Forest Park in Portland, Oregon) worked in mosaic knitting.

If you’ve never done mosaic knitting, this is a great way to try it. It’s actually really easy, with just one color used per row, and slipped stitches helping to make the magic happen.

The pattern is sized from a little more than 30 inches to 64 inches, and is great for men or women. Grab the pattern on Ravelry for $8.

[Photo: Kay Hopkins.]

Looking for more knitting patterns for knitted Cardigans? Check out these Knitting patterns we found on Etsy.

Specific to knitters, you can join our Knitting Patterns Only group to get, well, knitting patterns, ask questions and gain inspiration for what to knit next.

Comments

Have you read?

Stitch a Simple Sack Hat that Looks Like a Turkey

If your family is the sort to do a turkey trot for Thanksgiving, or even just to take family pictures, you’ll want to get started knitting up some Turkey Sack Hats with this pattern from Underground Crafter. 

The pattern uses super bulky yarn and is rated easy. It’s knit flat but there are a few skills in here around the shaping of the eyes, which includes changing colors, working bobbles and doing a wicked purl 3 together decrease. Twice. 

But that’s all in one row, and the rest of it is pretty simple. The beak is worked separately and sewn on, and the side of the hat is stitched up to make it into a hat. 

What’s great about this one is that it comes in 10 sizes, ranging from newborn to adult large, so you really can make one for everyone in the family. And because it uses super bulky yarn you can knit a bunch pretty quickly if that’s a thing you’d like to do. 

It’s also fun because you could use this base pattern to make different animals or for different holidays. Make it all in orange and stitch on a jack o’lantern face for Halloween, or make a white one that’s a snowman, for example. 

In any style this would also be a fun gag gift for that person in your life who has everything or doesn’t want gifts, or if you do a secret Santa or white elephant gift exchange at work or elsewhere. 

And make sure whether you’re making it a turkey or some other character that you include the pom poms at the top! They’re just so cure and a great way to add a bit more color to the project, and they’re easy to make. (See also: ways to make a pompom with yarn.)

You can grab the free pattern at the Underground Crafter website. 

[Photo: Underground Crafter]