Knitting

Free Patterns, Tutorials and Project Ideas

Try Some Fun Colorwork with the Sonesta Sweater

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There are so many different things you can do with stranded knitting, from delicate little repeating patterns of just a stitch or two to elaborate, intricate colorwork or even some big, bold designs like this sweater.

The Sonesta Sweater by Chinua “Chin” Matthews features a neutral background highlighted by fun wedges of colorwork that look sort of like feathers. Worked in a multicolored yarn, it gives a bold effect without any more work on your part.

The project is worked in sport weight yarn as a tube from the bottom up, with steeks for the armholes and neckline. There’s a video tutorial included in the pattern to help you set up and cut your steeks if that’s something you need help with.

I know steeks can be intimidating, but it’s actually great in this project because it keeps you from having to do colorwork in purl, which I know a lot of people don’t like.

There are 12 sizes to choose from, ranging from a finished garment chest measurement of 30.25 to 81.5 inches, or 77 to 207 cm. The pattern suggests choosing the size that works for you with the amount of ease that you like.

It doesn’t look like it’s worn with a huge amount of ease in the photos, but it’s up to you how you would like to wear it. (I like a few inches of positive ease since I generally wear a shirt under my sweaters.) The pattern also includes tips for size modifications if you need a different fit. Click through the projects to see how it looks on different people.

You can learn more about the pattern and buy it on Ravelry. If Ravelry isn’t your thing, you can also buy it on PayHip. Learn more about the designer at his Instagram page, chin2tog.

[Photo: Chinua “Chin” Matthews]

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Have you read?

Patchwork Blanket Knitting Patterns

Any time of year is a good time for stash busting, but if you can combine it with knitting a blanket that will keep you warm when it (finally!) gets cooler that’s even better. Let’s take a look at some fun patchwork blanket knitting patterns. 

If you want to keep it super simple, you can just make blocks of garter stitch and sew them together, like the beginner’s patchwork baby blanket from Mini Baa Baa or the color block blanket from Make and Do Crew. Both projects are worked in strips and sew together, with the baby version calling for two strands of DK or light worsted weight yarn held together and the larger one using bulky yarn. 

Add a little more texture with the mixed blocks of the cottage quilt throw from Mama in a Stitch. This one combines garter stitch and seed stitch and uses worsted weight yarn. She used a crochet join to make the chains on top of the blocks, but you can join them however you like. It calls for eight colors but you can use what you have, and there are three size options. 

Get a real sampler style patchwork blanket with this design from Knit Sew Make. It calls for worsted weight yarn and has four size options. All of the patterns just use knit and purl stitches so this one is still pretty easy for beginners. 

If you want a more complex colorwork project that will keep you entertained all season, try the Peace by Piece blanket pattern from Needle and Feather. This one is made up of two color colorwork blocks and calls for worsted weight yarn. You can choose to use just a few of the blocks and repeat them more often, or make multiples of the whole set. 

The knitted patchwork recipe from Martine Ellis (free on Ravelry) uses mitered squares in fingering weight yarn, so it’s perfect for using up all your leftover sock yarn and mini skeins. This one is a tutorial more than a pattern so you can make your blanket as big as you like or keep going until you run out of yarn. 

Susan B. Anderson’s 100 Squares blanket (find it on Ravelry) has a lot of mitered squares, too, but they’re arranged in fun ways and includes some quilt inspired designs as well. This one also is a bit of method more than pattern but it sure looks like a lot of fun for using all the leftovers. 

Of course you can totally improvise a patchwork blanket using the yarn and stitches you like, but I hope these patterns inspire you to look at your leftover yarn in a new way.