Knitting

Patterns, projects and techniques

Ukraine Sunflower Hat Knitting Pattern

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I feel like I haven’t shared any Ukraine knitting patterns in a long time, but that’s not because things are better there or there’s any end in sight to the conflict. If you want to show your support to the people of Ukraine through the winter, knit yourself a Sunflower Hat from yellowcosmo.

This two-color knitting pattern is worked in sport weight yarn (I love how the colors switch as you work the hat!) from the bottom up in the round. The colorwork pattern is charted, but it’s pretty easy to work because it repeats around the head and is symmetrical. In addition to knitting in the round and reading a chart, you will need to be able to make simple increases and decreases to complete this project.

The pattern is available as a free download on Ravelry, but the designer suggests making a donation to a relief organization if you are able to in lieu of payment. You could also make these to sell and donate the proceeds to a group that is helping Ukrainians.

Speaking of knitting for Ukraine, back when the war first started I shared a lot of knitting patterns in blue and yellow. Here’s a quick roundup if you’re looking for other Ukraine knitting projects:

And there’s this great roundup of Ukraine inspired knitting patterns, which is titled more knitting patterns for Ukraine, but I don’t know now if there was an original roundup that I can’t find or if “more” just means “in addition to all the other ones I listed above.” Either way this is a lot of different patterns to get you thinking about the Ukrainian people who have been fighting and struggling for so long.

Next Pattern:

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A Knit Vest to Get You Ready for Summer

I know that my posts can be read at different times of year and in different years by different people, but as I write this we’re on teh cusp of summer. And I know a lot of people don’t knit as much, and certainly don’t wear a lot of knits in the summer, but I want to encourage you to make and to wear your makes no matter the temperature.

To introduce you to the joys of summer garment knitting, I offer the Tied Vest from Lion Brand Yarn.

This easy project is great to make and wear throughout the year but it’s especially good for summer. It’s worked flat in one piece from the bottom up, mostly in stockinette stitch with a seed stitch edging. The I-cord ties are worked directly onto the garment so you don’t have to sew them on.

The project uses worsted weight yarn, and calls for a blend of cotton and hemp that’s great for warm weather.

There are eight size options, ranging from a finished chest measurement of 35 to 62.5 inches, or 89 to 159 cm. That makes it sound like it should be worn with at least a few inches of positive ease, but the pattern doesn’t specify.

The ties at the front give it a casual look and make it great to wear over a tank top or T-shirt when the weather is warm.

I also think this one would be good to knit in wool or a warmer fiber, too, to make a version you could wear more comfortably in the winter months, too. Though of course you could layer the summer version over a long-sleeved shirt and wear it throughout the year, too.

The tied vest is a free pattern available from Lion Brand. You can also purchase a kit that includes the yarn and optional needles and stitch markers if you need them.

[Photo: Lion Brand Yarn]

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