Why Not Knit a Quill Pen?

It is well known that I’m a fan of zany and off the wall knitting projects, but when they can be a little weird and also useful at the same time? Sign me up.

That’s the ground we’re covering today with the Quill Feather design from Jessica Goddard. This pattern for a knit feather quill is designed to have a hollow for a pen or pencil, so you can write fancy without having to harvest a feather of your own and turn it into a pen.

The pattern has two versions: one is a tail feather, which is symmetrical, and a wing feather, which is not. Either way, the pattern calls for DK weight yarn, and it’s worked in a single piece on double pointed knitting needles, though there’s only a little bit that is actually worked in the round.

The designer says your yarn should match the pen or pencil that you’re planning to cover, but it might also be fun to make them more accurate to bird colors. Or just make a fuchsia one, just for fun. No judgement here.

Whatever you choose, the pattern is pretty quick and easy once you get the hang of the increase that’s being used.

Some things about this pattern than might be appealing to you: it only has two ends to weave in and you don’t have to block it unless you want to. The ribbing stitches will stand out a bit more if you do, but it’s really fine either way. There is a little grafting involved, but that’s the hardest thing you’re doing here.

This is such a fun little project and a great way to use up little bits of yarn left from other projects.

If there’s a little kid in your life, they’re sure to love having a “feather pen” to write with. Heck, many adults in you life would also be pretty thrilled by it.

You can grab the free pattern from ODDknit.

[Photo: Jessica Goddard]

As we get into the part of the year with a lot of food-forward holidays, it might be time to start thinking about knitting some new things for your table. While a few of these are more fall/Thanksgiving focused, just changing up the colors would make others work for Christmas, or keep it neutral and use them all year long.

What got me started thinking about this was the lovely and simple Fresh Bread Dishtowel, a free pattern from Purl Soho. Worked in a lovely cotton and linen blend, the towel is mostly stockinette stitch with a bit of texture on the borders.

You could use this same kind of pattern to make anything from placemats to a table runner, but let’s look at some specific patterns for those kinds of projects as well.

The easy moss stitch table runner from Glass Bird Knits is beginner friendly can can easily be modified to fit your table (or, again, to make placemats instead of or in addition to a runner). This version is worked in macrame cord, but you could also use bulky yarn.

Emielle Design has a garter stitch runner pattern that’s made with braided cotton cord for a lot of texture without a lot of work. But be sure to take a lot of breaks when knitting with cord because it can be rough on your hands!

I also love the diamond pattern on the Hamilton Table Runner from Wyndlestraw Designs. It calls for a DK weight cotton and linen blend yarn and comes in three sizes with different widths and lengths. The pattern has both written and charted instructions.

Amy Marie’s Table Pumpkins (on Ravelry) is a fun mosaic knitting pattern that would be great to use as a table runner through the fall and for Thanksgiving. It uses a worsted weight cotton yarn in two colors, and you can make it as long as you like for your table.

The no cable knit placemats from Yarn Culture Studio have a fun faux cable look that would be great for the table through the fall and winter.

Or here’s another pattern from Wyndlestraw Designs, this time for an easy knit and purl stitch placemat pattern that looks different but still good on both sides. It calls for worsted weight cotton and comes in two sizes for placemats, but also has instructions for coasters, a hot pad and a table pad all using the same stitch.

Have you read?