Winter Knitty is Live

It’s one of the best days of the winter season today, because the new Knitty has just been released. And this one is extra special because it’s the 50th issue of the long-running online knitting magazine. Here’s to 50 more, and many more beyond that.

This time around you’ll find musings on prejudice by Donna Druchunas and a slouchy Baltic-inspired hat designed by Susan Santos; a pep talk and historic knitting pattern for gloves from Franklin Habit; and a set of super-sweet gifts using granny squares, if you happen to crochet as well.

The Dr. Quackers toy really just cannot be resisted (he’s a duck worked in textured stripes and designed by Elizabeth Collins), but I also love Becky Collins’ awesome striped dress Folie à deux. And while I say it’s a dress you can really go your own way with it, making it a sweater or a short-sleeved top, with stripes that vary or are consistent in width, worked flat or in the round. It’s all up to you!

Other great projects include the Winter Doldrums pullover by Carla Pletzer, which is a great bold circular yoke sweater sure to entertain in the knitting and keep you warm in the wearing; Laurie Osborne’s Kayak Cowl, worked in pretty double basket stitch (such a great idea for a cowl!); the double knit Giga Cowl worked in gray and bright green in a cool chain-like pattern by Kalliopi Aronis; and the Comber Shawl by Joyce Fassbender, a reversible lace triangle worked from the center out (I particularly love the self-striping version).

There’s probably something for everyone here, so I’d love to hear what you like, too.

[Photo via Knitty.com.]

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

Looking for pullover and sweater patterns? Check these books out.

Fall will be here before we know it, and that means there are holidays coming right behind where we might be entertaining at home. It’s always fun to have a hand knit touch in your home for other people to see, and if you’re going to be in the kitchen all day you might as well have some nice knit dish cloths to use.

I love this little plaid hand towel from Darling Jadore. Use a little bit of leftover cotton yarn from another project for the plaid portion. It looks like the horizontal stripes are worked as you knit and the vertical stripes are done with duplicate stitch, making this a quick and easy project even newer knitters can make.

Combine garter stitch and an easy eyelet pattern worked sideways to make the Annette Dish Towel from Cluck Cluck Boots, which is meant to be reminiscent of flour sack towels. It calls for DK weight yarn and you can work it in one color or two (or even three!).

Add a little more texture with this set of kitchen towels from Whileberry Creative. They’re mostly worked in garter stitch with borders in easy knit/purl patterns, and you can work them in sport or worsted weight yarn.

Two of Wands Shop has another cute allover knit and purl pattern they call the Seersucker Textured Tea Towel. It’s an easy repeating pattern worked in worsted weight yarn, and there’s a chart in the pattern you can use, but don’t have to, if you want to practice knitting from a chart.

The Classic Cloth dish towel from Handmade Home by Connie is another one that can use a little leftover yarn in a contrasting color, or you could color block it our use stripes throughout the pattern. This one uses worsted weight yarn and another easy repeating knit purl stitch pattern.

If you like to hang your towel on the oven handle or elsewhere but it’s always falling off, try the Stay Put kitchen towel from Fancy Step Knits. This project is worked in garter stitch and includes a hole partway through so you can pull the towel through itself over a rod or handle. Stripes are optional but a nice addition.

Have you read?