Knitting

Free Patterns, Tutorials and Project Ideas

Zen Garden Capelet Honors Cat Bordhi

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When Cat Bordhi died in 2020, she left a hole in the knitting community and a group of knitters mourning the loss of her innovative designs.

But since her passing some of her notes and projects she was working on have been found, leading those who knew and loved her to work on developing the patterns for others to use.

The Zen Garden capelet is the first community pattern to emerge from that effort. It has been tested by knitters around the world and requires the faith in Cat’s vision that so many of her patterns do.

The pattern uses worsted or aran weight yarn and is worked using short rows. You can decide how many wedges to work to make your capelet bigger or smaller. You can purchase the pattern on Ravelry.

[Photo via Ravelry.]

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]