Tag: free

Free and Fast Knits for Christmas Gifts: Scarves in Worsted

This page contains a list of free knitting (and some crocheting) patterns for scarves and cowls that will knit up quickly in worsted or bulky yarn. *Please note these items were free when this page was created, and that could change.

Christmas Gift Knitting

If you are like me and the majority of the population, waiting until the last minute is typical. We have busy lives and at holiday time it’s worse. The months leading up to holiday season is the ideal time to begin knitting those Christmas gifts. We know it, and yet many of us procrastinate.

It’s okay to begin knitting late in the season, if you can find some fast knits, done with heavy weight yarn – worsted or bulky. Personally I am keeping a list of the best machine-washable yarn I can find. I have grown boys who will absolutely not hand wash anything.

Scarves, cowls and hats are about the quickest projects, in my opinion, and I’ve listed mostly scarves, a few cowls, and one necktie, on this page. A page about free hat patterns is coming!

Knitting Scarves for Guys (Unisex)

Guys can be the most difficult to buy for and that is why hand-knits could be the perfect gift. When I search around Ravelry for patterns, I see that a lot of people knit (and crochet) for husbands, boyfriends, sons and grandsons. My own grown sons, even the one here in Florida, seem to appreciate the hats I’ve knit them.

The links below go to their corresponding Ravelry page where the pattern can be downloaded. Most scarf patterns are unisex and color will differentiate male or female. Please note: Most of these items I have not knit myself. I can’t vouch for the pattern and these are ideas only, not suggestions.

The nice thing about knitting a scarf is that gauge doesn’t really matter. A scarf pattern is pretty easy to convert from fingering weight to worsted or bulky. Cast on fewer stitches if your yarn is heavier. Scarves can be knit to any length desired.

Scarves and Cowls For Women

knitting divider

Free Crochet Patterns

Although I mostly knit, I do occasionally crochet so thought I’d include a few patterns here for the crocheters. These links are for scarves and hats, which are the easiest and fastest projects in my opinion.

This is just a few patterns out there for free. If you have any favorites, please share in the comments.

LATEST POSTS

Knitters and Our Many Projects

How many projects do you have on your needles? It is not uncommon to find that fellow knitters have many things going at once.

by Pam

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Vibrant Key West Karibbean Kotton for Knitting Dishcloths

Dishcloths are something I always knit for myself, and sometimes for others. My best friend and my daughter always appreciate these little gifts. Since I have to order all my yarn online these days, I have kept an eye out for good yarn to use for cotton knitting. It’s always nice to give a pretty gift.

One day while browsing the Four Purls site, I saw The Sassy Skein cakes of colorful cotton – Key West Karibbean Kotton. I bought a few skeins of their bright tropical colors, and ended up loving this yarn!

The Sassy Skein Key West Karibbean Kotton
Karibbean Kotton yarn skeins from Four Purls

This cotton is softer than the Lily’s yarn, and the end product is more springy, and the vibrant colors seem to last through washes. The cost is nearly double because the skeins are only 74 yards, but that way I can combine colors more often to make a bigger variety of cloths.

I do put this yarn in the washer and dryer – it will SHRINK. Make the dishcloths larger than you’d like because they will end up smaller.

Sassy Skein Key West cotton dishcloth in navy and lime
Colors: Navy Pier and Key Lime

How I Knit My Cloths on A Circular Needle

Right now my favorite way of knitting a cloth, either small or larger towel size, is to make “ribs” so the cloth does not lay flat. This is easy to do with a circular needle – larger than a 16 inch. I usually use a size 6 US but I am a tight knitter. Another size may work better for you.

Using two colors (two-color cast-on), I cast on around 30 stitches and knit across. (Or cast-on one color and add the other.) Slide the stitches back so you are knitting on the same side with the new color. Continue knitting with the next color, whether it means turning the work or sliding it.

If you do this with three colors it’s also pretty, but the ridges are less pronounced. It’s fun to experiment. With the navy blue cloth, I began by knitting seed stitch for a few rows then added a few stripes of lime green. The rest of the cloth mirrors the pattern.

Dishcloths knit with Key West Karibbean Kotton
Ribbed dishcloths using two and three colors.

Knitting this way will create ridges in the work. It gives the cloth, or towel, some texture. I hand-wash all my dishes, and having a towel to set wet dishes on, that is ribbed in this way, helps with drying.

Ribs made by knitting back and forth
Ribs make the cloth thicker

If you are just getting started, I have written a page about free patterns and easy knitting projects, such as kitchen cloths, which you can find here.

Purl Soho For Free Stitch Patterns

The Purl Soho yarn website offers many free knitting patterns which are great ways to try out new stitches. I rarely jump in and knit the entire project pattern, but it’s simple to try out the stitch pattern on a smaller scale – say, a dishcloth. And, if I loved the pattern, go ahead and make something larger.

Pinterest and other knitting blogs often have free dishcloth patterns as well. It’s not hard to find little repeats to try for a small item.

The first cotton I used to knit dishcloths was Lily Sugar n Cream. It comes in lots of colors, including variegated, and it’s easy to find in Walmart, Target and on Amazon – my link goes to Amazon. It’s cheaper, and also a good option for kitchen knits.