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I can't decide between these free shawl knitting patterns

Yarns for free shawl knitting patterns

Free shawl knitting patterns can raise the hackles of some designers, and with good reason: producing a pattern is hard work and takes a lot of time and effort! So with that in mind, I’ve also shared a paid pattern by the same designer, for all the designers who have paid patterns alongside their free ones.
Y’all, I’m heading to MADRID next week. It’s to see my very longtime friend (and fellow knitter and crocheter) who has known me my entire life. She’s there doing a six week study abroad course, and seeing as she lives in our hometown of Chicago, I couldn’t not go!
That said, I do NOT want to work on patterns for the book while I’m on vacation. Designing patterns means I’m constantly taking notes, ripping things back, re-knitting…it’s not ideal for the few days when I’m actually able to turn off my brain. I want to follow someone else’s pattern, but I want to use some of my yarns – after all, I don’t use them nearly as often as I dye them!
And so, here are some contenders for the shawl pattern I might take to Madrid. (Don’t worry, I know all about flight regulations, and I know how to prepare for that. Lifelines and cheap needles, and a yarn shop on the other side at the ready!)

Free shawl knitting patterns!

I like to peruse all places in Ravelry and Etsy, but someone asked me last week what my favorite free shawl patterns are. With that said I highly recommend supporting these designers, so I’m also including a paid pattern by them as well. Support designers!

Wonder Woman wrap by Carissa Browning (free)

Free shawl knitting pattern: wonder woman shawl by Carissa Browning
Y’ALL. How could I not include this one?? It’s a new release, but quite frankly I am hella obsessed. I cried when I (finally) saw Wonder Woman last week, so I feel like this would be a good choice. Now, while I have two organic yarns that *might* work, it probably wouldn’t have as zingy an impact. I don’t dye solids very much, so this would require a stash dive OR….new yarn.
OR what about this shawl by the same designer:

Triceratops, by Carissa Browning

Dinosaur themed scarf pattern by Carissa Browning
Okay, so I’m mostly angry that no one told me there was a book of dinosaur themed shawl patterns: how dare you not tell me? I’m probably the biggest fan of the Jurassic Park franchise, even if Jurassic World had a weak storyline and hello, no woman would still have her heels on at that point. No.
Anyway, you can get each pattern for $6, or buy the set for $24. Looking at the book now, I also really, really, REALLY want to make Ankylosaurus. Triceratops calls for 400m (about one skein) of fingering/4-ply, so I think I’d spring to make this in a skein of Vampire Queen from the recent sparkle sock Adventure Time launch.

Afetos by Cartucha Knits (free)

Free shawl knitting pattern by Cartucha knits
What! This is STUNNING. And a free pattern?! I’ve been meaning to attack lace for some time now, and if I were to stash dive, I’d pair Clefairy Dust with Princess Bubblegum for a superpink sparkly shawl.
This designer doesn’t have any paid patterns (she should because she’s super talented!) but she does have a free sock pattern that has my heart yearning!

Zanbonia by Daria Sorokina (free)

Free shawl knitting pattern by Daria Sorokina
 
This shawl is random and crazy and I LOVE IT. I love that little picot edging and how it really showcases a more coloured and saturated yarn. I’d be tempted to make this with Aard from the Witcher 3 themed set and have a nice cloud-like shawl.

Sunkota by Daria Sorokina

Sunkota shawl by Daria Sorokina
I love this one too: that lace edge and the eyelet stripes? Perfection. I’d use Lumpy Space for this one, because it would be purple, sparkly, and moody, just like me. This pattern is $7.20 from her store, and it’s totally worth it! (This also makes me want to dye some aggressively yellow yarns!)

Your Ice Cream Shawl by Tetiana Otruta (free)

Free shawl knitting pattern by Tetiana Otruta
How pretty is this lacy shawl? I’d have to pair Weyland-Yutani and Alien Blood from the Alien release for a citrusy burst of a shawl. Yummmm!

Reflection line by Tetiana Otruta

Reflection Line by Tetiana Otruta
I love this one from her collection too: I’m a total sucker for eyelet panels and geometric shaping. It’s $7.20 in her Ravelry shop, and I don’t know if I’ll be able to resist! I think I’d go with a skein of Fionna the Human for this one, I think the speckled sections would work up nicely in those eyelets.

So, which one should I choose?

Love this post? Pin this image!

Free shawl knitting patterns for summer to showcase hand dyed yarns
 

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Meet the Pumpkin Juice cowl: a free pattern!

Free Pumpkin Juice weave stitch cowl pattern and tutorial at GamerCrafting.com

So, this was meant to be released in…October. For those keeping track? It’s almost March. I don’t care what any of you say, orange is totally a spring color.
(Click here to add this pattern to your  Ravelry queue!)
This cowl got pushed aside week after week as I had magazine commissions to work on, a book (!) to plan, and a million other things. I wanted to make a quick video tutorial for it, and you guys, pulling out the camera and setting everything up, editing, etc, takes FOREVER. So it sat in my cupboard, nearly finished, for months.
I went on a stash dive a few weeks ago, and remembered that it was ALMOST DONE. So I dragged out the camera, I paid for some new video editing software (which I am obviously still learning to use), and cracked on.

Free Pumpkin Juice weave stitch cowl pattern and tutorial at GamerCrafting.com
Listen, this pattern is SO SIMPLE. A total beginner could hack it without a problem. This woven stitch texture can take a bit of time to grow, but it’s sooooo worth it. It’s named Pumpkin Juice, for, SURPRISE, the color, and also because of Harry Potter. As you do.

Materials

240 meters of  color A: aran weight yarn. I used 150g of Kollage Glisten, which was three skeins. Your milage may vary if you aren’t using a silk yarn, which weighs more. Meterage is key here! I recommend separating your yarn into three equal balls to make the pattern easier.
75-100 meters of color B: aran weight yarn, I used about 50g of Cascade 220 Superwash that I had kicking around in my stash.
4.5mm (US 7) single pointed needles

Free Pumpkin Juice weave stitch cowl pattern and tutorial at GamerCrafting.com

Pattern

Cast on 21 stitches with color A.
Row 1: *K1, bring yarn in front and slip next stitch* Repeat to end of row.
Rows 2 & 4: Purl all stitches
Row 3: *With yarn in front, slip the next stitch, K1* Repeat to end of row.
Repeat rows 1-4 until your first ball of color A is finished, For the second section, Alternate colors A and B, while continuing in the pattern.
When you are out of color B, join your final ball of color A and work in the pattern until you are out of yarn. Bind off, block firmly, and seam ends together.
For a stronger cowl, you can double up by seaming the ends together, sewing the sides together, and then bringing both ends together to sew to make a double thick cowl.
Need some help? Here’s a super quick tutorial. Sorry for the few seconds of blurriness! If this was a paid pattern I would have spent the time to re-record it, but it’s not, so I didn’t.

Free Pumpkin Juice weave stitch cowl pattern and tutorial at GamerCrafting.com
Love free tutorials? Subscribe to the YouTube channel and follow me on Facebook for more cool stuff. Love hand dyed yarns? Click here to see the Etsy shop!

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Last minute light-speed cowl knitting pattern

Fast and free knitting pattern

I see you, procrasti-knitters. Christmas is less than a week away and as it turns out, no, you don’t have time to knit everyone in your family a gorgeous handmade blanket.
Enter the light-speed Flat Rib cowl, designed by me for people like me.
It’s knitted flat using some gorgeous Rowan Hemp Tweed Chunky yarn, it’s perfect for beginners, and mine took an evening to crank out.
Click here to see the pattern on Laughing Hens (it’s free), and click here to add it to your queue on Ravelry. Godspeed, procrasti-knitters. May the Force be with you.
Fast and free knitting pattern

 

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The Caterpillar Mitts a new free knitting pattern!

Free fingerless mitts knitting pattern

Woooo! Finally, a new knitting pattern after what feels like a whole summer of crochet pattern releases, from the Siren’s Sea Shawl, to Pokeballs and Rainbow Grannies. Pssst! Did I mention that this is a free pattern? Because it is.
There’s a new monthly blog feature over at Laughing Hens: it’s called The One Ball Challenge, and it’s awesome. Basically a blogger or designer is challenged to make something awesome with just one ball of yarn, and offer the pattern for free. AWESOME, right? RIGHT.
I was lucky enough to get a ball of Rowan Cashmere to play with. It’s an awesome new yarn from Rowan, and it’s seriously the softest thing I’ve ever had the pleasure of squishing. It’s seriously soft.

Free fingerless mitts knitting pattern for beginners
Okay, let’s get down to brass tacks, shall we?
This pattern is awesome for beginners: it only uses knit and purl stitches, and it’s knitted flat on single pointed needles. You seam up the sides when you’re done, leaving a space for the thumb.
Interested? You can add it to your Ravelry queue.
Ready to cast on? Click here to see the pattern on the Laughing Hens blog.
Want to pin it? Here’s a handy pinnable image for you.

Free fingerless mitts knitting pattern for beginners

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*FREE* clutch knitting pattern

Free clutch knitting pattern by GamerCrafting

Eeeeeek! It’s been a crazy few weeks. June flew by in a flurry of travel, bad news, worse news, and complete and total political upheaval and unrest. I’m not going to get into it because I am flat out exhausted with Brexit talk. As someone in the UK on an EU visa, my future is very uncertain at the moment, and it’s causing a considerable amount of upset and stress in my life. If you want to know how I feel, and how others like me feel, please go read Anna Nickipirowicz’s (AKA Moochka) blog on the subject.

As for me, I’m hibernating with my crafts until there are some better answers. I went camping near the Norfolk coast last weekend, and spent my time hiking through the salt marshes and teaching some friends how to spin yarn from fiber (more on that later).

This post was meant to be about my new free clutch knitting pattern over on the LoveKnitting blog – so let me talk about that instead.

It’s knitted in Cascade Rabat, a worsted weight yarn that’s blended of wool, silk, and acrylic. It’s a hearty yarn with stunningly gorgeous, subtle ombre colorways that really shine through a cable pattern. The large honeycomb style cables make this clutch sturdy and cute, and I’m absolutely thrilled with how it turned out.

Did I mention that it’s a FREE clutch knitting pattern? It is. Click here to see the pattern (and more pics) on the LoveKnitting blog.

(Psst! There are some big announcements and projects on the way, so make sure you like GamerCrafting on Facebook for exclusive hand dyed yarn deals and follow me on Bloglovin‘ so you don’t miss any free project posts!)

FREE clutch knitting pattern by GamerCrafting

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Cotton Heart: a free blanket square knitting pattern for summer

Cotton Heart: a free blanket square knitting pattern for summer by GamerCrafting

Yes, I’m aware that I just started a different cotton blanket square, the rainbow crochet squares that were released last week. Yes, I’m also aware that I already have a squillion WIPs hanging around, and yes I know that I need to start two new projects this week for magazines.

And yet, when I designed this chunky cotton blanket square, I had no idea it would be this addictive to knit them. I can knock a square out in about 30-45 minutes, which means I can pretend that I’m finishing things instead of starting new projects that I have no time for. Oops!

If you want to know more about this project, get the *free* pattern, and see yarn requirements, then head on over to the LoveKnitting blog, where I published it today. (<—link)

Remember to like GamerCrafting on Facebook and follow me on Bloglovin‘ so you never miss a free pattern or tutorial post (and you can make me feel like I’m actually not terrible at this blogging thing).

Happy crafting! 

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Free garter stitch cushion cover knitting pattern for beginners

Click here to get the free pattern

In this week’s Knit by Bit project for LoveKnitting, I talk about my recent foray into Ikea shopping, which earned me a whole bunch of new stuff for my balcony and a serious itch to nest and decorate our apartment. I came home with three cushions, and this one was destined for greatness – so I made it a super simple, lightning speed garter stitch cover by stranding four yarns together and using mammoth sized needles.

If you want the free pattern, click here to see it at LoveKnitting!

Please make sure to like GamerCrafting on Facebook and follow me on Bloglovin‘ so you don’t miss out on any of the fun. Happy Monday!


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Free striped steering wheel knitting pattern

Striped steering wheel knitting pattern on GamerCrafting

Summer time is coming again, which means my friends back in Texas will be dealing with flaming hot steering wheels that sat in the hot sun. Just for them, I made this striped steering wheel cover knitting pattern, knitted with a superwash wool using a button closure so it can be washed if it gets dirty. Aw. Yes.

For us overly-organized sorts, I also came up with a matching coffee sleeve pattern. Because I love you.

Free striped steering wheel knitting pattern by Gamerrafting

Want to get in on this awesome vintage vibe? Click here to check out my (free) pattern on the LoveKnitting blog. 

If you love free and fun patterns, make sure you like GamerCrafting on Facebook and follow me on Bloglovin’ so you don’t miss any of the free stuff. Aw. Yes. 
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*Free* watermelon mug cozy knitting pattern

Free watermelon mug cozy knitting pattern by GamerCrafting
Love this pattern? Click here to follow me on Pinterest for more inspiration!

Happy Monday, readers! Today on LoveKnitting, you’ll find my brand new free watermelon mug cozy knitting pattern. Even though I can’t grow my own watermelons (no greenhouse, and the outdoor climate is too unpredictable), they are still my top fruit to eat in the summer. I’m ready for warm weather, and I want to celebrate with something to keep my ever-forgotten tea warm.

Did you know that watermelons are native to Africa? They require regular temperatures of 80 degrees or more (fahrenheit), and the tendrils are actually quite fragile. I’ll post more about my growing adventures soon (like when these seeds finally sprout, hopefully they will)!

Click here to see the pattern on LoveKnitting, and have a happy week!

Free watermelon mug cozy knitting pattern by GamerCrafting on LoveKnitting
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Free baby hat knitting pattern from me to you

Free baby hat knitting pattern by GamerCrafting

Love a super simple stripey free baby hat knitting pattern? Click here to see this week’s Knit by Bit (by yours truly) on the LoveKnitting blog. I designed it with super soft, super stretchy yarn, in some fun colors (Damson and Emerald Green). The aran weight knits up fast, and it’s sized to fit babies from 0 – 18 months, with 3 different sizes.

Free baby hat knitting pattern by GamerCrafting

And don’t forget to like GamerCrafting on Facebook and follow me on Bloglovin‘ so you never miss one of my free patterns or tutorials! Happy Monday! ^_^