knitting

There are a whole lot of fabulous knitting patterns that are available for free online. It is sometimes hard to sort through the not-so-great patterns, but this article will give you some tips for finding that great pattern that you’re looking for.  Also, some of the websites, Ravelry for instance has made searching for a pattern so easy that you will just love it- but don’t stop at Ravelry- visit the other sites for their great patterns too!

Step1

Many yarn companies have free patterns on their websites- one really wonderful source of free knitting (and crochet) patterns is Berocco yarn’s pattern library.  Lion yarn also has a huge database of patterns, and Elann.com and Knitpicks.com are good sources as well. Others to try are Yarnia PDX, and DMC. You can do a search for “yarn companies” and many will have at least a few free patterns to choose from- some more than others.

Step2

Try websites like Cut Out + Keep, which have all sorts of crafts, along with knitting patterns but you can sort through their database of patterns very easily.  Also try Craftster, which is the same (many types of crafts, knitting included).  There’s a good community of crafters and knitters on both these sites, and they have great opportunities for networking and help, or tips when you need them, with some very impressive projects on display.

Step3

Ravelry has a fantastic catalog of patterns, many of them free (the patterns that are not are relatively inexpensive). Sign up with Ravelry and search for free patterns – you will find a wonderful resource on this website, with advanced searching features and fabulous patterns!  There’s no doubt that every knitter and crocheter finds Ravelry their go-to website and source for patterns and networking with others, it’s just a really well-designed site.  Ravelry has a lot of groups to join, with plenty of other knitters willing to help you when you have a problem with a pattern or just a question, and you can share your finished product as you are creating it with the various groups you’ve joined.

Step4

Look for forums and online magazines with free patterns- Anticraft is a good one, so is Craftster, craft Magazine, Oh My Stars, knitting Daily, and Knitting help.com all have really great patterns for free.

Step5

Another very fantastic source for finding online patterns for free is Knitty-an online magazine, which features very talented designers and you can check their archives for more patterns.  Many of the knitting magazines have some patterns that are only available online, so be sure to look into these for each issue, and they are free.  Knit1, Interweave Knits, Knitscene and Vogue Knitting all have really wonderful, high-quality, stylish patterns.

And check out the resources for some others, where you can find some great vintage patterns as well.  Try searching for “free vintage knit patterns” if you don’t find what your looking for in the resources.   But I’m sure that between all the links, magazines, webzines and links from the resource links, you will find so many free knitting patterns that you will have projects planned for the rest of your days!

Resources
Knit PicksVogue KnittingOh my stars craftBerroco pattern libraryRavelryKnitting patterns on the internetSkeinspottingKnittyKnitting Daily
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knitting