Cricket's Favorite Freebie Patterns

Grocery Bag Dispenser

2011-06-10T19:42:00.004-04:00

I adapted this pattern from several other patterns I found in various places on the internet.

Items needed:
Approximately 50 - 75 grams of dishcloth cotton such as Sugar 'n Cream
Size 10-1/2 circular needle (32")

Cast on 16 stitches (8 on each needle) and join.

Base:
Row 1: Knit all
Row 2: [K3, KFB] Repeat 3 times (20 stitches)
Row 3: Knit all
Row 4: [K4, KFB] Repeat 3 times (24 stitches)
Row 5: Knit all
Row 6: [K5, KFB] Repeat 3 times (28 stitches)
Row 7: Knit all
Row 8: [K6, KFB] Repeat 3 times (32 stitches)
Row 9: Knit all
Row 10: [K7, KFB] Repeat 3 times (36 stitches)
Row 11: Knit all
Row 12: [K8, KFB] Repeat 3 times (40 stitches)
This completes the base of the dispenser.

Body:
Row 1: [K2Tog, YO] Repeat all around
Row 2: Knit all
Repeat until body of the bag is desired length. (I did 25 repeats.)

Top:
Row 1: [K8, K2Tog] Repeat 3 times (36 stitches)
Row 2: Knit all
Row 3: [K7,K2Tog] Repeat 3 times (32 stitches)
Rows 4 - 11: Knit all
Row 12: [K2Tog, YO] Repeat all around
Row 13: Knit all
Bind off. Using last stitch, use a crochet hook to make a 10 stitch chain for a loop. Attach loop end to bag. Run ribbon or i-cord through eyelet loops at the top.

Swiffer Floor Cloth

2010-08-28T18:44:00.003-04:00

(based on Sew Funky's Purly Lace Swiffer Cloth with a few minor modifications)

Use the same cotton you use for dishcloths and US 7 needles

Cast on 60 stitches, marking the 20 stitches on each end with stitch markers for convenience.

Row 1: K13, P1, K6, *YO, P2Tog* to last 20 stitches, K6, P1, K13
Row 2: P13, K7, *YO, P2Tog* to last 20 stitches, K7, P13

Repeat Rows 1 and 2 until you've worked a total of 28 rows (this fits my Swiffer floor mop; you may need to adjust yours a bit to fit). Bind off.

Fold ends on purl line and sew pocket seams and weave in the ends. Turn cloth inside out so that seams are now on the inside. Swiffer away!

Scrunchable Scarf

2010-08-17T12:21:00.000-04:00

This appears to be a variation on the "Mistake Rib Scarf":

Cast on any multiple of 3 plus 2 (for instance, 26)
S1 with yarn in front, *K2, P1*, repeat between asterisks until you reach the last stitch, end with K1
Repeat until scarf is desired length

Feather and Fan Scarf

2010-04-01T06:12:00.000-04:00

I found some yummy yarn and wanted to find a scarf pattern that wasn't too fancy (I've not done any lace-weight work yet) and would show off the gorgeous color variations in the yarn. I'd found several versions of the Feather and Fan Scarf online, but liked Wendy Johnson's version best. You can see the original pattern here.

Here's a simplified recap:

Use whatever yarn you want and appropriately-sized needles (for my scarf I used size 7 needles).

Cast on any multiple of 18 stitches + four. (I cast on 40.)
Rows 1 & 2: Knit
Row 3: Knit 2, *K2T 3 times, YO K1 6 times, K2T 3 times*, Knit 2 (Repeat instructions between asterisks as many times as needed to work with the number of stitches you cast on).
Row 4: Knit

Repeat until the scarf is the length you want, or you run out of yarn, or you doze off while knitting and watching television (which happens to me fairly often....*LOL*).

Dishcloth Shawl

2009-10-21T12:15:00.001-04:00

I was looking for a really simple shawl pattern, nothing fancy, just something to throw over my shoulders while in the recliner in the evenings to keep me cozy. I ran across a posting for a "Dishcloth Shawl" at Ravelry. All in the world it is is the diagonally knit dishcloth pattern just done in heavier yarn and with bigger needles. What genius! I've knit tons of those dishcloths and never once thought about using the same pattern to knit a triangular shawl. If you click here, you'll go to the original pattern listed on Ravelry. I think, however that I might prefer the slightly different "Idiot's Dishcloth" pattern, which would go like this:

CO4
k 1 row
Next row, k2, yo, k2
Next row, k2, yo, k to end of row
Repeat the [k2, yo, k to end of row] until the shawl is the size desired

I've not knit this yet, but I have a sack full of acrylic yarn that's just taking up space. I think I'll try double-stranding it and make myself a shawl. I'll let you know how it turns out when I finally get around to doing it. :-)

Mistake Rib Stitch Scarf

2009-10-21T12:08:00.001-04:00

I found this on CrazyAuntPurl's website. (If you don't read it, you should.) This is so simple that it's hard to believe that it makes a truly lovely scarf:

Cast on stitches in a multiple of 4, plus 3 extra stitches. (On the scarf I'm knitting now, I wanted it narrow and long, so I cast on 15 stitches....4 times 3 equals 12, plus 3 equals 15. See?)
Knit two, purl two to the end of the row. You'll have one extra stitch at the end; purl it.

That's it. I swear, that's it. Just repeat the row until the scarf is the length you want. This is so simple I can practically knit it in my sleep. You can use any size needle, any kind of yarn. I think this is going to be a terrific stash buster.

Diagonal Lace Socks

2009-10-02T06:51:00.001-04:00

This is the first pattern I tried from Wendy D. Johnson's book, Socks from the Toe Up. Though I'd knit several pairs of socks with DPNs, this was only my second pair of two-at-a-time, toe-up Magic Loop socks. I highly recommend the book; there are some simply lovely patterns in it. I found that there's a free PDF file of this pattern from the book posted at the terrific Wendy Knits website. To see the pattern, click HERE.

Idiot's Dishcloth

2009-10-01T19:02:00.004-04:00

This pattern is all over the internet, and apparently no one knows where it came from. I found it on Groovy Mom's website, and she said that it can be found in The Complete Idiot's Guide to Knitting & Crocheting (hence the name...*G*)

This dishcloth is knit diagonally, ending up with a square cloth. Use dishcloth yarn, such as Sugar 'n Cream. Use a needle size 6 - 9. Abbreviations are at the bottom of the pattern.

k 1 row

Next row, k2, yo, k2

Next row, k2, yo, k to end of row

Repeat the [k2, yo, k to end of row] until you have a total of 45 sts on the needle

Next row, k1, k2Tog, yo, k2Tog, k to end of row

Continue to do the [k1, k2Tog, yo, k2Tog, k to end of row], decreasing each row until you have 5 stitches

Next row, k2, k2Tog, k1

Bind off the 4 sts.

CO - cast on
k - knit
yo - yarn over (to increase)
k2Tog - knit 2 together (to decrease)
st - stitches (sts is plural stitches)