Easy Knitting Patterns

Whether you are a new knitter, or an experienced knitter looking for a break, easy knitting patterns are a nice addition to your knitting library. Look for patterns with the skill levels Beginner or Easy, and the steps should be simple, and the knitting skills required should only include the basics: casting on, knit stitch, purl stitch, binding off, and possible some basic steps, like knit 2 together (k2tog) and yarn over (yo). The Craft Yarn Council defines Beginner as "Projects for first-time knitters using basic knit and purl stitches, with minimal shaping," and Easy as "...using basic stitches, repetitive stitch patterns, simple color changes, simple shaping and finishing." The nice thing about that definition is that this covers a lot of knitting patterns. You can make almost any garment with those basic skills.

You could start with Google, and type in "easy knitting patterns." If you really enjoy the hunt, that's a lot of fun. But if you want to get down to knitting, you can find easy knitting patterns right here on Tricksy Knitter. Just look for patterns that are tagged as beginner. Also, Ravelry is a great place to narrow things down quickly. If you're a beginner knitter, it's also nice to be able to see other knitters' successes before your cast on.

Here's a starting search in the Ravelry pattern browser. This will show knitting patterns that have been rated a 1-Very Easy by knitters, sorted by popularity. If you want to include more challenging patterns, you can change the Difficulty filter, on the lower left side of the pattern browser screen.

If you're looking for something easy right away, there are several easy patterns right here on Tricksy Knitter, such as: Washcloths, Botanical Cowl, Montgomery Scarf, Minno Cowl, Minno Hat, Leafy Washcloth, and the Oaklet Shawl.

Or, if knitting books are more your style, there are hundreds to choose from. The Idiot's Guides: Knitting, which I wrote in 2013, has over 20 projects, all designed to use only a few techniques. Debbie Bliss and Erika Knight design books are a nice choice. They're tried and tested, and tend to use classic, simple shaping. Mags Kandis's Gifted is beautiful, with a range of skill levels. Also, books for one skein knitting patterns tend to have lots of easy patterns. Okay, must stop looking at books, my wallet is light enough as it is!!