Patterns - free
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Online knitting magazines
 

Knitfinder pattern roundups


 

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Thousands of knitting patterns are available online. Here are links to the best sources for patterns you can download right now. Many are free, but don't overlook the for-purchase pattern sites. For anywhere from $1.99 to $9.00 or so, you'll be supporting independent designers - and you'll have the pattern in your hands almost instantly.

Advantages of downloading patterns, free or not: lose the printout? The pattern's always there on your hard drive. Use a PDA, iPhone or iPod? Load your patterns on it and they'll be with you at knitting group or the yarn store. Want a pattern by a US designer, but live overseas? No problem. (Of course, this works both ways - US knitters now have access to great patterns from around the world.) Another plus - for purchased patterns, you will usually be automatically notified of pattern corrections.

Tips for working with PDF patterns
 

Free patterns: the best
The best free pattern sources on the web - these are well-designed sites with varied offerings, search and browse options, access to pattern photos, and either no advertising or limited, tasteful and desirable advertising (as on Ravelry and Knitty).

Ravelry
More than 50,000 free patterns, almost 15,000 of them available as Ravelry PDF downloads. You'll need a free Ravelry account - it's instant. Use the pattern browser or advanced pattern search to find what you want. You'll get photos, yarn, gauge, and size information, and links to other Ravelers who've already knit the project. You can favorite a pattern, store it in your virtual library, or queue it.

Knitty
Since 2002, Amy Singer's online magazine has published hundreds of great patterns, all free. Not just for women - plenty of patterns for men, children, and home, plus some whimsies that you'll find nowhere else. Use our Knitfinder Knitty pattern index - it's the easiest way to browse the entire collection, and every pattern links straight to the original.

YARN COMPANY SITES

Garnstudio / Drops Design in English or choose your language
Norwegian company offers thousands of free patterns written for Garnstudio yarns in your choice of ten languages. Browse by pattern type, gauge, yarn used, or keyword. The very handy "knitting term" search lets you search for specific techniques and pattern features like "fair isle," "round yoke," or "advanced cables." Plenty of patterns for men, children, and home. Search results show photos and gauge; patterns include charts and schematics but are not available in PDF format.

Berroco
Hundreds of free patterns written for Berroco yarns. Browse by pattern type, skill level, or yarn used. Search results appear as photo thumbnails. Designs for unusual accessories, home, men, and children; also lots of crochet patterns. Patterns include charts and schematics and are available in PDF format.

Elann.com free pattern page
100+ patterns, including originals designed for Elann and some yarn company patterns. Elann originals include many lovely lace shawls and tops. Site has been redesigned so it's easy to search by project type, gauge, designer, and/or keyword. Thumbnail photos in search results. Charts and schematics included where necessary, but patterns are not available as PDFs. Free registration required.

 

Free patterns: the rest
These sites are not quite as useful, but still worth a look. They may be more difficult to browse or offer a limited selection, but you'll find good patterns.

Knitting Daily
A couple of hundred free patterns for designs that appeared in Interweave publications and elsewhere (including on Knitting Daily TV). A bit difficult to browse. Beware searching by tag; patterns are not tagged consistently and results will be incomplete. Free registration required; you must be logged in to download patterns. PDF format.

You can also use the Knitfinder Interweave Knits index and search with the "free" tag.

Barbara Breiter's Knitting on the Net
Hundreds of free patterns; limited category search option, no photos until you get to an individual pattern. No schematics, no PDFs.

Knitting Pattern Central
Links to thousands of off-site free patterns. Not a pretty site; you can browse by category; patterns are listed by title - no photos until you click on a specific pattern link. Pattern formats vary.

GREAT SITES WITH SMALLER SELECTIONS

Petite Purls
Cute clothing and toys for babies and children; published 4x/year as an online magazine. All patterns are free.

The Purl Bee
Project blog for the store Purl Soho. About a hundred free knitting patterns, mostly for smaller items in luxury yarns. To find them, scroll way down the page to "Knitting Photo Galleries, Projects + Tutorials" in the rightmost column.

Knotions
Online magazine with nice selection of free patterns, including designs for men and children. Unfortunately, they have stopped publishing after just 6 issues, but the patterns remain online.

Popknits
Another online magazine with a small but interesting free pattern selection; has stopped publishing for now, but patterns remain available online.



YARN COMPANY SITES

Classic Elite Yarns: 120+ patterns from the weekly Classic Elite Web-Letter (subscribe here), plus a couple of dozen miscellaneous patterns. No way to search, you must browse the photographs, but many really lovely designs. PDF format, no registration required.

Crystal Palace Yarns Dozens of patterns for clothing and accessories; browse by category or yarn used. Many nice designs; some available in PDF format. No registration required.

Knit Picks free pattern page Over 100 patterns for garments, accessories, home, and whimsies; all written for Knit Picks yarns. All patterns are PDF downloads. No registration required.

Lion Brand Yarns Thousands of patterns of all sorts. Free registration required; you will have to provide personal information. Logged-in users have search options, and can save patterns to a personal "library" and add notes. PDF format.

Rowan Yarns Several dozen free Rowan patterns, no site registration required. Browse by project type and/or yarn used. There are some real gems here, especially in the Rowan's Greatest Knits section.

NON-ENGLISH SITES for the adventurous

Bergère de France (French) Many nice free patterns available in the Tricothèque (first menu button on left). No search options; browse patterns for women, men, children or layette. Click on "Télécharger" to download PDFs. Note: as of March 2011, the main French website has been redesigned and the Tricothèque has disappeared, but it's still available at the link given here (at a different URL). It may not remain available forever. Ravelry link for free Tricothèque patterns is here.

Pierrot (Japanese) This yarn company site offers hundreds of free knit and crochet patterns. Use the Pierrot Ravelry page to browse them; there's a link straight to each pattern PDF so you don't have to navigate the Japanese site. Some patterns are available translated into English - about 70 so far, with more added each month. English free pattern page is here (a bit hard to search); Ravelry link for English Pierrot knit patterns is here.

 

Patterns for purchase - instant download

Ravelry
More than 45,000 patterns, about 31,000 available as Ravelry PDF downloads. You'll need a free Ravelry account (it's instant) and a PayPal account. Use the pattern browser or advanced pattern search to find what you want. You'll get photos, yarn, gauge, and size information, and links to other Ravelers who've already knit the project. You can favorite a pattern or queue it. Put it in your Ravelry shopping cart and pay now or later. Once it's paid for, download immediately or simply store the file in your Ravelry library.

Patternfish
About 9,400 patterns from independent designers and traditional pattern publishers such as Reynolds, Cabin Fever, and Oat Couture, including many patterns you won't find anywhere else online. New patterns added regularly at the rate of 40-100 per week. Priced from $3.00 up. Many patterns originally appeared in yarn company leaflets; for instance, you'll find more than 400 patterns from the Classic Elite Yarns back catalog. Very sophisticated search function allows you to search by yarn weight, size, gauge, knitting technique and/or style detail, as well as more basic pattern features. You can view full pattern information including photo, construction information, yarn requirements and sizing before you buy. To buy, you'll need a free member account; patterns you buy are saved in your "pattern stash," and you can comment on them.

Twist Collective
This online magazine began publishing 4x/year in Fall 2008; there are now about 200 Twist patterns. Each artfully-photographed issue features a couple of dozen patterns by today's top designers. Pattern prices vary from $5.00 - $8.00 each; payment is via PayPal, patterns in PDF format. Unfortunately there's no easy way to search, but you can browse pattern photos by issue here.

Knitcircus
Originally a print magazine, Knitcircus then went to online only, four times a year plus occasional special issues. Ceased publication in January 2012. Like Twist, you "page" through a virtual magazine on your screen. Designs are varied, with patterns for men and children as well as women. usually there's a sewing pattern as well. You can read features and reviews and see the pattern photography for free; the patterns themselves are sold as a collection of PDFs - $7.99 for all 25 in the Fall 2010 issue, for example (a great deal). Beginning with the current issue (Gifts 2010) you can also buy patterns individually. Once an issue is replaced, patterns may or may not be available (that's up to individual designers).

Interweave Store
More than 1000 patterns priced from $3.00 to $6.50. Most appeared originally in Interweave Knits or Knitscene. Browse by category, then filter your search by designer, yarn weight, or skill level. Or use the Knitfinder Interweave Knits pattern index: every pattern name available at the Interweave Store is linked to take you straight there. PDF format for patterns; pay with credit card or PayPal.

Knit Picks patterns
More than 500 patterns, most by independent designers, all priced at $1.99. Wide variety, many very nice patterns. Browse by pattern category; no sophisticated search options.

Verena Knitting pattern shop
800+ patterns from Verena magazine, including plenty of designs for men and children. All priced at $4.95 US. No search options beyond broad pattern categories (but there's a women's plus size category).

Vogue Knitting pattern store
Almost 1500 patterns from Vogue Knitting, Knit Simple, Knit.1, and Debbie Bliss Magazine. Useful filter options allow you to browse by project type, pattern category, yarn weight, skill level, and sizing. Priced from $3.00 - $7.00 US; pay by credit card, pattern PDFs are delivered by email. Another interesting feature: you can choose a group of patterns and have them printed as a custom collection in a spiral-bound book.
 

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Online knitting magazines
Since the debut of Knitty in 2002, online knitting magazines have come and gone. Typically they are published quarterly and offer patterns, reviews, and feature articles. Usually they contain advertising. Patterns may be free or availabe for purchase as PDF downloads; features are always free for the reading. Here's a roundup of current magazines.

Knitty
Since 2002, Amy Singer's online magazine has published hundreds of great patterns, all free, four times a year. Not just for women - plenty of patterns for men, children, and home, plus some whimsies that you'll find nowhere else. Use our Knitfinder Knitty pattern index - it's the easiest way to browse the entire collection, and every pattern links straight to the original. There's a wide variety of reviews and features, including articles, patterns, and fiber reviews for handspinners.

Twist Collective
This online magazine began publishing 4x/year in Fall 2008; there are now about 200 Twist patterns. Each artfully-photographed issue features a couple of dozen patterns by today's top designers. Pattern prices vary from $5.00 - $8.00 each; payment is via PayPal, patterns in PDF format. Unfortunately there's no easy way to search, but you can browse pattern photos by issue here.

Petite Purls
Petite Purls rounds out the big three of online knit magazines. This quarterly devoted to babies and children debuted in 2009 and is now on its sixth issue; all patterns are free (but they are not available in PDF format). Patterns for cute clothing, accessories, and toys, plus interviews and feature articles aimed at families with children. You'll also find a few sewing patterns and recipes.

The Icelandic Knitter
Founded in 2010, this webzine focuses on Icelandic yarns and knitting, with patterns both traditional and modern. Free feature articles; patterns are for-purchase as PDFs; designs are offered as kits as well with yarns and pattern. The Knitting Iceland folks also offer knitters' tours.

Tangled
Founded in 2010, Tangled bills itself as "proud to be bi-craftual." It features knitting and crochet patterns in equal measures - the debut issue has eight or nine of each. Some designs are "cross-threaded" - interpreted in both knitting and crochet. You'll find accessories, home items, and sweaters. Some patterns are free, others are available for purchase as PDF downloads.

Ennea Collective
Also founded in 2010, this Canada-based magazine is aimed at handspinners, with patterns and articles on knitting and weaving with handspun and articles on fiber farming and fiber events. Patterns are for-purchase as PDF downloads. There is specific spinning information for each project. Browse all available patterns here.

Clotheshorse
This online magazine debuted in February 2012. Bills itself as "a fashion magazine providing knit and crochet patterns focusing on the season's trends." Patterns are for individual purchase as PDF downloads. Issue no. 1 has 29 patterns for dresses, tops, and accessories.


The following magazines are no longer publishing, but back issues remain available online. Caution: online magazine archives have been known to disappear without warning.

Knitcircus
Originally a print magazine, Knitcircus then went to online only, four times a year plus occasional special issues. Ceased publication in January 2012. Like Twist, you "page" through a virtual magazine on your screen. Designs are varied, with patterns for men and children as well as women. usually there's a sewing pattern as well. You can read features and reviews and see the pattern photography for free; the patterns themselves are sold as a collection of PDFs - $7.99 for all 25 in the Fall 2010 issue, for example (a great deal). Beginning with the current issue (Gifts 2010) you can also buy patterns individually. Once an issue is replaced, patterns may or may not be available (that's up to individual designers).

Knotions
Online magazine with nice selection of free patterns, including designs for men and children. Unfortunately, they have stopped publishing after just 6 issues, but the patterns remain online.

Popknits
Another online magazine with a small but interesting free pattern selection; has stopped publishing for now, but patterns remain available online.

MetaPostModern Knitting
Interesting magazine with unusually fashion-forward knitting patterns; all patterns free.

Suggest an online knitmag

 

Knitfinder pattern roundups
mostly from the blog - our picks in favorite categories

Knitfinder picks: 50 beautiful free lace shawls and stoles (April 2012)
with a variety of shapes, techniques, and difficulty levels

Wintry Trees 10 patterns in colorwork and lace (December 2011 - January 2012)

Quick gifts 2011: 50+ under 300 yards (December 2011)
Cowls, scarves and wraps  Warm hands and feet   Hats, hats, hats   For kids, and miscellany

Halloween & Day of the Dead (September 2011) - 15 fun patterns featuring skulls, spiders, bats, and the like

Striped shawls (May 2011) - more than two dozen great designs

Quick gifts 2010: 50+ under 300 yards (December 2010)
Pretty  Manly  Simple | Retro  Useful  Young folks

Quick gifts/50 under 300: 50+ patterns using 300 yards or less of yarn (December 2009)
Color   Texture   Lace   Plain and simple   Miscellaneous gems

Fabulous fingerless mitts (September 2010)
Texture   Color   Lace   Plain and simple  A few more gems