Pattern Scout
Rounding Up the Bases
Have you ever wanted to knit a garment, but the pattern isn’t quite what you’d envisioned? Maybe you just want a dang ruffled short with some fish colorwork to exist? Listen to your dreams!
Here are a few great patterns that will be the perfect base for multiple iterations of whatever creative embellishment you’re feeling.
Louvre Sweater by PetiteKnit
One of the great things about PetiteKnit is how many of her designs are the perfect mix of easy elegance and a great fit. I gravitate towards a wider, slightly cropped silhouette—something wider than my hips that sits just below my natural waist. Extra points if there’s a high-low hem.
If that’s not your preference, PetiteKnit offers so many other types of fits—body-skimming blouses, midi-length sweaters, flouncy pullovers. If the Louvre Sweater doesn’t provide the base you need, I’m fairly certain you’ll find something in her library that is just what you’re looking for.
Light Summer Shorts by Holly C. Watson
I’ve been dying to make a pair of shorts since I knitted my Robinia Sweater last year. It just screams for a matching set of bottoms. A replica of the colorwork would be so much fun—but imagine a pair of shorts with marine life intarsia’d across the legs. I’m talking about crabs, fish, shells, and whales.
Like these, maybe?
If you remember, the Robinia Sweater was my love letter to a mystical Maine, which I’m finally going to visit for the first time this Winter. These shorts are the perfect base to complete my ultimate sea-life masterpiece. I would, of course, adjust the shorts to be Bermuda length to lean into the ocean vibes even more.
Eun Sweater by Ane Fiskum Sunde
When I first spotted this pattern on Ravelry, I stopped dead in my tracks. Show me a split hem, and I’ll show you my lifelong loyalty. As a girl growing up in the ’90s, one of my biggest struggles with fit was my hips. The 90s did not like hips, thus began my strong distaste for any top that was too long because it would hug the place-that-the-90s-shall-not-name. I realized along the way that a split side seam solved the hip-hug.
I also love Sunde’s exaggerated ribbing on the bottom half of the bodice. The texture is so pleasing—a bit of visual interest if you want to keep things simple with color.
I have not kept things simple with the color
However, being the human I am, I decided this was the perfect base for a scrappy sweater, which was one of my projects over the last Christmas holiday. I adore how it looks, although I still need to bind off the second sleeve hem. So, check in with me in about 6-8 months for that.
An Honorable Mention
A few years ago, contributor Allison Volek Shelton used the Terrazzo Neck pattern from PetiteKnit to customize a round of dickies for some of us here at MDK. Each dickie had an image that was personal to the receiver. Mine was a lobster. Anyone spot a theme?
What are your go-to base patterns?
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I love this post, and your skill at writing! A split at the hip- yes! A split hem- yes! I saw you wearing a T-shirt at Nash Fest that you did that to, and I knew you were my hero! I have a Petite Knit pattern on the needles now, and may incorporate both features into it. Thanks for the inspiration!
Great column! Fun, easy read! Your pics explain how to use the pattern cards I purchased at Yarn Fest! I love the sweater patterns!
Love the Eun sweater! Thank you, Ashley!
Maine is beautiful! You’ll be going from warmish Nashville to very cold Maine in winter. Even a Bermuda length wooly knit pair of shorts in a Maine winter makes me shiver. I’d have to have long underwear with leg warmers under those shorts and a down coat to top it off :-))) But I’m sure there will be those wearing shorts & T’s too, something I marvel at when I’m bundled against the cold. Looking forward to hearing about your adventures there!
MDK’s Old Friend sweater has a similar vibe to the Eun sweater you posted above. I’ve made that one a couple of times. I’ve done the Love Note sweater by Tin Can Knits a bunch of times with varying fibers and sleeve/body lengths. Dinos On Holiday is a great top down fair isle pattern/recipe that can be used as a base for many patterns. Anything by Elizabeth Zimmerman is great. I’ve done a bunch of Alice Starmore a few times. If you really like a pattern, you will go back to it again. Maybe not right away, but in the future.
Great ideas! You might want to accessorize those shorts with leggings in Maine, even in the summer! I’m sure you can find lobster print leggings…
I love everything about your column, but, dang if you don’t “get me” with the sleeve bind off check in comment! Looking forward to more of your writing.
I love that lobster! What a sweet gift from Allison, thanks for sharing, all of your ideas.
Now that I FINALLY have a home for all of my yarns, knitting books, binders of patterns and a place to keep the ironing board up at all times, maybe I’ll find all of the rest of my life. PEACE=ORGANIZATION.
This move interfered with my trip to Nashville but so did my health.
And MAINE is beyond beautiful ! I did a 100 mile bike ride up the Coast and back down the Coast to raise money for The Leukemia Society and after having trained at altitude, in Colorado our team had an easier time of it.
Halcyon Fibers is owned by Halcyon who is from Denver originally but why go in the Winter ?