I have been noticing that certain someones on staff have a habit of repeating patterns. Not that there’s anything wrong with that. (No, really.) It just piqued my interest because I personally am not one to repeat patterns often. So, what inspires a repeat – or even a three-peat or more (coughTrudycough)? Here’s our conversation about it – and some inspiration for all our Ravelry queues, too.
I asked everyone, “What are your favorite go-to patterns? That is, what patterns do you find yourself making over and over again? If you don’t ever repeat a pattern, why not?”
Nicole
“Oddly enough, my repeat patterns all seem to be crochet. It’s strange because I’m almost always knitting. I think for knitting, I really enjoy trying something new every time. That’s probably part of why I tend to knit for myself more frequently than for other people because I don’t always like to do the same pattern twice and definitely not immediately after the other.
“As for those crochet go-to’s I mentioned, I make a lot of Slouchy Beanies by Rachael Oglesby. It’s from the ‘Crochet Boutique’ book we have at the shop and it’s just perfect. I love the slouchiness, it doesn’t feel too heavy, and it’s mindless.”
Trudy
Katherine
“When in doubt, I look for hat patterns. Sweaters and other large items are inspiring, but I like the attainable goal of a good hat pattern. I’m with Trudy – I tend to make duplicates of a pattern for someone. There is no pattern so wonderful that I need four of them hanging out, especially when there are so many great patterns waiting to be knit. That said, I’ve made five We Call Them Pirates hats, a couple of Fjord hats, and now two Bandana Cowls.”
Danielle
“I have knit Cradle Cardi and the Autumn Frock multiple times for my kid and other kiddos. Both super simple and easy to modify to make them appear a bit different.”
“I have a basic toe up sock pattern sorta in my head at this point. I use it for every pair of socks that I knit for myself.
“I’ve also knit my Beanie Hat pattern at least 50 times. And Springtime Bandit … because it is written for worsted but works just as well in fingering. I’ve done that one a few times.
“And here’s an odd one. Back before Ravelry, I knit Teva Durham’s Lace Leaf Pullover in a green angora-ish yarn. It was just too fuzzy for the leaf pattern to show up so I tossed it. I think it went to goodwill, honestly. Then a few years ago I knit the pattern again in NFC Chunky (this yarn doesn’t even exist anymore) but the color was too variegated and I’m still not happy with it. I LOVE this pattern so much that I am currently plotting a third one … out of Fiberstory ONE Bulky. The cost will be huge, but when the new shipment arrives, I think I just might have to do it because I love this sweater so much and just want one that I am happy with. It’s amazing that I am this obsessed with this pattern eight or more years later. It’s in the ‘Loop-d-Loop’ book, which was published in 2005! She was and still is one of my favorite designers.”