As the weather starts cooling down and we head into winter, many crocheters and knitters start ramping up their projects. If you’ve vowed that this is the year where you will wear your own handmade creations rather than store bought, let me share 4 tips for planning a season’s worth of wearable accessories. Oh, and in case that isn’t enough to get you inspired, I’ve also included a roundup of 36 free crochet and knitting patterns for socks, hats, scarves and cowls, shawls and wraps, and bags! Read on for more tips so you can DIY.
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4 Tips for Planning a Season’s Closet of Wearable Accessories
1) Be real about your clothing
As you think ahead to the next season, consider your own wardrobe staples. What outfits, colors, and styles do you actually wear on a regular basis? If your style is eclectic, that’s wonderful! But, if you know you’ll probably wear the same t-shirt and pair of jeans every Saturday, don’t imagine you’ll suddenly be wearing ballerina dresses this winter instead.
On the other hand, if you’ve recently lost or gained weight, switched jobs, or have had other life changes that mean it’s time to go clothes shopping, consider building some outfits around special accessories that you’d love to wear on a regular basis.
Once you have an idea of what you’ll be wearing in the next season, you can choose accessories projects to wear with those outfits.
2) Select projects
With your clothing in mind, look through patterns and choose accessories that will fit in with your lifestyle and your local climate. Some options for wearable accessories include socks, hats, scarves or cowls, shawls, and bags. (At the end of these tips, you can find 36 great pattern suggestions to get you started!) Once you have your projects chosen, you can start a shopping list of yarn and supplies you’ll need.
3) Choose colors carefully
To get the most wear out of your new handmade accessories collection, choose colors that compliment or contrast the staples in your wardrobe. While it’s tempting to choose neutral colors that (theoretically) match everything, if you prefer bold vibrant colors, this is not a good strategy. Think about not just the actual colors you like, but the type of color. Do you like bold colors or ones that are more faded? Are you a fan of jewel tones or pastels or earth tones? Do you like your outfits to coordinate or would you prefer your accessories to add a pop of color to the rest of what you’re wearing? Do you want your accessories to be solid, or would you prefer stripes, multicolor yarns, or color blocked projects?
If you’d like your handmade accessories to follow seasonal fashion trends, take a look at the latest Pantone fashion color report, which is usually available about six months in advance. Once you have a better idea of the types of colors you want to wear, you can start matching projects to yarn.
4) Start early
If you want to get the most use out of your accessories during the season, start crocheting and knitting as early as possible. This allows you to work at a reasonable pace and still finish in time to wear your creations. If you can’t get started early, or life just gets too busy, aim to finish one versatile project that you can get a lot of wear out of during the season.
36 Free Crochet and Knitting Patterns for Wearable Accessories
Now that you have a plan for making your own seasonal accessories collection, here are 36 free crochet and knitting pattern suggestions to help inspire you to get started for the fall and winter!
Socks (clockwise from top left)
- Knee High Socks by YARNUtopia (crochet)
- Easy Peasy Socks for First-Timers by FreshStitches (knitting)
- Collared Socks by Maz Kwok (crochet)
- Bubbles Down the Drain by Very Pink (knitting)
Hats (clockwise from top left)
- Grey Days Beanie by Underground Crafter (knitting)
- Cluster Stitch Hat by Underground Crafter (crochet)
- Pickles’ Practically Jogless Hat and Hand Warmers set by Little Church Knits (knitting)
- Landon Slouch and Scarf by Little Monkeys Crochet (crochet)
- Elaina’s Noggin Cover by Jessie At Home (knitting)
- Messy Bun with a Twist by Home made hats by Cheryl (crochet)
- Mayne Island Hat by Caitlin ffrench (knitting)
- 8-Bit Heart Slouchy by Whistle and Ivy (crochet)
- Simple Stockinette Hat by All About Ami (knitting)
Scarves and Cowls (clockwise from top left)
- Plaid Triangle Scarf by Whistle and Ivy (crochet)
- Regal Neapolitan Scarf by Underground Crafter (knitting)
- Linen Chunky Cowl by Highland Hickory Designs (crochet)
- Frango Sampler Scarf by Very Pink (knitting)
- Butterscotch Button Cowl by The Stitchin’ Mommy (crochet)
- Thuja cowl by Caitlin ffrench (knitting)
- Chevron Shell Scarf by Underground Crafter (crochet)
- Dragon Wing Cowl by Jessie At Home (knitting)
- Affirmations Scarf by Two of Wands (knitting)
Shawls and Wraps (clockwise from top left)
- Journey Shawl by Underground Crafter (crochet)
- Prince Wrap by Jessie At Home (knitting)
- The Olivine Ruana by Hopeful Honey (crochet)
- Doty Shawl by KT and the Squid (knitting)
- Milan Wrap by The Country Willow (crochet)
- Marching Through the Looking Glass by Jessie At Home (knitting)
- Day at the Oaks Lace Wrap by B.Hooked (crochet)
- Sargassum Shawl by Stitches’n’Scraps (crochet)
- Fights On Shawl by Grammy Dirlam for Melody’s Makings (crochet)
Bags (clockwise from top left)
- Uptown Plaid Tote Bag by Crochet for You (crochet)
- Aspen Mountain Bag by Mama in a Stitch (knitting)
- Queen B Fringe Bag by Kristin Omdahl (crochet)
- Scrap Bag by Frankie Brown (knitting)
- Tricolor Tote by Moogly (crochet)
- Minty Mandala Purse by Stitch11 (crochet)