As we settle into the New Year, we've been reflecting on the importance of knitting with intention. For us, this means setting aside dedicated time to knit (self-care is important!), making thoughtful choices about the fibers we use, and selecting projects that we truly love and that will remain timeless in our wardrobes. We've spent the last few evenings cozied up with a cup of tea while sifting through Ravelry for inspiration, and find ourselves returning to PetiteKnit designs time and time again. 

PetiteKnit is one of the knitting community's most beloved designers, and we truly admire her ability to create garments and accessories that never seem to go out of style. 

Mette Wendelboe Okkels established PetiteKnit in 2016, and since then she has released more than 300 patterns of varying difficulty. If you're unfamiliar with her work, don't worry, we've gone ahead and rounded up our favorite sweater and accessory patterns below to inspire your next cast on. 

Lets talk about beanies first. Winter is the prime time to embrace these stylish and oh-so-functional accessories. Not only do the keep you cozy on a chilly day, beanies are also a great way to add a little pop of color to any outfit. We couldn't pick just one of PetiteKnit's hat patterns... so we picked three! Clockwise from the top left you'll find the Oslo Hat, the Weekend Hat, and the Hipster Hat.

The Oslo Hat is one of PetiteKnit's most popular beanie patterns, with over 26,000 projects log.gged on Ravelry. This cozy hat is worked from the bottom up in stockinette, and features an extra thick brim to keep your ears warm on cold days. We recommend using Knitting for Olive Merino held with Knitting for Olive Soft Silk Mohair to achieve that subtle halo. We love that the Oslo Hat pattern features baby through adult-large sizing, so you can knit one for every member of your family. 

The Weekend Hat is worked in 1x1 rib throughout. It features a wide, folded brim with double knitting worked along the fold line (to ensure that your brim stays put!). While this hat looks great holding Knitting for Olive Merino and Soft Silk Mohair together, you can also knit it with two strands of Knitting for Olive Merino for a smoother finish with no halo. 

The Hipster Hat is worked bottom up in a 2x2 rib, and features unique crown shaping for a super clean finish. The hat can be knit a bit longer to get that little “hipster top” or to a length where it fits your head snugly, whichever you prefer. The brown version featured above was knit using Knitting for Olive Heavy Merino held single, which is a great option if you don't want to knit with multiple strands held together. 

Shop KFO Merino

Shop KFO Soft Silk Mohair

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Can't decide on a single color? Choosing two different colors of Knitting for Olive Merino and marling them together can create a super fun, one-of-a-kind effect for any of the beanie patterns featured above. We recommend the colors Clover Green and Cloud if you want to work up a Weekend Hat like the one shown here. Shop KFO Merino

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Easily the most iconic accessory in the PetiteKnit collection is the Sophie Scarf (featured above, left). This versatile little scarf has a whopping 44,000 projects logged on Ravelry, and we're here to confirm that once you've knit one, you can't live without it! If you prefer a more substantial piece, then you'll want to knit the Sophie Shawl instead (featured above, right). 

When knitting our first Sophie Scarf we opted for a touch of luxury, and used Knitting for Olive Compatible Cashmere held double. This super soft, 100% cashmere feels amazing next to your skin, and is is free from chemicals and certified Oeko-Tex Standard 100. We love this scarf, and find it adds that "je ne sais quoi" to any outfit. If we're being honest, you'll probably want to knit more than one so you've got plenty of options when it comes to accessorizing this season! You'll need 2 balls of Compatible Cashmere to complete either size of the Sophie Scarf. 

The Sophie Shawl is essentially the big sibling to the Sophie Scarf, and features the same shaping and clean i-cord edges on a larger scale. While the yarn options are truly endless for this pattern, we find that Knitting for Olive Heavy Merino knits well at this gauge and creates a cozy, bouncy scarf (not to mention the Heavy Merino colors we currently have in stock are all gorgeous).

Shop KFO Compatible Cashmere

Shop KFO Heavy Merino

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If you had to knit just ONE pullover, our vote would be the No Frills Sweater; simple, yet timeless, and insanely wearable everyday of the week. Fortunately we're not limited to just one, so we've chosen a handful that check all of our boxes for a perfectly curated "me made" wardrobe - something basic, something striped, something textured, and something lightweight. 

PetiteKnit's No Frills Sweater is a fantastic first sweater project. It's worked top down in the round, and features classic raglan shaping. As is common in many PetiteKnit designs, this DK weight pattern calls for holding a fingering weight together with a lace weight silk mohair for a subtle haloed fabric (the Knitting for Olive Yarns mentioned above in our hat section would be perfect for this). We think holding 2 strands can be a bit tough if you're a newbie knitter, so we suggest knitting this out of 1 strand of a DK weight yarn like De Rerum Natura Ulysse. Ulysse is a soft, bouncy woolen spun Merino that knits up great at a variety of gauges and holds up well to regular wear. 

The Olga Sweater is the quintessential striped sweater; gently oversized with a chic silhouette that's extremely easy to wear. This sweater calls for 2 colors of a DK weight yarn, and we currently have over 30 colors of De Rerum Natura Ulysse in stock - so the striped combo possibilities are endless. If you're unsure of which colors to choose, take a peak at the 4,000 projects users have logged in Ravelry for inspiration. 

If you need something to keep you engaged while knitting, the Storm Sweater is for you. This top down, textured pullover features a variety of stitch patterns broken down into sections, and is guaranteed to keep you knitting just "one more row". Pro tip: we recommend choosing a lighter hue of Ulysse to really make the stitch definition shine!

Last on our list is the Cumulus Blouse. This simple yet stunning pullover features a lightweight fabric achieved by holding 2 strands of lace weight silk mohair together. While we currently have many silk mohair options in stock, we recommend De Rerum Natura Berenice Yarn. This unique, lace weight yarn is fluffy without being too hairy, and creates an ethereal fabric that's great for transitional months, as it's warm but not too heavy. 

Shop Ulysse Yarn

Shop Berenice Yarn

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Looking for that perfect cardigan? We vote for PetiteKnit's Eva Cardigan. Worked flat from the top down, this cardi has a slightly relaxed fit that's easy to style - just throw it over any outfit. De Rerum Natura Ulysse yarn works great for this garment as well - you just have to decide if you want something neutral, or go bold to make it the star of your wardrobe.  Shop Ulysse Yarn

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SWEATER KNITTING ESSENTIALS

Our most loved tools and notions for successful sweater knitting.

Cocoknits Maker's Board	Purl Strings
ChiaoGoo Interchangeable Needles	Cocoknits Precious Metal Stitch Markers

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