When it comes to knitting, often, people think of adult scarves, shawls, and sweaters. Although there are hundreds of incredible clothing, gifts, and home design knitted items that adults enjoy, knitting can also be used to make things for kids. In fact, knitting stitch patterns used for children’s projects has become quite popular. Not only is this an excellent way to save money but knitting also provides the opportunity to be creative.
Because there are so many possibilities, we wanted to share some ideas that might be considered. As with all knitting projects, some are perfect for a beginner and others are geared toward someone with years of experience. Of course, it would be imperative to choose a project according to skill, which would make it more enjoyable but also result in a great product.
Projects for Children
Most people are amazed after learning about all the different projects that can be knitted for children. Because of this, we listed some examples below but keep in mind there are hundreds more that a person might consider.
- Activity Blanket
- Baby Building Blocks
- Baby Layette
- Back to School Pouch
- Bath Slippers
- Checkerboard Game Pillow
- Clothing
- Crib Afghan
- Finger Puppets
- Girl’s Mini-Purse
- Marble Bag
- Nap Pillows
- Play Balls
- Sock Puppets
- Stuffed Animals
- Toddler Socks
- Wall Mural
Actual knitting stitch patterns would of course be unique to the project but because there is such a vast selection, an individual would have multiple options based on current skill level. In addition, different level patterns can be found for the same knitted item. As an example, there are knitting patterns for toys that would accommodate a beginner or advanced knitter. Following is a wonderful children’s project to get started with.
Baby Finger Puppets
I felt this was a great example because knitted finger puppets are inexpensive and easy to make, fun to play with, and there are many different possibilities. For instance, barnyard animals are loved by babies and toddlers, making them a great project. The following are the instructions for making an adorable pig finger puppet.
Of course, for a pig, pink would be the obvious choice but a person could switch it up by choosing a different color if wanted. For this, 12 rows of the Stockinette stitch would be completed while making sure stitches end on the wrong side row. These stitches include the following:
Snout:
- Row One – On the right side, 10 stitches would be knitted and then the work turned
- Row Two – Slip 1 stitch, purl 3, turn
- Row Three – Slip 1, knit 3, turn
- Row Four – Slip 1, purl 3, turn
- Row Five – Slip 1, knit to the end of the row
- Five additional rows would be completed in the Stockinette stitch
Head:
- Row One – On the right side, knit 1, (knit together) 7 times for a total of 8 stitches
- Row Two – Purl
- Row Three – Knit 2 together 4 times for a total of 4 stitches
- It is important that 6 inches of yarn be cut for the pig’s tail. To complete this, the tail would be thread through a tapestry needle and then pulled through the last four stitches to help close the top of the head
Ears:
- To make the pig’s ears, again pink yarn would be used to cast on 5 stitches. The following would be completed twice, one for each ear.
- Row One – Slip, slip, knit (decrease), knit 1, knit 2 together for a total of 3 stitches
- Row Two – Purl 3 together, followed by cutting the yarn and pulling it through the last stitch left
Nose and Eyes:
- The pink yarn would now be traded for black yarn that would be threaded onto a tapestry needle.
- Next, 2 straight lines would be embroidered to about a single stitch length for each nostril.
- Then for the eyes, 2 exact stitches would be completed in the appropriate place on the pig’s face.
Final Touches – Going back to pink yarn on a tapestry needle, the back seam would be closed. For this, the finger puppet would be folded in half and a mattress stitch used. We also recommend stitching the ears securely in place.
As mentioned, when it comes to knitting stitch patterns there is a multitude of options and for all levels of knitters. However, many are relatively easy, which is why so many of the knitting stitch patterns for children are such a good choice.
There’s a video over here for knitting cute pumpkins, as well as a section for knitted costumes.