Thursday, March 1, 2012

Search for Free Owl Knitting Patterns

Last December I received an email from a faithful reader:
"I subscribe to your blog, and I was wondering if you have any patterns for owls. Please let me know; I have a friend who adores them; I would like to make something for her that has an owl on it."
I don't have any owl designs myself, but this email got me thinking. I have seen many great owl knitting patterns (over 500 exist!), both toys and hats with owl cables on them. Here you will find the results of my search for all things owl (knit). I am planning to include projects with Owl Cables, toy knit owls, and owl knitting charts in my search.


Patterns featuring Owl Cables - Making little owls with cables is a lot of fun. You can add eyes to these owls by sewing on buttons or seed beads.
  • Owl-Orimetry - This headband features the little owl cables, finished with a duplicate stitch beak and bead eyes.
  • Owl Baby Vest - This is a child's baby vest with owl cable figures going across the chest. On the Ravelry page you can see an image where one of the owls was embroidered onto the vest. This is absolutely stunning and I would love to make this when my friends start having babies! You can download this pattern for free on Ravelry.com.
  • Owl Coffee Cup Cozy - This version of the owl cable features googly eyes. What a fun and cute way to keep your coffee warm (and protect your hand!)
  • Owl cell phone cover - A simple ribbed cozy for your cell phone with owl cables near the opening. This is a good example if you want to see what the owl cables look like without eyes (althouth you can certainly add them!)
  • Owl Kindle Case - A cabeled Kindle case featuring a single owl on each side (or at leaset on the one side that I can see in the picture.) This pattern is available for free on a Ravelry project page, no download is required.
  • Owl Ear Warmer - This cute headband features two owl cables with tiny button eyes.
  • Owl Mitts - Fingerless mitts featuring a single cabled owl on the back of your hand. You can download this pattern for free on Ravelry.com.
  • Owl Knee Socks - Owl cables run up the front of these socks, from knee to toe! You can download this pattern for free on Ravelry.com.
  • Owl Hat - A ring of owl cables run around before crown decreases of the hat
  • Owl Travel Mug Cozy - A coffee Cozy with a single cabled owl.
  • Ho(o)t Coffee - A coffee mug cozy that has buttons on the side so you can attach it to a coffee mug with a handle. You can download this pattern for free on Ravelry.com.
  • Owl bookmark with tassel - a single owl cable with a long tassle makes a cute little bookmark. I think this would be an excellet stocking stuffer.
  • Owl Booties - baby booties that contain owl cables on the top of the foot and around the cuff. Held on with an icord tie. You can download this pattern for free on Ravelry.com.
  • Who? - A hat with cabled owls around the brim. I will not be able to share every verison of owl cables hat that is out there, but there are many variations of this theme.
  • Owl Mittens - full mittens with a single cabled owl on the back of the hand. You can download this pattern for free on Ravelry.com.
  • Owlings - Fingerless mitts with little owl cables around the cuff and right before the fingers. Author's note: Ignore the coming soon sign and the $0.01 price, click on the PDF link for free download.
  • Owlie Socks - Socks with owl cables on the top and sides. So cute! You can download this pattern for free on Ravelry.com.
  • Flappy - An earflap hat with owl cables around the brim. You can download this pattern for free on Ravelry.com.
  • Owlet Beanie (newborn size) - make a baby hat with a single owl cable for your little one. Available as a google doc file.

Toy Owl Knitting Patterns
  • Owl Knitting Pattern, Tutorial - I am not sure why the pattern calls itself a tutorial, as there are no step by step photos of the construction. The owl features needle felted eyes and is knit in the round. Simple, and VERY cute!
  • Owl Puffs - With a beaded eye and embroidered beak, these tiny beanbag-like owls are super cute. You can download this pattern for free on Ravelry.com.
  • Big Snowy Owl - I like that the texture on the body of the owl gives it the appearance of feathers. The pattern includes fantastic photos to walk you through the project.
  • Owl Beanbag - This pattern is a little creapy, the owl face ont he beanbag looks almost skull-like (but this could be because of the red and while color choice.) You can download this pattern for free on Ravelry.com.
  • Oisin Owl - A three dimensional toy aran owl. You can download this pattern for free on Ravelry.com.
  • Ulule Owl - A little bitty owl (amigurumi shaped) with huge colorwork eyes. You can download this pattern for free on Ravelry.com.
  • Wise Owl Toy - features crochet eyes and a bow tie. You will need a free LionBrand account to access this pattern.
  • Sleepy Owl Cushion - There are some crochet owl semicircular "feathers" that make this pattern extraordinary
  • Baby Owl - a fun, cute little knit owl toy.
  • Contemplative Little Owl - Shared as a google doc.
  • Pigwidgeon: the wee tiny owl - So fun and a really simple knit.

Owl Clothing Knitting Patterns
  • Owl Cowl & Neckwarmer - This is a cabled cowl, but not not contain the famous owl cable. The cables on this cowl are the eyel head, ears and eyes (represented with beads.)
  • Owl Hat Pattern - This is an amazing earflap hat, the earflaps are like wings! The eyes of this owl are crochet.
  • Owl wrist Warmers - These fingerless mitts feature small adorable colorwork owls around the cuff.
  • Convertible Owl Mittens - Standed colorwork mittens with a patterned owl on the back. These are convertible mittesn so you can open up the flip top. You can download this pattern for free on Ravelry.com.
  • Baby Owl Hat - A square shaped hat with tassels on the upper corners. It looks like the eyes are made from felt and then sewn onto the hat. SO CUTE!
  • Queen Owl Mittens - The brillian mitten design features a colorwork owl that spans over both hands. When you hold your hands side by side you can view the entire owl. You can download this pattern for free on Ravelry.com.
  • Felted Owl Pincushion Wristband - Brilliant! I always need pins closeby when I'm blocking projects, and this way I wouldn't need waste a hand on a pincushion. You can download this pattern for free on Ravelry.com.
  • Hedwig Illusion Pattern - Make and illusion owl. You could easily incorporate this into a scarf knitting pattern.

Owl Themed Knitting Charts
  • Owl wrist Warmers - These fingerless mitts feature small adorable colorwork owls around the cuff. I am including this in the colorwork section because you can use these little owls in other projects, too.
  • Owl in a Row - Little charted owls, shown in two orientations so you can easily use it in your project.
  • Owl Knitting Chart - What fun! This slightly larger owl knitting chart was designed by my friend Craftyville.
  • Sweet Little Owl Chart - I think the title says it all! You can download this pattern for free on Ravelry.com.
  • Barn Owl Chart - the pattern page also features a wolf knitting chart.
  • Owl Chart - You can download this pattern for free on Ravelry.com
  • Owls & Flowers Chart - A fun owly design. You can download this pattern for free on Ravelry.com

I want all of my readers to know that I take every comment and suggestion into consideration. Lilian, I know you likely have knit your owl project already, but you inspired this pattern search. Thank you for reading ChemKnits.