If you have a yarn stash, most of it is probably worsted. It is the yarn sold in every craft store, the weight most patterns ask for, and the one that piles up in a basket from half-finished projects and good sales. It is also the most useful weight there is: thick enough to knit up at a decent pace, thin enough to show off a cable or a texture.
Here are ten patterns written for worsted yarn, nine of them free, from a beanie that is nothing but rib to a cabled wrap that will use up a whole bag. Every pattern gets the same card, so you can compare them at a glance: who designed it, the skill it asks for, how much yarn, the sizes, the needles, how long the designer says it takes, and one honest thing to watch for before you cast on.
How these cards work. Every figure on a card comes from the designer’s own pattern page. Where a designer doesn’t say something, the card says so rather than guessing. We don’t copy designers’ photos, so click through to see each finished piece on the designer’s own page, which is also where the instructions are.
Quick picks: match the pattern to your stash
- One ball of worsted: the beginner beret, the Loyal beanie or the cable boot cuffs.
- Odds and ends in two colours: the seed stitch headband.
- Two or three balls: the Beauty cowl or one of the textured hats.
- A whole bag of one colour: the cable wrap or the Everyday Raglan sweater.
- Lots of worsted in colours that go together: hold it double for the Bamboo Forest blanket.
Before you start: what “worsted” means on these patterns
Worsted is weight 4, also called medium, on the yarn label. Aran sits right next to it, and designers often use the two names for the same yarn. On this list, Handy Little Me labels hers “worsted / aran”, and Sheep and Stitch calls the raglan’s yarn a heavy worsted. That is why the card gives the exact yarn each designer used: if you are swapping in a yarn from your stash, match its weight first, then check you have the yardage, then knit a small swatch. Our guide to yarn weights explains the numbers, and our guide to substituting yarn explains the rest.
Quick wins: an evening or two
1. Easy Seed Stitch Headband
A narrow seed stitch band only 11 stitches wide, with a contrast colour whip-stitched round the edge. The designer wrote it for anyone who has tried seed stitch and lost their place: the rows are so short you can always check where you are.
| Designer | Jessica, Mama in a Stitch |
|---|---|
| Free or paid | Free |
| Skill | Beginner (the designer's own tag) |
| Yarn weight | Worsted |
| Yarn | Two colours of worsted; she used Berroco Maya. Amount not stated by the designer |
| Size | Adult or child: you knit until it fits the head |
| Time | Not stated by the designer; she calls it a quick knit |
the page gives no length and no yardage. You knit until the band fits round the head, then sew the ends together, so have the wearer nearby or a head measurement written down.
2. “Intentional” Cable Boot Cuffs
A pair of ribbed boot toppers with one rope cable running round them, written specifically for worsted yarn. They peek out over tall boots and use far less yarn than socks.
| Designer | Jennifer, Brome Fields |
|---|---|
| Free or paid | Free on the designer's page (an ad-free PDF is optional) |
| Skill | Advanced beginner |
| Yarn weight | Worsted |
| Yarn | 90 to 100 yards for S/M, 150 to 160 yards for M/L; she suggests Lion Brand Heartland |
| Sizes | S/M (13 to 15 inch calf) and M/L (15 to 17 inch calf) |
| Needles | US 9 (5.5 mm) 9-inch circular or double-pointed needles, plus a cable needle |
| Time | Not stated by the designer |
measure round the widest part of the calf before you choose a size. If you have no 9-inch circular, the designer says a 24-inch or longer one works with magic loop.
3. Beginner Beret, Knit Flat
A slouchy beret with a 1×1 ribbed brim, knit flat on straight needles and seamed, so you never need to knit in the round. The designer says it takes around two hours, from one ball of Cascade 220.
| Designer | Louise, Handy Little Me |
|---|---|
| Free or paid | Free (an ad-free PDF is optional) |
| Skill | Basic beginner |
| Yarn weight | Worsted / aran |
| Yarn | 1 ball (100 g) of Cascade 220 |
| Size | Adult, for a head of about 22 to 24 inches |
| Needles | 4 mm (US 6) and 5 mm (US 8) straight needles |
| Time | Around two hours, per the designer |
it uses two needle sizes, the smaller one for the brim, and it is sewn up the back with mattress stitch, so leave a long tail.
4. “Loyal” Basic Beanie
A classic cuffed beanie that is nothing but 1×1 rib, round after round, with no crown shaping at all. The designer calls it an excellent TV knit, and it is: there is nothing to count once you start.
| Designer | Jennifer, Brome Fields |
|---|---|
| Free or paid | Free on the designer's page (an ad-free PDF is optional) |
| Skill | Beginner |
| Yarn weight | Worsted |
| Yarn | 135 to 145 yards; she suggests Morehouse Farm 3 Strand |
| Size | One size, 20 to 22 inch head; a slouchy style is also given |
| Needles | US 9 (5.5 mm) 16-inch circular or double-pointed needles |
| Time | Not stated by the designer |
there are no decreases. The top is closed by pulling the yarn through the live stitches, so the 13-inch length is what makes the fold-up cuff. Don't stop early.
Hats with a bit more texture
5. Seacliff Seersucker Hat
A loose, pillowy beanie with raised diamond shapes made from knits and purls and a twisted rib brim. It comes in five sizes, which is generous for a free hat.
| Designer | Kristen McDonnell, Studio Knit |
|---|---|
| Free or paid | Free on the designer's page (an ad-free PDF is optional) |
| Skill | Intermediate |
| Yarn weight | Worsted |
| Yarn | 100 (125, 150, 175, 200) yards; her samples used Cascade 220 Superwash Merino |
| Sizes | Five, for heads of 17 (19, 20, 22, 24) inches |
| Needles | US 7 (4.5 mm) 16-inch circular and double-pointed needles |
| Time | About 8 to 12 hours, per the designer |
measure the head just above the eyebrows. The designer says to go one size smaller for a snug fit.
6. Twisted Love Heart Cable Hat
A cabled beanie where the cables cross to form hearts all the way round, above a tight twisted rib. It is the showpiece of this list, and it takes its time.
| Designer | Kristen McDonnell, Studio Knit |
|---|---|
| Free or paid | Free on the designer's page (an ad-free PDF with a chart is optional) |
| Skill | Intermediate |
| Yarn weight | Worsted |
| Yarn | 220 yards |
| Size | One size, for heads of 19 to 24 inches |
| Needles | US 3 (3.25 mm) and US 8 (5 mm) 16-inch circulars, US 8 double-pointed needles, a cable needle |
| Time | 12 to 16 hours on the card; the text says 12 to 18 |
there are six different cable crosses, and the brim is worked through the back loop on a small US 3 needle. Start it with time to spare, and read the cable key before you cast on.
Bigger projects for a bigger stash
7. “Beauty” Worsted Weight Cowl
A light, roomy cowl in broken rib, which is just two rounds repeated. The designer made it for spring and autumn, when a chunky cowl is too much.
| Designer | Jennifer, Brome Fields |
|---|---|
| Free or paid | Free on the designer's page (an ad-free PDF is optional) |
| Skill | Beginner |
| Yarn weight | Worsted |
| Yarn | 280 to 290 yards; she suggests Morehouse Farm 3 Strand |
| Size | 14 inches wide by 14.5 inches tall |
| Needles | US 10 (6 mm) 24-inch circular |
| Time | Not stated by the designer |
the notes call it not reversible, but the designer also says she likes both sides and wears it either way. The pattern runs until you are about out of yarn, so the yardage really is what sets the height.
8. Cable Wrap (Outlander-Inspired)
A long garter stitch wrap with big ribbed cables, inspired by the one Claire wears in Outlander. It is the project to choose if you have a whole bag of one worsted colour.
| Designer | Louise, Handy Little Me |
|---|---|
| Free or paid | Free (an ad-free PDF is optional) |
| Skill | Intermediate |
| Yarn weight | Aran / worsted (medium 4) |
| Yarn | 10 skeins of Alize Lanagold Classic (262 yards per 100 g skein) |
| Size | 64 by 22 inches |
| Needles | 5.5 mm (US 9), on a long circular cable for the stitch count, plus a cable needle |
| Time | Not stated by the designer |
the cable crosses 24 stitches at once, which is stiff to work. The designer found a plastic cable needle easier than a metal one, and there is a video in her post showing the cross.
9. The Everyday Raglan Sweater
A plain, roomy raglan pullover that the designer calls the perfect first sweater. It is the only paid pattern on this list, and the price buys a three-page PDF plus a four-part video series of a little over two hours that walks you through it.
| Designer | Davina, Sheep and Stitch |
|---|---|
| Free or paid | Paid PDF, with video tutorials included |
| Skill | Beginner (her first-sweater pattern) |
| Yarn weight | Heavy worsted |
| Yarn | 2 (2, 2, 3, 3, 3, 3) skeins of Cascade Ecological Wool (478 yds per 250 g skein) |
| Sizes | Seven, for a 33 (35, 40, 44, 48, 51, 55) inch finished bust |
| Needles | US 10 (6 mm) 32-inch circular and double-pointed needles; US 8 (5 mm) for the ribbing is optional |
| Time | Not stated by the designer |
it is written for a heavy worsted, so swatch first. The designer's own gauge is 16 stitches to 4 inches, and the sweater has 3 inches of ease in the bust.
10. Bamboo Forest Blanket (Worsted Held Double)
A knit-and-purl blanket with raised ridges that look like bamboo stalks. It is written for bulky yarn, but the designer says worsted held double reaches the same gauge, which turns a pile of worsted into a blanket.
| Designer | Kristen McDonnell, Studio Knit |
|---|---|
| Free or paid | Free with a video on the designer's page (an ad-free PDF is optional) |
| Skill | Beginner level in the text; experienced beginner on the pattern card |
| Yarn weight | Bulky, or worsted held double, per the designer |
| Yarn | 8 skeins of Cascade 128 for the lapghan size she knit |
| Sizes | Seven, from an 18 x 26 inch stroller blanket to a 40 x 50 inch throw and up |
| Needles | US 10 (6 mm) circular, 36 inches or longer |
| Time | About 1 day 6 hours 40 minutes for the lapghan, per the pattern card |
holding two strands together uses two strands' worth of yarn, so check your stash covers it before you cast on. Start with the stroller or baby size if you are not sure.
What you’ll need
Two of these patterns were knit in the same classic worsted wool, so one good basic yarn covers a lot of this list:
- Cascade 220, the worsted behind the beret and the Seacliff hat
- 16-inch circular knitting needles for the beanies (check the size on each pattern)
- A cable needle for the boot cuffs, the heart hat and the wrap
- A tapestry needle for seaming the beret and the headband
As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases. It costs you nothing extra.
More to knit from what you have
- Have thicker yarn too? Here is what to knit with chunky yarn.
- Only one skein? Here is what to knit with one skein of yarn.
- A bag of odds and ends? Here is what to knit with leftover yarn.
- Knitting gifts? See what to knit for him and Christmas knits you can finish in one evening.
- Browse every project sorted by yarn weight.
- Crochet as well as knit? Our sister site has a whole shelf of knitting patterns at Daily Crochet.
