Knitting for a woman in your life, a mum, a sister, a friend or yourself, is mostly a question of what she will actually wear. A hat she reaches for every morning beats an ambitious sweater that sits in a drawer. So this list sticks to the things that get worn: hats, a headband, mittens, cowls, scarves and one bag.
Here are ten free patterns for her, from a no-counting chunky hat to a cabled scarf that will take a few weekends. 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 size, 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 her, and to you
- You are new to knitting: the textured hat, the fingerless mittens or the basket weave cowl.
- You have one skein: the Cassandra hat or the cable mittens.
- You have odds and ends: the Celtic headband or the two-colour Swift cowl.
- She has every hat already: the Storybook tote.
- You want a showpiece and have time: the Meadow Vine scarf.
Before you start: measure, don’t guess
Two of the hats and the mittens here are written for a women’s medium, and sizes vary more than any label admits. If you can, measure her head just above the eyebrows, or her hand around the knuckles, and compare it with the finished size on the card. If the gift is a surprise, a cowl, a scarf or the tote is the safe choice, because none of them has to fit.
Hats and headbands
1. The Cassandra Cable Hat
A warm, close-fitting beanie with a ribbed brim and simple cables, topped with a pom pom. The designer wrote it as a first cable project, and the whole hat comes from one skein of bulky wool.
| Designer | Louise, Handy Little Me |
|---|---|
| Free or paid | Free (an ad-free PDF is optional) |
| Skill | Intermediate; she says it also suits an advanced beginner trying cables |
| Yarn weight | Bulky / chunky |
| Yarn | 1 skein of We Are Knitters The Petite Wool; Lion Brand Re-Spun Thick & Quick is her alternative |
| Size | Women's medium: 18 inches round and 9 inches tall, laid flat, without the pom |
| Needles | 8 mm (US 11) 16-inch circular, plus a cable needle; double-pointed needles or magic loop for the crown |
| Time | Not stated by the designer; she says it knits up quickly |
the crown gets too tight for a 16-inch circular as you decrease, so have 8 mm double-pointed needles or a longer circular for magic loop ready before you get there.
2. Favorite Textured Knit Hat
A chunky seed-texture hat with no increasing, no decreasing and no counting after the cast-on. It is a plain tube, closed at the top by pulling the yarn through the stitches, which makes it one of the easiest real hats there is.
| Designer | Jessica, Mama in a Stitch |
|---|---|
| Free or paid | Free |
| Skill | Comfortable with knit, purl and knitting in the round, per the designer |
| Yarn weight | Chunky |
| Yarn | 2 skeins of Lion Brand Woolspun Chunky in Fisherman, or similar |
| Size | About 10.25 inches across and nearly 9 inches tall |
| Needles | US 8, 16-inch circular |
| Time | Not stated by the designer |
count your cast-on carefully. The designer says it is the only time in the whole hat that you have to count, so it is the one moment to concentrate. Watch a joining tutorial first if you have never joined in the round, so there is no gap.
3. Celtic Cable Knit Headband
An ear warmer with one bold Celtic cable down the middle, four inches wide. The designer calls it a good use of leftover yarn, and it comes in four sizes from teen to adult large.
| Designer | Louise, Handy Little Me |
|---|---|
| Free or paid | Free (an ad-free PDF is optional) |
| Skill | Intermediate; she says an advanced beginner ready for cables can manage it |
| Yarn weight | DK / light worsted in the materials list |
| Yarn | 1 ball of Rowan Alpaca Soft DK |
| Sizes | Teen, adult small, medium and large: headband lengths 18 to 21 inches |
| Needles | 4 mm (US 6), plus a cable needle |
| Time | Not stated by the designer |
the intro calls for worsted weight, but the materials list says DK / light worsted and the needles are 4 mm. Follow the materials list, and pick a solid colour so the cable shows.
Something for her hands
4. Classic Cable Mittens
Thick, warm mittens with a simple cable and a ribbed cuff, from a single skein of super bulky yarn. The designer has a matching one-skein cable hat, so the two can make a set.
| Designer | Louise, Handy Little Me |
|---|---|
| Free or paid | Free (an inexpensive ad-free PDF is optional) |
| Skill | Intermediate |
| Yarn weight | Super bulky |
| Yarn | 1 skein of Lion Brand Wool-Ease Thick & Quick |
| Size | Women's medium: 8 inches round and 10 inches long including the cuff |
| Needles | 10 mm (US 15) 16-inch circular, worked with magic loop, plus a cable needle |
| Time | Not stated by the designer; she says they knit up quickly |
a 16-inch circular is too long for a mitten, so the designer works it with magic loop. If you have never tried magic loop, watch her linked tutorial first. The thumb stitches go on hold and are picked up later, too.
5. Straw Bed Fingerless Mittens
A pair of chunky wrist warmers knit flat on straight needles: a garter edge, then stockinette, then a side seam. The designer wrote them as a beginner who wanted fingerless gloves without knitting in the round.
| Designer | Jessica, Mama in a Stitch |
|---|---|
| Free or paid | Free |
| Skill | Beginner (the designer's own tag); you need to know knit and purl |
| Yarn weight | Super bulky |
| Yarn | 1 skein of super bulky yarn; she used Lion Brand Wool-Ease Thick & Quick |
| Size | Two wrist sizes, set by the cast-on; the length is up to you |
| Needles | US 17 straight needles |
| Time | Not stated by the designer |
the length is yours to choose: the designer knit about 5.5 inches of stockinette. Try one on before you cast off, and leave long tails for the seam.
Cowls and scarves
6. Swift Cowl (Two Colours)
A reversible, ribbed-looking cowl in two contrasting colours, knit in the round. The designer says the leftovers from one cowl are enough to swap the colours and make a second, which is handy if you are knitting for two people.
| Designer | Kristen McDonnell, Studio Knit |
|---|---|
| Free or paid | Free on the designer's page (an ad-free PDF and yarn kits are optional) |
| Skill | Beginner |
| Yarn weight | Bulky |
| Yarn | Colour A 80 yards, colour B 48 yards; she used Cascade 128 Superwash Merino |
| Size | 7.5 inches tall by 24 inches round |
| Needles | US 10 (6 mm) circular |
| Time | About 6 hours 40 minutes in total, per the designer |
the page gives two needle lengths, 24 inches in one place and 36 inches on the printable card. Either way, make sure your cast-on isn't twisted before you join the round.
7. Chunky Basket Weave Cowl
A cropped cowl worn off the shoulder, knit flat in a squishy basket weave and sewn into a loop. The designer gives two versions: a plain beginner one, and an advanced-beginner one with a neater edge.
| Designer | Jennifer, Brome Fields |
|---|---|
| Free or paid | Free on the designer's page (an ad-free PDF is optional) |
| Skill | Beginner, or advanced beginner for the edged version |
| Yarn weight | Super bulky |
| Yarn | 170 to 180 yards, about 2 skeins; she suggests Lion Brand Wool-Ease Thick & Quick |
| Size | 13 by 30 inches before seaming; one size, easy to change |
| Needles | US 13 (9 mm) straight needles |
| Time | Not stated by the designer; she calls it a last-minute knit |
it is knit flat and seamed, so leave a long tail. The designer prefers whip stitch for the seam, because kitchener stitch looks seamless but adds bulk in yarn this thick.
8. “Stewardship” Herringbone Twill Scarf
A long scarf in a chevron stitch that looks the same on both sides, with a video tutorial. The designer seamed the ends of hers to wear it as an infinity scarf, so it doubles as a cowl.
| Designer | Jennifer, Brome Fields |
|---|---|
| Free or paid | Free on the designer's page (an ad-free PDF is optional) |
| Skill | Advanced beginner on the card; she also calls the stitch definitely advanced |
| Yarn weight | Super bulky |
| Yarn | 240 to 250 yards; she used 2 skeins and suggests Cascade Magnum |
| Size | 7.25 by 82 inches |
| Needles | US 19 (15 mm) |
| Time | Not stated by the designer |
this is a tight stitch. The designer went up to US 19 needles from the US 15 to 17 her yarn asked for, and still describes her own knitting as a little loose. Swatch before you commit.
9. Meadow Vine Reversible Cable Scarf
Five columns of interlocking rope cables over 2×2 rib, so both sides of the scarf look the same. It is the showpiece of this list for a knitter who already enjoys cables, and it comes with a chart and a video.
| Designer | Kristen McDonnell, Studio Knit |
|---|---|
| Free or paid | Free on the designer's page (an ad-free PDF is optional) |
| Skill | Intermediate |
| Yarn weight | Bulky |
| Yarn | 400 to 440 yards; she suggests 4 skeins of Malabrigo Chunky |
| Size | 7 by 76 inches after blocking |
| Needles | US 10.5 (6.5 mm), plus a cable needle |
| Time | About 24 to 32 hours, per the designer |
this is the longest project here, so start it early if it is a gift. The designer says you can make it shorter or narrower to finish faster.
Something to carry
10. “Storybook” Linen Stitch Tote
A sturdy book bag in linen stitch, which makes a dense, woven-looking fabric that holds its shape under a stack of books. Leather straps clip on to metal key rings, so it looks bought rather than handmade.
| Designer | Jennifer, Brome Fields |
|---|---|
| Free or paid | Free on the designer's page (an ad-free PDF is optional) |
| Skill | Advanced beginner |
| Yarn weight | Super bulky |
| Yarn | 148 to 158 yards; she suggests Lion Brand Re-Spun Thick & Quick |
| Size | 12 by 13 inches |
| Needles | US 11 (8 mm) circular, 24 inches or longer, used flat |
| Time | Not stated by the designer |
you need hardware as well as yarn: two 24-inch leather purse straps and four 25 mm key rings. Order them before you start, so the bag isn't sitting finished without handles.
What you’ll need
Most of this list is chunky or super bulky, and three of the patterns use the same super bulky yarn, so one good basic covers a lot of it:
- Lion Brand Wool-Ease Thick & Quick, the yarn behind the cable mittens, the fingerless mittens and the basket weave cowl
- 16-inch circular knitting needles for the hats (check the size on each pattern)
- A cable needle for the Cassandra hat, the headband, the mittens and the Meadow Vine scarf
- Leather purse straps for the Storybook tote (check the length on the pattern)
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More to knit for the people you love
- Knitting for him too? Here is what to knit for him.
- A baby on the way? Here is what to knit for a baby.
- Short on time before Christmas? See Christmas knits you can finish in one evening and quick knitted gifts for a weekend.
- Got a basket of chunky yarn? Here is what to knit with chunky yarn.
- Browse every project sorted by who it’s for.
- Crochet as well as knit? Our sister site has a whole shelf of knitting patterns at Daily Crochet.
