Celebrating America's 250th! [Free Patriotic Knitting Pattern]
- Infiniti
- 24 minutes ago
- 8 min read
Good day, Crafties!
** Started April 14th, 2024.
Finally, the mythical Independence Day knitting project has materialized! Can I just say, this took a LONG time to get finished but I am elated to share this with y'all for free ('MURICA!) today. ... I'm sorry 🤣.
I know I'm releasing this pattern at an odd time but that's to account for the amount of time you'll potentially need to make this! Over the years, I've made a many patriotic garments and accessories for the 4th of July and initially, this was supposed to be a redesign for one that I made in 2021. However, this project turned into a long knitting project full of reflection and gratitude during a rough period of life. As I drew closer to finishing this cardigan, I realized there was a sweet irony in that I live in such a place and time where my struggles weren't life or death. Of course that is all due to the goodness of God that I was afforded peace beyond all understanding at that time.
The thousands of stitches in this cardigan are reflective of the months of contemplation, prayer and gratitude that ultimately lead to something awesome. And if that's not America in a nutshell, I don't know what is!
Anyhoo, I hope you'll enjoy this simple, free patriotic knitting pattern from my craftroom to yours.
Please share this design with anyone else who may want to make it. Tag me on IG & Tiktok @infiniticraftingco with your wips!
Happy Making! 🇺🇸❤️
Celebrating America's 250th! [Free Patriotic Knitting Pattern]
Before you make it!
I design all garment projects with US sizes in mind. This is a kimono style cardigan, which by nature is meant to be oversized. The math provided in this pattern offers size recommendations in steps. So the S/M math will fit those sizes but may also accommodate a smaller US size L. This depends on the fit you desire. If you want more drape, knit within your size range.
My sample is for the L/XL range. I have a 53" bust and this garment has plenty of room. It can be styled with belts or ties of my choosing if I want to bring it in more. It can also be worn by someone who is in the 2XL/3XL size as a normal style cardigan, rather than a kimono.
Materials
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The Yarn
The yarn I am using for this project is a discontinued one from Hobbii called Cotton Kings Twirls Nation in the color Washington D.C. It went out of production about 3 years ago and has been sitting in the stash waiting for its moment to shine!
Here's the details on it:
Fiber: 100% Cotton
Length: 800m/ 874yds
Weight: 200g/ 7oz
CYC: 2
Knitting Gauge: 2.5 - 3mm, US 2-4. 10x10cm - 25 sts x 34sts
In my project, 1 cake = 11 inches of fabric
In the time since I started writing this post, I've done some digging for you and finally found a shop that sells a similar substitute! Then that shop closed down a couple of months before the publishing of this post.
Oh the drama!
This new shop is Rena's Thread & Crafts! The yarn that mimics the one I'm using is called Freedom; the version you want to order is with the red in the center. Alternatively, you could use their colorway, Liberty, which is a lighter colored version of Freedom.
You'll need about 3 cakes.
The Needles
I'm using my handy ChiaoGoo Red Lace Circular 60 inch (152cm) Stainless Steel Knitting Needles in the size Size US 2 (2.75mm).
For the front panels I'm using the 40 inch (100 cm) circulars in the same size.
1.6 - 2.0mm crochet hook (for corrections and seaming)
Scissors
Yarn Needle
Stitch Markers
Abbreviations
RS - Right Side
WS - Wrong Side
K - knit
K2tog - knit 2 sts together
K3tog - knit 3 sts together
K1f&b - knit 1 front and back
P - purl
P2tog - purl 2 sts together
Pattern:
The Free Patriotic Knitting Pattern
Back Panel
Cast on in multiples of 25
For my sample, I cast on 225
S/M - 100 sts
L/XL - 125 sts
2XL/3XL - 225 sts
Base Triangles
*Row 1(WS): P2 sts, turn.
Row 2 (RS): K2 sts, turn.
Row 3: P3 sts, turn.
Row 4: K3 sts, turn.
Row 5: P4 sts, turn.
Row 6: K4 sts, turn.
Row 7: P5, do not turn.
Repeat from * along the width of your project.
Right-Hand Corner Triangle
Row 1: (RS) K2 sts, turn.
Row 2: (WS) P2 sts, turn.
Row 3: K1f&b in first st, ssk, turn.
Row 4: P3, turn.
Row 5: K1f&b, k1, ssk, turn.
Row 6: P4, turn.
Row 7: K1f&b, k2, ssk, do not turn.
Leave these sts on right hand needle.
Right Side Rectangles
*Pick-up Row (RS): Pick up and knit (k) 5 sts along edge of next triangle/rectangle, turn.
Row 1: (WS) P5, turn.
Row 2: K4, ssk, turn.
Row 3 - 10: Repeat rows 1 & 2. Do not turn at the end of the final row. Rep from * across row.
Left-Hand Corner Triangle
*Pick-up Row (RS): Pick up and knit 5 sts along edge of the final triangle, turn.
Row 1: P2tog, P3, turn.
Row 2: K4, turn.
Row 3: P2tog, P2, turn.
Row 4: K3, turn.
Row 5: P2tog, P1, turn.
Row 6: K2, turn.
Row 7: P2tog. Do not turn, this single stitch will remain on the right hand needle.
Wrong Side Rectangles
Pick-up Row: Pick up and purl (p) 4 sts along the edge of the triangle, turn.
*Row 1: K5, turn.
Row 2: P4, P2tog, turn.
Rows 3 - 10 : Repeat Rows 1 & 2.
Do Not Turn! Repeat from * for the width of your project.
End Triangles
You should end up on the right side of your project.
Pick up and K5 sts along the edge of the triangle just worked.
6 sts on the RH needle.
Row 1 (WS): P6, turn.
Row 2: K2tog, K3, K2tog, turn.
Row 3: P5, turn.
Row 4: K2tog, K2, K2tog, turn.
Row 5: P4, turn.
Row 6: K2tog, K1 K2tog, turn.
Row 7: P3, turn.
Row 8: K2tog, K2tog, turn.
Row 9: P2, turn.
Row 10: K3tog.
Repeat from beginning across the bind off row.
We have a couple of options here for the front panels.
Option 1: Pick up and purl 125 sts from either corner and create 25 base triangles if following this pattern to the letter. Follow the entrelac pattern for the full length of the back panel.
Option 2: Cast on 125 sts, and create panels separately. You'll then sew them to the back panel later.
To match the sides, you'll end up separating your cakes, winding them into separate balls to knit from.
Front Panels (Make 2):
For my back panel, I cast on 225 sts. This gave me 45 triangles/rectangles. We have a couple of options here.
The first would be to cast on 100 sts for each panel to have 20 triangles/rectangles.
The other (which I chose to do) is to look at the number of triangles/rectangles we have on the back panel and find the center of that number. In my case it was easy to know I should have 5 rectangles to make out the neck hole. After outlining this space with stitch markers, I decided that I'd need a little extra space there so I moved my markers over one triangle on each side.
So I ended up casting on 95 sts for a total of 19 triangles/rectangles. From here, we can start knitting a panel of entrelac.
S/M - 45-50 sts
L/XL - 50-55 sts
2XL/3XL - 95-100 sts
This is also where you want to do a little planning. For my project, I preferred to have the red at the top because...well red, white & blue! Also, that is the center pull on my cake so it just made sense.
If you've experienced my Genesis Top pattern and tutorial, you're familiar with my method of separating color transitions. Note the number of rows for each color that comes up so that you can color match as closely as possible.
Or don't lol. Some people prefer a little color chaos and that's just as well.
I started knitting in red and continued for 6 rows to match my back panel.
Base Triangles
*Row 1(WS): P2 sts, turn.
Row 2 (RS): K2 sts, turn.
Row 3: P3 sts, turn.
Row 4: K3 sts, turn.
Row 5: P4 sts, turn.
Row 6: K4 sts, turn.
Row 7: P5, do not turn.
Repeat from * along the width of your project.
Right-Hand Corner Triangle
Row 1: (RS) K2 sts, turn.
Row 2: (WS) P2 sts, turn.
Row 3: K1f&b in first st, ssk, turn.
Row 4: P3, turn.
Row 5: K1f&b, k1, ssk, turn.
Row 6: P4, turn.
Row 7: K1f&b, k2, ssk, do not turn.
Leave these sts on right hand needle.
Right Side Rectangles
*Pick-up Row (RS): Pick up and knit (k) 5 sts along edge of next triangle/rectangle, turn.
Row 1: (WS) P5, turn.
Row 2: K4, ssk, turn.
Row 3 - 10: Repeat rows 1 & 2. Do not turn at the end of the final row. Rep from * across row.
Left-Hand Corner Triangle
*Pick-up Row (RS): Pick up and knit 5 sts along edge of the final triangle, turn.
Row 1: P2tog, P3, turn.
Row 2: K4, turn.
Row 3: P2tog, P2, turn.
Row 4: K3, turn.
Row 5: P2tog, P1, turn.
Row 6: K2, turn.
Row 7: P2tog. Do not turn, this single stitch will remain on the right hand needle.
Wrong Side Rectangles
Pick-up Row: Pick up and purl (p) 4 sts along the edge of the triangle, turn.
*Row 1: K5, turn.
Row 2: P4, P2tog, turn.
Rows 3 - 10 : Repeat Rows 1 & 2.
Do Not Turn! Repeat from * for the width of your project.
End Triangles
You should end up on the right side of your project.
Pick up and K5 sts along the edge of the triangle just worked.
6 sts on the RH needle.
Row 1 (WS): P6, turn.
Row 2: K2tog, K3, K2tog, turn.
Row 3: P5, turn.
Row 4: K2tog, K2, K2tog, turn.
Row 5: P4, turn.
Row 6: K2tog, K1 K2tog, turn.
Row 7: P3, turn.
Row 8: K2tog, K2tog, turn.
Row 9: P2, turn.
Row 10: K3tog.
Repeat from beginning across the bind off row.
Construction
Alright! Now that we've knit all our panels, we want to line them up according to the color we want to flow from top down. In my sample, I wanted red at the top.
You can either sew or crochet the top seam for the front panels to the back panel. Lay the back panel front side up.
Line up the sides of the front panels to either side of the the back panel and lay the front panels wrong side up before sewing them together at the tops.
The Cuffs
Working on the right side, pick up an odd number around the opening.
We'll be working a 1x1 rib here for 15 rows.
The Hem & Collar (optional)
On my kimono, I wanted a nice finish that mirrored the cuffs. This ended up being a massive ontaking that I tackled in two parts. First, I laid out my garment and identified the front of the piece. This part included both front panels and the area around the neck. That whole section, I
called the collar. I picked up and knit around that part with my 60 inch circulars.
The number of stitches you'll pick up will vary depending on the size garment you knit. For my sample, I picked up 281 sts. I knit a simple 1x1 rib for 15 rows.
Celebrating America's 250th! [Free Patriotic
For the hem, I picked up and knit a whopping 626 sts. I've no idea how I ended up with the weird number but that was, alas, my fate after 3 recounts. Again, I knit 15 rows of a 1 x 1 cast on. This part was simple but a little tedious but I think it was worth it for the finished look I accomplished.
After casting off with the elastic bind off, I sewed together the open edges to make the ribbing look like one piece. Obviously, if I would have attempted this in one go, I'd have ended up casting on a total of 907 sts...and that seemed a bit much. 😅
For the Knitting Pattern]
Weave in all ends and enjoy your new garment!
If you liked this pattern, please don't forget to share this post! One share = 1 eagle screech.
Happy Making!
