If I had no other obligations — and if I hadn’t wrecked my wrists a few years back — I would knit all the time; literally fall asleep knitting at night and pick it up as soon as I woke in the morning. (In this scenario I would also have maidens to feed me so I would not have to take any breaks to eat.) But because I don’t live in a fantasy, I mostly knit while watching TV, and in my opinion the current crop of superhero shows are great to knit to. It also seems as though there is a new superhero movie coming out every other week — maybe someday I will actually work up the nerve to knit in the movie theater. The following knitting patterns pair perfectly with some of my favorite shows and my favorite superheroes:
Sure, this amazing sweater is designed for Robin Hood, not Green Arrow, but let’s be real: they dress pretty much the same. And you could knit this in red for a Speedy/Arsenal hoodie! No matter who you make it for, those cables are swoon-worthy.
These socks are patterned to resemble chain lightning, and are made with DK weight yarn, so they should knit up fairly quickly. I love them so much I have already cast on a pair.
The shawl itself is in the shape of Barry’s symbol. I mean, come on. It’s amazing.
This one is just for the crocheters — an amigurumi Kara.
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There’s a publicity shot of Jessica in a hand-knitted scarf or cowl that had some knitters looking for a similar pattern. This lovely cowl is based on it, with a stitch pattern that creates texture and gives an amazing depth to the hand-dyed yarn used in the sample.
Agent Carter has wonderful vintage styles that make me swoon. This stunning 1940s-style hat is knitted with short rows and hand-felted to achieve its distinctive shape. I can totally picture this on Peggy!
So many great characters show up here that it was hard to choose, but ultimately I had to go with the “Wa na na na na na na na Bat Shawl!”…even if its name is a bit more evocative of 1966 Batman.
I love this shield chart, which I believe would work for knitting or crochet. I can imagine using it on anything from a sweater to an actual shield (I bet a knitted cover would work nicely on a toy shield?).
While part of me feels that any green slippers could be Hulk slippers, these are especially great. My favorite Hulk is She-Hulk — can you imagine Jennifer relaxing in these slippers after a long day of lawyering?
Black Widow #1 and #2
Because Natasha is my favorite Avenger, it was difficult to choose a pattern that seemed worthy of her…so how about a black widow spider? These two patterns are nearly identical, realistic, and awesome. One for the knitters, one for the crocheters.
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I LOVE this one. In some ways Mjolner is almost its own character, so why not knit yourself a Thor sweater featuring the great hammer?
Happy knitting and happy watching!
Love this! I’ve already added these patterns to my Ravelry library.
I would also like to point out the existence of the Captain America hoodie pattern! I made one sans hood and am very satisfied with the results.
I wonder about those DK-weight socks. I tried knitting a pair of socks recently and they came out fairly well except for the fact that they hurt like i’m walking on gravel. I thought it was because I used a yarn weight slightly bigger than “lace” (I think it was “sock weight” or something, not fingering but not sport) and the stitches were too big. Is it actually the yarn that makes the difference, then, if there’s DK-weight socks out there?
I’ve knit DK-weight socks and found them very comfortable. They’re too thick to be worn as regular socks, but for wearing around the house or under winter boots they’re excellent. (I used Patons DK Superwash, for what it’s worth.)
See, that’s what I was hoping with my socks – I wanted to make my first pair, and I did and they’re fairly soft to my hands, so great for going around the house. Even the “sock weight” was too thick for me to wear with actual shoes. They were torturous, though, and I don’t know why. either the stitches themselves (~autism~ and ultra-sensitive to textures) or the yarn was all wrong, but I’m allergic to wool and can’t knit with it.
Ah, maybe I’ll pull out my sport-weight ultra-soft cotton and see if it does any better than the cotton-acrylic blend.
It might be a matter of getting used to handknit socks, which do feel different from storebought socks. (Though that might be more difficult if you have autism-related sensitivities.) It might also be that you need to send the socks through the laundry a few times to soften them up; there are some yarns that feel really stiff at first, but once I launder them they become much more comfortable. If you’re using a cotton-acrylic blend, then laundering them to soften them is extra-important because cotton can be really rough otherwise.
I wish you good luck in your knitting endeavors!
Thank you!
I can try sticking them in with the extra Downy load, too, but it might be the cotton as sausagedog suggested. 🙂
I think the cotton may actually have been your issue? I was just talking about this with my boyfriend– he says that serious hikers never wear cotton socks because of the “gravelly” feeling you describe. Looks like the suggested yarn is wool/mohair, so that could work out better.
Thank you!
I avoided the cheaper 100% cotton from the baby yarns because I know they always end up being rough (and the Sugar & Cream yarn is awful), and also acrylic or nylon are blended with wool to make sturdier sock yarns. But the knitted up socks are pretty silky, so that left me wondering if it’s the stitches. If it’s just the nature of cotton to be rougher on your feet, that could be it. I’ll avoid the pure cotton I have, then.
In Sugar & Cream’s defense, it basically exists to become dishcloths, and rough dishcloths probably work better.
It’s true that it definitely shouldn’t be socks, though.
I think S&C actually made it more difficult to learn proper knitting, once I got the basics from a friend. That stuff is terrible. I was thinking of using it to make some knitted rugs for my trousseau (well, stash of things I’ll need when i get my own apartment) and ultimately decided to go with bulk-sized skeins of Comfy Heart because even cheap, scratchy acrylic is easier to work up and softer to touch. (I’m planning to buy rubber grippies to put under the rugs once they’re knit, so they don’t slide around but can be washed easily.)
I knitted my first few pairs of socks “inside out”, so to speak, because I hated the feel of the purl stitches on my feet. The right side of the fabric was much smoother and much more comfortable against my skin. It doesn’t look as pretty, but it could still be a solution.
It’s the yarn–both the thickness of it and the fiber content–and the gauge of your fabric, though I think the gauge is more important. I use much smaller needles for socks than I would for any other project using the same yarn; you want a fairly tight fabric. For “traditional” sock yarn (usually fingering weight, 400-420 yards in 100 grams) I use US 1 (approx. 2.24mm) needles which gets me a fairly dense fabric.
Alternately, there’s something called a “Princess Sole” or something like that – basically you do reverse stockinette on the sole of the foot so the purl bumps are on the outside and not touching your feet.
Haha, I totally used the teeny tiny needles! I tend to knit tight besides. But maybe not tight enough! (It’s because I can’t tension my yarn at all while purling – I drop and lift, which ends up very even but very snug)
It sounds like from the advice I’m getting here, I need to try:
using even smaller needles – I did 1 or double 1, so maybe 0 with that same yarn
wool-blend with as high a wool content as my hands can stand, rather than cotton
stockinette-on-the-inside for smoother fabric
Thank you!
Another suggestion would be to use sock yarn that’s mostly alpaca instead of wool. Alpaca fiber doesn’t have the lanolin that triggers many wool allergies, which might make it easier on your hands, and it’s certainly softer than cotton. I personally like it better because it doesn’t itch the way wool does, but it still has the “warm even when wet” properties of wool.
It’s often a bit more expensive, but it might be worth it to avoid whatever allergic reaction you have to wool?
Ooh, that’s a good idea. I’ll have to get a skein of alpaca and play with it, see how it goes.
Be careful that alpaca felts VERY easily, so 100% alpaca probably isn’t appropriate for socks. An alpaca blend, though, would not have the felting issue and probably would be great.
There are some sock yarns out there that are blended with rayon (which is sometimes labeled bamboo or tencel). I find rayon to be much softer and silkier than cotton. Some of them also have a little elastic so they have some nice stretch and give.
There’s also the “princess foot” – you knit the sole inside out, so the knit stitches are on the inside and the purls are on the outside. Some people find that more comfortable/less lumpy. I’ve knit all of three socks so I can’t speak to whether it works or not.
eta: and I should read all the replies first, darn it.
> darn it.
Heh…
i always thought sock-weight was the same as fingering?
It is and it isn’t. From my understanding, sock weight tends to have a denser ply (that is, it’s spun more tightly) than other kinds of fingering weight. For example look at this close-up of fingering-weight yarn vs one of sock yarn. Though it’s a little hard to see, the sock yarn is spun more tightly. So “sock yarn” means a specific kind of fingering yarn, I suppose.
this is me shrugging because I would’ve thought the same, but the yarn I used was labeled “sock yarn” and not shelved near the fingering. It was weird!
My knitting group has a joke about fingering weight yarn. Yep. It’s about what you expect.
Just saying thank you for asking this question, because even though I’ve never had the issue you’re having, I learned lots just from all the replies and explanations! Goddamn I love knitters.
I LOVE the Thor cardigan! Such a pretty yarn color. Maybe I should try my hand at a full garment for once. (Although I’m a knitting poseur… I still can’t cast on without my mom, who lives halfway across the country. (I know I could look this up on YouTube, I was just a very coddled knitter.))
I learned to knit entirely from Mrs. Moskowitz on youtube, in case you ever need a youtube refresher. She is very motherly. 🙂 (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yzz5QR0HG0E — sorry I am bad at html)
I need to get better at knitting… IMMEDIATELY.
I know, right?? My crafty side leans more towards cross-stitch/embroidery, but I know just enough knitting to wish I could handle complicated patterns (especially socks!!)
My humble advice is to ask your local yarn shop (or look up on ravelry) beginner top-down socks–the magic word you’re looking for is “heel flap.” All you’ll need to know is knit two together, slip slip knit, picking up stitches, and counting. (As well as knitting in the round.) All of those skills are really very easy, I promise. You’ll likely need to do the kitchener stitch for the toe, but I don’t know a single knitter that doesn’t have to look that up every time, and it’s not difficult, just tedious, and it’s over in like five minutes.
After that you can get all kinds of adventurous with short-row heels and toe-up socks and cables, if you like. .
i agree with alder_tree; kate atherley’s basic ribbed socks is a good starting point.
Bat Shawl is happening the INSTANT I get done with this semester. Never mind that I won’t need a shawl during the summer, and in fact have never worn a shawl in my life. THE INSTANT.
Lacey shawls like that make excellent antimacassars if it’s too hot! and then when you get cold while watching tv at night you’ve got a nice blanket for your shoulders and arms.
I really need to make one for myself, come to think of it…
I associate Jessica Jones more with that worn, long gray scarf she wore a lot. I can’t imagine her in a magenta cowl.
Oh yeah, she would hate the color. Haaaaaaaate.
Same. I’ve looked and at a few photos of it and quite figure out the stitch pattern. Some sort of moss stitch, maybe?
The Rav description says it’s a Roman Rib http://www.theweeklystitch.com/2013/04/roman-rib….
Possibly? It looks kinda like a linen stich or something with slipped stitched to me:
https://s.yimg.com/ny/api/res/1.2/jTj.EM9WxlcuSWf…
ETA oh wow i replied like “literally, the pattern description says…!” then realized after i posted that DUH you were referring to the actual one, not the pattern posted here. I’m sorry!
I can’t see the stitch closely enough to interpret it, but it does remind me of a side-slipped stitch pattern I’ve been doing, perhaps alternating with vertical slipped stitches on the wrong side? (not sure what my stitch is called: YO K1 pass yo over new stitch, repeat)
The Toast knows their demographic!
A friend of mine crocheted me a massive Captain America shield blanket, and two smaller ones (which I have turned into a pillow). I want that Thor jumper.
hello all knitting toasties, please join our ravelry group: http://www.ravelry.com/groups/the-toast-fiber-gui…
This is magnificent: http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/wonder-wo…
These are amazing! I wish I could knit, but my craftiness is limited to cross stitch. I may have to find a more talented friend to make the Arrow sweater for me.
It’s not exactly superhero-related, but it’s comic book-related: This knitted Bitch Planet cuff is the GREATEST.
I hate to acknowledge my inner fifth-grader and say it, but that Thor sweater looks, um, … it reminds me of a certain Captain Hammer quote.
I think maybe it’s the way the handle tapers and is rounded at the end.
Really glad I wasn’t the only one- feeling about 12 right now haha
noooo my first comment was that thors hammer looks like thors penis but then i deleted it out of embarrassment that it was the 3rd comment on the page >.>
(someone replied to me & then deleted it with a “The Hammer is my penis” gif, which was A+ though)
Thank god! I though I was the only one.
I’m not gonna say learning to knit is a nightmare but last night I had a literal nightmare involved with knitting. I’m walking down a tall spiral staircase in a dark empty building and I see an anxious girl holding two sets of things she’s knitting. I look at one and it’s already half done so I ask her ‘oh can I have this one please?’ she gives it to me and starts to walk away. I notice there are way too many needles in the unfinished knit work and I ask her why are there so many needles in here? she turns back, is looking absolutely terrified and says something like ”They keep sticking them into her”. Then she gasps and steps back as she sees something approaching from behind me. That’s when I woke up.
You have to go back
You have to knit off all the needles and throw them down the stairwell as you finish with each one
Only then can she heal and be whole.
Please, I understand it may be difficult, but go back there next time you dream, and knit off all the needles.
Is that what the Anxious Girl was doing when she gave IT to me?
How many needles were there to begin with?
How many did the Anxious Girl knit off?
I guess I am the Anxious Girl now.
So I will do the same and pass it on to the next one.
Thank you. One of us will be able to knit off the needles fast enough to get rid of them all.
Annika, you are a gift. Thank you for this!!!
I'm not going to knit that (but I really kind of want to). I sent it to my sister because that's just too cool not to share — she actually wants one done in different colors, possibly with the star. This might be the project that finally gets me to tackle intarsia!
Capitao America
Capitao America