50 Times Knitting Enthusiasts Shared Their Masterpieces Online (New Pics)
InterviewKnitting is a form of magic. Or it sure seems that way to someone who’s never held knitting needles, let alone tried to use them for anything other than wizarding wands of wizardry. Whether it be a form of artistic expression or a means of creating some lovely mittens to combat the cold winds hitting them fingers, it’s a craft that holds a special place in many hearts.
Bored Panda is definitely a fan! Last year, we compiled a list of 50 incredibly talented people who’ve shared their masterpieces online. Guess what we’re doing today? Well, if you’ve read the title then you know very well that we’re doing that again!
The Reddit community named r/knitting has united over 426k knitting enthusiasts, with many sharing their lovely little creations. Whether total beginners, or long-standing (or should I say long-knitting?) masters, everyone is welcome to partake in the warmth that this community garners, and today we’ll be celebrating our favorites!
We got in contact with Whitney Cant, known as Knitted by Whitney on Instagram and YouTube, who was kind enough to share her knitting journey with us, as well as giving some very useful tips for those looking to get into knitting. So make sure to stick around for that!
Dearest Pandarandas, do enjoy this voyage into the nifty and creative, vote on your favorites along the way, and if you’re still craving more, here is an article—and look, here’s another one! Let’s dive into it!
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I Was Convinced I'd Finish This Blanket In The Six Months Before I Graduated In 2018. I Moved House Four Times And Am Studying For My Second Masters Degree, But I’ve Finally Defeated It!
I have a confession to make: I have never knitted before in my life. It’s one of those things that I’ve never been exposed to: my family members aren’t knitters, my friends aren’t knitters, and we weren’t forced to learn this at school. We learned how to sew a button in, though! Very useful!
So, I will be falling upon experts of the craft or those who’ve been mesmerized by its simplistic complexity and the alchemy that turns a regular piece of string into an artistic expression of fashion. Or a warm cozy blanket at the very least…
One of those experts is Whitney Cant, who’d been sharing her knitting creations with the world since 2015. As a plus size knitter, she’s been bringing attention to the importance of size-inclusivity in knitting patterns, and encouraging others to share their knits, regardless of their size, as well as promoting self-love and body positivity.
She got into knitting thanks to The Hunger Games: Catching Fire, as she loved the vest the main character, Katniss, wore, yet couldn’t find one readily available. So what did she do—make one herself, of course! Ever since that first project, knitting has become a creative outlet and a means of crafting garments that fit her perfectly.
Knitted This Dress For My Daughter. She’s So Proud, Saying "My Daddy Made This For Me"
I Am Part Of A Facebook Group Called "Knit For A Unique Fit" That Matches Knitters With Individuals With Hand Differences To Make Custom Gloves. I Just Finished My First Pair!
When asked what the knitting process is like, she laughed: “It can honestly feel like herding cats sometimes!” She proceeded to describe the different ways knitters take on projects. “I’m a monogamous knitter, which means I work on one pattern at a time and don’t start anything new until I finish it. However, I’m in the minority—most knitters have multiple projects going on at the same time, but that is too chaotic for me, so I prefer to keep things simple with just one pattern.”
Although knitting may seem to be a purely physical process of moving about needles and pieces of yarn, it can also be a beautifully artistic and therapeutic practice.
Robbin Derry, an associate professor at the University of Lethbridge, believes that “the act of knitting is an opportunity to create and express ideas visually rather than verbally, to learn from our senses, to engage in active loving even while at work, to inspire others by actions and beauty.”
In other words, the world of knitting opens up doors for deeper insights and self-understanding than just what is beyond the yarn. The craft of knitting, thus, has a multitude of purposes: from the construction of warm and cozy garments to the construction of a more self-confident, more generous, and calmer self.
Five Years Ago I Started Him, And Then Hid Him Away In A Box For Being Frustrating And Way Above My Skill Level
A few months ago I was inspired by a post on this sub to pick him back up and now, at long last, he's done!!
This Embroidery Piece Has My First Ever Knitting Sample Sewn Onto It. This Piece Is A Reminder For Us To Honour Those Who Weave Our Clothing, Even If We Never Meet Them
Eleven Months Later, I Finally Finished This ‘80s Space Jumper I Found On R/Knitting
Robbin argues that the process and products of knitting may become “the outward expression of attitudes, emotions, and aspirations, well before these are articulated in words.” In simpler terms, what we carry inside of us is easier to come face-to-face with when we’re working on a creative project, requiring us to work together with the one person we argue with the most—ourselves.
“I have experienced and described knitting as performance art, as active loving, and as an expression of strongly held values,” states Robbin, portraying the craft as a means of making sense of the world. “Reflecting on my adventures with yarn and needles, it feels like I am knitting my life into one integrated fabric,” she continues.
“When we knit, we create a row of loops and then build another row of loops on top of those and keep going until we have a finished garment. When we live, we loop the relationships, moments, activities of our lives together; pile them on top of each other, creating links, making abrupt turns occasionally. Starting anew, and then sewing it onto the section we already had, we continue through to the end.”
For Whitney, it’s done wonders to her mental health. “I have minor anxiety that spikes when I’m in certain situations, and the physical act of knitting helps me alleviate that anxiety so much, either during the situations or immediately afterwards,” she said. “The creative side of knitting helps stimulate my mind and helps me just have fun in my spare time.”
“I wouldn’t have the self-confidence I have now without knitting, and I desperately want other plus-sized women to feel as confident as I do, and to normalize sharing bodies that look like mine because we are ALL beautiful,” she continued.
Alaska Hats For My Gymnastics Team That I Coach
Knitted My Greyhound A Suit For My Wedding Next Weekend
I Got Married On Saturday. I Made These Socks For My Wife To Wear When Getting Ready, So That She Didn't Get Cold Feet!
Although it seems that knitters usually form an emotional connection to the craft, the fact remains that the traditions and techniques of knitting have been passed from generation to generation. What that means is that knitting is a deep-rooted part of our culture.
Rebecca Elaine Schuiling argues that the artists who use knitting as a medium are “part of an ancient lineage of women around the globe who have transformed fibers into clothing to protect their families for tens of thousands of years.”
With the power to create comes a great responsibility. Does life imitate art far more than art imitates life? It’s a philosophical debate my straightforward brain cannot even begin to fathom. I understand the interconnection of both—one is not whole without the other—and the fact that soft colorful socks make me happy.
Whitney has some thoughts on that debate, however. “I think knitting can be a form of artistic expression, but it’s really a craft with a purpose that has been passed down through generations of knitters, mostly women. Knitting is primarily about making something functional—yes it helps if it’s also beautiful, but it’s more important that it’s wearable and useful. I don’t think you can clearly say whether it’s art imitating life or life imitating art because it was never meant to be art in the first place. It’s capable of being art, but that’s not its true purpose.”
Avena Sweater With Gradient Yarn!
Proud Of This One! Yarn Is All Made By Me
Finally Off The Needles And Done. This Clogged Up My Knitting Mojo For Almost A Year
Knitting is a living tradition, yet in modern times, it’s become more of a meditative act. “The notion of actively disengaging from the technologically saturated world is appealing to many artists,” Rebecca explains. “By engaging in a slow process of creation like knitting, artists feel connected to the medium through its therapeutic qualities.”
The repetitive motions, much like a mantra, the feel of the yarn in the hand, and the sound of the clicking of the needles are soothing to the soul. Rebecca argues that we can take back control over our daily lives by engaging in a process that has a long production time, such as knitting.
Many scholars believe that knitting as an art form surpasses the powers of paint and marble because of its association with everyday life. Peter Stallybrass states “Cloth … [is] powerfully associated with memory, or to put it more strongly, cloth is memory.” Knitted fabrics can be understood by many, bringing art to the regular day of regular human beings, doing their most regular things.
I Knitted My Wedding Dress. It Took A Year And A Half
Good Afternoon. I'm From Ukraine. A War Has Been Going On In My Country For A Whole Month Now. Thank You All For Your Support. Only Now I Was Able To Put The Knitting Needles In My Hands
My Proudest Knit Yet!
Something about the clouds (is that what they are?) reminds me of the intro to The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker. The white clouds/waves billowing under The King of Red Lions when you turn on the game and have not pressed Start. Am I a 40-year-old Legend of Zelda nerd? Yes! Proudly! Since around the mid 90s!
Buying a bunch of yarn, then trying to read a knitting pattern can be pretty intimidating, yet one should remember that there are a lot of resources available to help guide you through. Whitney has 3 key pieces of advice: Use YouTube for tutorials (she recommends Very Pink Knits), find patterns on Ravelry, and keep trying!
“I knitted my first sweater pattern after less than a year of knowing how to knit. It was a complete failure. So were the next three sweaters I knitted. I didn’t knit a successful sweater until the fifth one I made, and I still have that sweater and wear it all the time,” she said. Practice makes perfect, after all!
Thanks for coming to my TED Talk on knitting! And a big thank you to Whitney for sharing all her insight with us! Hope it was helpful or, at the very least, interesting. I definitely had a blast diving deep into it! For now, please enjoy the rest of this colorful list and refer to the links all the way back in the introduction for more crafty goodness! I bid you a good day and happy scrolling!
Just Finished A Pair Of Socks Inspired By The Very Hungry Caterpillar For An Arts Project
I Made Her For My Friend, Who Loves Knitting. I Hope This Mouse Will Make You Smile And Inspire You To Start A New Knitting Project Or Finish An Old One
My First Published Pattern Since My Stroke In 2020!
Mommy & Me Sweatah Weathah! Maja And Voff
Mermaid Blankets Are Out, Giant Sock Blankets Are In
Was Jealous Of Kiddos Sweater So Made One For Myself
The feat here is you managing to achieve your goal before your kid outgrew his sweater! You must have been fast
Finally Got To Wear My Dress And Mittens Set Skating!!
My Design Skyward Was Published In Pom Pom Magazine!
I Spent All Day, Waiting For Someone To Tell Me
"Hey, nice sweater!" So, I could aggressively shout, "THANKS, I MADE IT!!!" Tomorrow, my strategy will be to aggressively ask strangers, "DO YOU LIKE MY SWEATER?!?"
Tried My Hand At Knitting Some Chameleon Socks!!
I Taught Myself To Knit Last Fall, With The Help Of Youtube And Lots Of Encouragement From My Best Friend. Today I Finished A Lace Shawl As A Surprise For Her Wedding
Ha! Boom, Baby!
I Have A New Contender For The Least Practical Item In My Wardrobe
We Survived The 'Sweater Curse' With The Hardest Pattern I've Attempted Yet!
I’m Back With My Own Cable Sweater!
Look, It Has Pockets!
I wanted to be clever and say Sockets, but that's already a word.
Adding A Hidden Alien Face
When The Yarn And The Pattern Come Together Perfectly
Finished My First Jumper! Bit Lumpy But I Love It
I Knitted A Dress Inspired By Alyosha Karamazov, A Character In My Favorite Book
All My Knits For My Baby Due This Week
Do I Get An Award For Actually Finishing A Halloween Sweater Before Halloween?!
THE LITTLE GHOST GUYS ARE SO CUTE I WANT TO ADOPT ONE AND GIVE IT TREATS :DDD
I Used Gradient Yarn To Make A Hat Inspired By The Northern Lights
It’s Finals Week, So Of Course I’m Wearing My New Fo For Good Luck
Matching Sweaters With My Bubble Buddy
My Sweater Accidentally Turned Into A Dress But I Couldn’t Be More Pleased! Should I Add A “No Signal” Bar To Make It More Obvious For People Who Won’t Get It?
I'm Pretty Proud Of My Totoro Sweater
Me 10 Years Ago: "Waste Yarn? Who Has Waste Yarn?" Me Today: Knits An Entire Sweater Out Of Sock Yarn Leftovers
When You Can’t Pick 2 Colors Choose 8 Instead
Finally Finished My Brain Hat! I Knitted It Through My Neurology And Behavioral Health Courses
I Finished My Magnum Opus Of Knitting. May I Present My Terra Nova Sweater!
Finally! Done! Marceline’s Sweater From The “Return To The Nightosphere” Episode Of Adventure Time!
Handed Down To Me, A Blanket Made By My Great Grandmother In The 1970s/80s
Ooh, those squares were the first thing I knitted, such a nice pattern. Never finished a blankets worth though or even a scarfs worth but still fun to knit.
“Maybe This Town Is Big Enough…” Trans Pride Edition
Matching Hand-Knit Socks For Our Wedding Day
I (Attempted To) Knit My Own Wedding Dress!
I Made A Vest From A Sheep's Fleece! I Washed It, Combed The Wool, Spun The Yarn, Dyed The Yarn And Knit A Vest!
I Got A Lot Of Love On Here The Last Time I Posted, So I Wrote A Knitting Pattern!!
I Knit This Sweater... With My Bear Hands!
He's Not Naked Anymore, But He's Too Fat For His Jacket
Here She Is - Finished Halibut!
Baby Blanket Finished A Week After My Due Date. Okay Buddy, It's Time!
Tested This Shawl Pattern Inspired By Origami & So Did Some Origami Too
I Was A Bit Nervous About This Much Negative Ease, But It Turned Out Very Cute, Cute As Heck Even
Spent 500 Hours Making This For My Wife... But I'm Keeping It!
I Finally Finished My First Project After 3 Weeks And A Million Mistakes
I Tried Out Stranded Colorwork By Knitting A Sweater For My Cat. Cat Says "No Thank You"
Knit These Babies Taat Because I Knew I Wouldn’t Be Able To Stomach Doing It Twice!
I Finally Did It. Nearly 100,000 Stitches And 2½ Yards Of Sherpa Backing Later, I Have Finally Created The Coziest Blanket I Will Ever Own. So Proud, And The Kitties Love It Too
Made This For My Kid! Feel Like A Good Nerd Mom
Minecraft is awesome! Lovely sweater any fan of the game would love to wear!
Finally Finished My Knit Dress! I Don't Know What Possessed Me To Do A Color Work Piece This Big But At Last The Ends Are Sewn In!
I Couldn’t Find A Top I Liked For This Skirt So I Made One!
That Is It; I’m Done. I’ve Climbed My Knitting Mount Everest, And I Doubt I’ll Ever Top It. I Guess I Gotta Take Up Welding Or Cross Country Running As A Hobby Now
My Final Sweater Of 2021, Joined By (Almost) All The Other Garments I Made This Year!
Experimental Stuff: Digital Artist's Glove! (Prevents The Hand From Sticking To The Monitor Lol) Usually They're Plain Black And Ill-Fitting, So I Wanted To Make My Own
I Made A Shawl For My Best Friend For Her Wedding, And She Let Me Borrow It For Mine
My BF Asked Me To Make Him A Sweater “The Color Of Money With Dollar Signs On The Pockets” (He Works In Finance). He’s 40 Years Old. This Is Absurd, I Love It
I Might Have Run Out Of Brown Yarn.. But I Love The Mismatch
I Knitted Matching Sweaters For Our Pregnancy Announcement
Sweater My Wife Knitted For Me Last Winter. She's The Best
So Proud Of This Sweater, I Feel I’ve Grown So Much In Colourwork!
It May Not Be Much, But Finishing This Blanket After Taking A Break From Knitting Due To Depression Is A Big Win For Me!
Good for you! I'm so proud of you and you should be proud of yourself!
Idk If I’m Good Enough To Post This Online, But I’m So Proud Of This Sweater!
Finished My I Am Dragon III Shawl
Map Sweater Finally Complete!
Step 1: Knit A Sweater. Step 2: Wear It To A Wedding. Step 3: Annoy Everyone With The Information That You Made It Yourself
Tom Daley Finished His Olympic Cardigan!
Just Past The Half Way Point On My Monsters & Robots Baby Blanket
I Started A Relationship And Got Married In The Time This Took
I Made Myself An Oversized Loop Scarf!
Decided To Make This Last Tuesday, And Had To Finish This Yesterday. My Hands Hurt
This Dress Is A 12/10 Swish Effect
My Friend Drew Me A Picture Of A Jumper He Wanted, So I Found A Pattern To Adapt And Got To Work!
First Time Posting. Finished My Sweater Just In Time For Fall. [fo]
Many Hours And A Lot Of Effort, And So Worth It!
So Obsessed With My Knitting Project. Finished It A Couple Of Weeks Ago And I Can’t Help But Wear It Each And Every Morning Just To Marvel At How Well It Fits And How Gorgeous It Looks
Braided Cable Raglan Dress, That I Knitted Over The Summer
I Need It To Be Cool Enough To Wear This Now... I'm Over The Moon That I Finished My Alaska Sweater And It Fits!
Poseidon Adventure Is Finally Over!!
Please Enjoy My Cat Enjoying A Stack Of Finished Socks
I see kitty i upvote 😻 also I think I'm going to take up knitting just to make those cool 🧦 👍
This Sweater Took 98 Hours To Knit And Contains 110, 388 Stitches. It Is My Favorite Piece Of All And Fits Like A Dream
Modified Flax For Maternity And Nursing!
Someone Broke Into My Car Last Night And Took My Birth Certificate And The Only Cable Knit Sweater I've Made. Just Wanted To Publicly Grieve This Loss
May their underwear be infested with a thousand fleas for evermore! 😤☠️
After More Than 5 Years Of Periodic Knitting, It's Finally Done! I Need People To See My Kelmscott Throw. This Double Knit Blanket Was A Marathon
Almost Done With This Sweater And My Little Ingrate Tells Me That She Doesn’t Like It Because She Wanted A Big Fox Face On The Front Not Little Ones
Sorry bout that. Kids can be rather, well, ungrateful 🤷🏼♀️😓
If We Are Into Fruity Socks Now I Totally Want To Share My Watermelon Socks!
I have several pairs of watermelon socks and I need these to help create a watermelon patch!❤️🍉🧦
I've Been Playing Around With Horizontal Lines In Colorwork Designs
I Knitted My First Dress!!
Just Finished My Wedding Dress! Two Days Before Marriage. I’ll Definitely Share Day-Of Photos!
Knit Girl Summer Dress - My Birthday Outfit Is Sorted!
My Parents Gave Me A Bag Of Wool For Christmas. Not Colours I'd Typically Choose. Challenge Accepted! No Pattern, Just From My Head. Blocked And Ready To Wear
Finally Finished The Mitered Square Blanket I Started Earlier This Year And Shipped It Off To My Sister As A Housewarming Gift. It Took 90 Mins. Per Square And There Are 224 Squares
Finally Finished My Honeycomb Aran!! This Is The Best Thing I’ve Ever Made And I’m Going To Be Absolutely Insufferable About It
First Time Knitting Brioche Stitch And Even After 6 Months I'm Still Completely Obsessed With It And This Pattern!
My First Knitted Sweater, The Grinalda Sweater By Rosa Pomar
I Made A Fingering Weight Throw Blanket
And That’s A Wrap! Finally Finished This Beast Of A Project, Just In Time To Wear It To My Brother’s Wedding
Just Finished This Vintage “Health Vest” And It’s The Perfect Pride Tank Top???
My 82-Year-Old Grandma Knitted Me A Whole Blanket For College. It Took Her 3 Months Of Hard Work
Made A Pumpkin-Colored Tee For The Autumn Right Around The Corner
[fo] Finished My Top Just In Time To Wear To A Friend's Bridgerton-Themed Baby Shower!
I Got To Wear My First Ever Handmade Sweater On Jeopardy Tonight!
Congratulations on finishing your sweater and getting on Jeopardy.
I Knit My Husband Chris A Handsome Chris Pullover And It Only Took Me 7 Months!
I Woke Up Yesterday Morning To Discover It Was My Dog Sweater Pattern Tom Daley Was Knitting Poolside At The Tokyo Olympics
I Knitted About 10.000 Beads Into A Sweater To Feel Like Laerke Bagger
The Sweater I Made For My Husband Is Too Small For Him, But Somehow Fits Me Perfectly. Weird
Hate It When I Don’t Swatch And End Up With The Wrong Size
I… Might Have Gone Slightly Overboard With The Baby Shower Gifts For My Brother And His Wife
I Trusted The Math: Xl Front And M Back. Fits Like A Dream!
First Colorwork Project Complete!
First Color Work .first Time With Intarsia
Knitting This Was A Blast - Huge Cables, 100% Contiguous Construction, Delightful Color
I Made This Sweater Based On A Beautiful Piece Of Art By Tansy Hargan
So Much Brioche! I Did It!
Two Finished Pillows And A Work In Progress - Blanket. I Learnt To Knit Just Because I Felt That Knitted Pillows Would Look Nice On My New Sofa
Haha This Took ~forever~
Are We Still Doing This? Please Tell Me We're Still Doing This
When You Have No Idea How To Model But Your Friends Ask You To Send More Pictures Of You Wearing Your Latest Knitting Project
Gifted Very Fancy Yarn For My Birthday And Let It Shine In The Burrow Cardigan
Knit This Entire Sweater In Just 8 Days Thanks To An Endless Schedule Of Work Virtual Meetings! So Proud Of It
Finished The Wedding Dress!
Knitted My Ideal Ribbed Hat
My County Fair Submissions
I Crash Tested My New Knitting Pattern On My Cousins
Just Finished My Traditional Lace Socks
Finished My First Top Down Sweater!
Was gonna call out the label, then I noticed it looks hand sown... 😅
Gave My Brother His Christmas Sweater Early, He Just Texted Me This
It's missing half of the story. Here you are: "Everyone steps in my office and complimets the sweater, I tell them you knitted it then they always ask if you knit socks too and I pull my pant leg up :D I think 4 people have asked me that lol"
So Obviously Finishing This Sweater Is The Best Thing I've Ever Accomplished
Not me, and not knitting, but my amazing mum crocheted this beautiful blanket for me and my husband. blanket-63...cb9283.jpg
That's a wonderful blanket! Mums are the best :) Mine knitted a pullover for herself when I was a little kid. It's her masterpiece. I don't remember when it came into my possession but it's mine now and I still love to wear it. Though it's ~30 years old it still looks great. pullover-6...10412a.jpg
Load More Replies...Not me, and not knitting, but my amazing mum crocheted this beautiful blanket for me and my husband. blanket-63...cb9283.jpg
That's a wonderful blanket! Mums are the best :) Mine knitted a pullover for herself when I was a little kid. It's her masterpiece. I don't remember when it came into my possession but it's mine now and I still love to wear it. Though it's ~30 years old it still looks great. pullover-6...10412a.jpg
Load More Replies...