Sweetie♥KNIT♥Shamrocks . . . a free little knitting pattern that felts like Spring!
Does it feel like spring where you are? Our month of March felt a lot like spring until last week. This week, though, we’ve been stuck under another arctic air mass. It’s been snowing off/on every day for the last 5 days. The good news is that our snow-frolicking/shoveling days are (technically) numbered, since spring is scheduled to arrive here on Wednesday @ 5:02 AM. Wow, that’s only 2 more days of winter, woohoo!!! Around here, we expect this will translate into another month or so before (most of) the snow is finally melted away. But after all these months, we’re sure hoping winter got the memo and will be moving out sooner than later this year!
And did you think that I must’ve missed the St. Patrick’s Day memo too? Actually, this was one post which I’d felt quite confident would be posted early. Oh well, that’s the way the clover crumbles, sometimes… Sure, it’s early alright… Early for next year, that is! Sorry it’s a tad late for March 17th 2013… You see, I’ve been teaching myself how to use Gimp image editing software. Gimp is just like Photoshop, only less sleek and more clunky. It’s also a free download, which fits my budget just right! 🙂
And so, on this fine, lovely-day-after St. Patrick’s Day, let us dream of rainbows, melting snow and budding flowers/foliage. And let us knit our own springtime patch of clover with my Sweetie♥KNIT♥Shamrock pattern! By the way, did you know that shamrocks/clovers are also symbolic of springtime and new beginnings?
MATERIALS:
— your choice of feltable wool
— knitting needles sized appropriately for your yarn
— large-eyed yarn needle
— water for felting
NOTE: Any feltable wool will work.
The needles and wool that I used for making the Sweetie♥KNIT♥Shamrocks pictured in this post are as follows:
Sweetie♥KNIT♥Shamrock worsted weight yarn
(larger sample pictured):
— FINISHED SIZE: approximately 1.75” (not including stem)
— US size 3 (3 mm) needles
— Herrschners 3-ply worsted weight 100% wool
— approximately 3.5′ (1.25 m) per heart x 3 hearts = 10.5’ (3.75 m) per shamrock
Sweetie♥KNIT♥Shamrock fingering weight yarn
(smaller sample pictured):
— FINISHED SIZE: approximately 1.25” (not including stem)
— US size 1 (2.25 mm) needles
— Knit Picks Palette 2-ply fingering weight 100% wool
— approximately 3′ (1 m) wool per heart x 3 hearts = 9’ (3 m) per shamrock
Sweetie♥KNIT♥Shamrock with separate yarn tails, ready for felting.
HOW-TO:
STEP 1: Knit three Sweetie♥KNIT♥Hearts from feltable wool
(click here to download my free pattern).
STEP 2: Sew the pointy ends of the three Sweetie♥KNIT♥Hearts together.
STEP 3: Separate each ply of the remaining yarn tails.
STEP 4: Wet these separated strands and rub them vigorously between your fingers until they are felted—forming the stem of your shamrock.
NOTE: Felting will cause the yarn tails to shrink and mat together.
What a great feeling, to magically felt-away all those loose ends 🙂
And that’s all there is to it… super sweet ‘n simple, right?
I’d love to hear what you think of it. Feel free to leave a comment 🙂
ttys ♥ Jackie
knitting with heart 
Cute! Could you use 4 hearts and make a lucky 4 leaf clover?
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March 18, 2013 at 11:39 pm
Yes, you’re right! My first impression was that the 4th leaf would make it too bulky, but now that you mention it… I’ll be making a 4-leaf version and posting it for good luck 🙂 THX bekswhoknits ❤
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March 19, 2013 at 7:06 pm
I think I have some green fingering weight in my stash that may be perfect.
I’m suddenly inspired. 🙂
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March 19, 2013 at 7:08 pm
Great! It’s so fun to knit together from separate hemispheres! … and you can post a pic of yours for good luck too 🙂
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March 19, 2013 at 7:17 pm
The last I heard is that not having an exact birthday, the 29th each year, she celebrates on the 28th and the 1st to make sure she gets it right. LOL I love the idea!
Especially if they are 4 leaf clovers which are VERY hard to find. Can you tell I have been teaching pre-school children for years……………. My mind just automatically goes there. I was even thinking you could make some and sell them as party packs for St. Patrick’s Day.
Yesterday’s wind chill was 14 degrees and this morning it is 17 wind chill with a winter snow warning!! On that warm day I was so sure we had our last major snow and not much to come. Boy, was I wrong on that one! This is our spring day awakening!! lol Back to knitting……..
I do take my knitting outside with my grand son when warm weather does hit and knit while he rides and plays and we spend as much time outside as we can in the day often with lunch on the front porch so the dog won’t beg and snitch from him. lol That is why I like to have my knitting projects selected, organized, and in progress so it is an easy pick up and go at a moments notice in a convenient carry-all basket or bag. In that process now for warm weather knitting. I have a cotton rug in progress that I forgot about for over a year and maybe 2+. How bad is that. Won’t get finished that way……
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March 20, 2013 at 5:08 am
Ah yes, knitting ‘n lunching on the porch… sounds so good to me!!! Our weekend weather forecast is predicted to warm up nicely, but we’ll see. Sure hoping for pleasant Easter weekend weather!
I’m so glad you like the Sweetie❤KNIT❤Shamrocks, and THX for the ideas! Slowly but surely, all my other Sweetie❤KNIT❤Heart pattern ideas will also find their way onto this blog 🙂
Winter weather is such a crazy thing… especially out here in Alberta. Out here, I call it the “wild west” because the weather is wilder than anywhere I’ve ever lived! My mom’s birthday is March 16th and every year she states the inevitable… Yes, we all know winter’s not over until this date has passed! This year, though, we thought we may have gotten away with one. But true to form the storm showed up. 😛
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March 25, 2013 at 2:25 pm
It is said here that we always have bad weather on St. Patrick’s Day or the day before of after. We can see grass, but still some snow left.
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March 26, 2013 at 9:18 am
LOL… I’m very happy for you! The only grass we’ve had a hope of seeing here since November is if we shovel too far over the sidewalk and onto the lawn 🙂
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March 26, 2013 at 4:02 pm
Yes, it comes and goes. A few dustings today, but not enough to last, just teasing us from yesterday “warmer” day with so much sun I had Kian outside for quite awhile riding his little tikes cozy car and having a snowball fight with his uncle. Piles or patches of snow here or there. Today cloudy and colder.
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March 27, 2013 at 11:00 am
Nice! Our snow has been melting noticeably too, with temperatures above freezing and more direct angle of the sun! This week we’re in the mid-40F (6-8C) degree range 🙂
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March 28, 2013 at 2:26 pm
It definitely has been more winter than spring around here. Last night the wind was blowing the garbage cans over and about. Today it is very windy with light snow flurries of no accumulation which has been more the norm often so far this month. Only the hardiest of dog walkers are out and more than not I just want to curl up with my knitting needles planning and beginning projects for this year for Christmas gifts and maybe even one for myself.
I love this weather for the knitting motivation, but definitely not for being out and about most of the time. Although I notice that if I do put my thermals on and go out I don’t mind it much at all.
But that one very warm day gave me “spring fever” making me want to laze about , read, and knit. lol My sore weakened back is part of the problem, but the only thing to make it get stronger and not be sore is getting out about walking. lol Darn spring fever……..
Do you have a favorite yarn site or do you buy mostly locally? I have been discovering some sites with clearance yarn or good deals on it although I really like to actually see it and feel it first., but trying a couple of new yarns for me that I haven’t used before and haven’t been disappointed so far. Now to find a pattern. Plus amazon with free shipping for 2 size needles I don’t seem to have.
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March 19, 2013 at 10:44 am
Yes, winter is an excellent knitting motivator! By this time of year, though, I for one am eager to shed a few layers ‘n take my motivational knits outdoors into warmer weather ‘n sunshine 🙂 … I love the folks @ Knit Picks and handknitting.com, and have also ordered online from Mary Maxim and Herrschners… There’s been times when the yarn received was not as expected—due to my own unfamiliarity with that particular yarn. But I love the yarn anyway I can get it 😉 I’ve also found super-cheap yarn/needles at thrift shops!
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March 19, 2013 at 8:18 pm
You are on my schedule.!!! Still making my grand daughter’s birthday presents for Feb. 29th in this “wintery” weather. Oh well, it will teach her patience as I decided to make her 2 things , one for her patience.
And I hadn’t read all of your post and only that on my e-mail notification. Those are the cleverest clover I have ever seen. One could make a few and hide them for the children to find like Easter eggs at a party.
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March 19, 2013 at 10:51 am
THX caforiginals ❤ Having the kids hunt for Easter clover is one shamrockin’ idea, for sure! Your granddaughter’s b-day is on a leap year? Well, then what’s the rush? Her next b-day is not for another 4 years, right?!? … Awe, she would not likely agree, poor girl. 😉
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March 19, 2013 at 8:26 pm
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