While the ‘industry’ can tout its own horn as much as it wants, there is a marked decline in those who knit anymore. While knitting patterns are still exchanged, shared, and knit, it seems that the burning fervency for all women to knit has been lost with the housewife. Today, even if she is a stay at home mom, she’s strives to be desperate in the vein of the ABC starlets; the definition of housewife has changed and with it another relic from a time honored tradition is lost.

A pattern in knitting is a copy; an original design from which other designs are made. In sewing this could be a template made of paper or cardboard from which a design is traced or made from. For knitting though, the picture really the thing as they’re trying to create less an exact replica than a pattern.

Knitting patterns go back as far as the founding of the Colonies in North America. There are very famous paintings of women sitting in rocking chairs, on porch steps, in living rooms by open furnaces, knitting blankets and other things for their hard working; hard fighting men. So if you’re looking for knitting patterns in a historical context or just so you have something to compare them against, you may want to consider looking in historical books to see what was.

Another handy place to tamp down free knitting patterns for your own needs, you can check your local library; there are probably still librarians working there from before the advent of the internet who would be more than glad to assist you in pointing out their favorite pre revolutionary war book of knitting patterns. Even if that particular librarian isn’t working there that day, they no doubt have a wealth of information for your viewing.

If you’re too lazy or not near a public library or if the idea of public library is off putting to you, then feel free to do a search engine search for your free knitting pattern of choice. You can also locate knitting ‘circles’ where member knitters trade with each other pictures of patterns they find fun. With knitters so few and far between these days, they’ve had to resort to the internet in order not to go totally extinct.

Knitting patterns online are available in many different styles and at many different skill levels. So if you only feel moderately comfortable with all those things you learned in Home Economics class all those years ago, there are knitting patterns available for you! And never fear! It’s never too late to get involved in the knitting lifestyle! You could start today on a basic knitting pattern and before you know it you’re knitting intricate loom patterns for your sisters and your baby!