Skirt Knitting Patterns

How Do You Knit a Skirt?

The exact techniques you’ll need to create a knitted skirt will depend on the specific pattern you’re following and the style of skirt you’re creating. For example, a classic pencil skirt may only require basic stockinette stitches, while a tennis skirt may involve more complicated pleating or ribbing.

In general, most basic skirt knitting patterns are knitted in the round on circular needles. They tend to be worked from the top down, starting at the hem around the waist and then continuing downwards.

The majority of patterns will use a series of increases to shape the skirt’s body as it progresses from the waist, and a broad hem to finish the bottom. Finally, an elastic band will be inserted or an i-cord used to secure the waistline.

It is also technically possible to knit a skirt using straight needles. To do this, you’ll need to create two separate panels and then seam them together.

Skirt patterns aren’t just more exciting than more traditional alternatives like knitted mitten patterns, they’re easy to knit, too. You’ll need measurements of your waist, hips, and desired length – then simply follow the knitting pattern’s corresponding instructions.

If you don’t feel like taking measurements or you’re knitting the skirt as a gift, you’ll find instructions for standard sizes included in the pattern, too.

What Materials Do You Need?

Along with knowledge of fundamental knitting techniques, you’ll need the same basic materials for most knitted skirts. This usually includes up to 500g (approximately 10 balls) of DK weight yarn, a pair of circular knitting needles, a tapestry needle, and an elastic waistband.

The type of yarn you use will obviously depend on the style of skirt you’re creating. For example: a knitting pattern for a pencil skirt will typically use fine merino wool, while a short summer skirt may use a cooler, more breathable cotton yarn.

Which Types of Skirt Can You Knit?

Knitted skirt patterns can come in dozens of different shapes, sizes, and styles. That said, it can be easier to find crocheted skirt patterns, as crochet creates a sturdier fabric than knitting.

You can knit any kind of skirt, but some types are more common than others. Here’s a list of the most common types of skirt pattern:

• A-line skirt: A-line skirts sit just above your hips and flare out towards the bottom hem, creating a shape similar to the letter ‘A’. This is a common silhouette with a wide variety of subtypes, all of which have a waist-narrowing effect.
• Pencil skirt: Pencil skirts are usually long, narrow skirts with a very tight fit. They typically start on or above the waist and sit at or below the knees. Unlike A-line skirts, pencil skirts fit close to the body and do not flare out from the waist downwards.
• Maxi skirt: Maxi skirts are long skirts that typically end around the ankle. They can fit in a variety of ways, but will almost always use more yarn than other knitted skirt types.
• Mini skirt: As the name suggests, a mini skirt is simply a short skirt that ends above the knee, with a short distance from the waistline to the hemline. In some cases, shorter mini skirts are also called micro skirts.
• Tennis skirt: Tennis skirts are usually shorter skirts with a hemline just above the knee. They are traditionally pleated to allow for a wide range of movement despite the narrow silhouette.