What were knitters excited about in 2022?

Okay, I’ll admit my patterns are obviously just a tiny slice of the knitting world, but since you’re reading this, you’re probably interested in my designs. I always like to review which patterns sold the best over the year to get a feel for what knitters are into and willing to pay for.

It would also be interesting to look at other metrics, like which patterns had the most new projects listed on Ravelry or which ones got the most social media attention, but no metric is perfect. Lots of folks don’t knit every pattern they buy, but a lot of what people knit isn’t shared on social media either. So, for the purposes of my business curiosity, I’m just looking at best sellers. So here are my top 5 best selling patterns in 2022.

Kiya is sitting on the top of a park bench wearing brightly coloured striped, textured socks.

5. A Checklist of Birds Socks

It’s pretty normal that a new pattern will be one of the best selling patterns of the year and I’m very glad that a bunch of knitters are as nerdy as me and Catherine at Gauge Dye Works! Our goal for this project was to take some data and visualize it in a way that would be very fun to knit and very cheery to wear. Here’s to you, birders!

Wongela is laughing joyfully. She's wearing a bright yellow dress and a grey cardigan with dark teal patterning around the yoke.

4. Dissent Cardigan

This was the first pattern I designed that was inspired by the late U.S. Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg and her spectacular style. I actually shipped the pictured sample to the Supreme Court as a gift for her. I never found out if she received it, but it feels good to have sent it out into the world anyway.

Andrea is wearing an elaborate cable and lace shawl with colourwork florals along the edge. The shawl is a blue gradient from pale at the neck to dark at the edges and the flowers also fade from soft pink to deep rose with tiny green leaves.

3. A Garden Wedding Shawl

Folks, it makes me very delighted that somebody besides me found this design exciting! It was extremely special to me, in that I made it to wear to my sister’s wedding. I also made that ridiculously fancy velvet, lace, and tulle gown to please my sister because I love her very much. If you haven’t already, you really should go look at the wedding pictures! If you need a very epic project for a very elaborate occasion, I hope you consider this massive and very fun lace, cables, and colourwork shawl.

Kelsey is sitting on a porch looking perfectly radiant with her brown wavy hair blowing in the wind. She's wearing a pale pink pullover with brown patterning around the yoke.

2. Dissent Pullover

Ever since I published this fingering weight pullover version of my original worsted weight Dissent cardigan, it’s out-sold the cardigan, not by a lot, but consistently. I was a little surprised by that at first because the gauge is very tiny, but I think the steeking (cutting the sweater up the front) required for the cardigan can seem a bit terrifying if you haven’t done it. And fingering weight sweaters are so very lovely to wear!

Tif standing in a bowling alley holding a maroon bowling ball and wearing a white, brown, and black patterned cardigan inspired by the movie, The Big Lebowski.

The Knitter’s Dude

My best-selling pattern of 2022 was The Knitter’s Dude!

I published this pattern way back in 2017, but it seems the concept never gets old. And I agree — every time I watch The Big Lebowski it somehow gets funnier.

What was your favourite pattern of 2022? Tell me in the comments!

Thanks for all the support you’ve given me this year. Your email subscriptions, likes, comments, follows, and purchases are what makes my business sustainable and I appreciate every one of them! 💛

2022 Best Selling Patterns