Get ready to feast your eyes on something truly delectable: knitted food patterns! Today we’re diving fork-first into the delicious world of knitted goodies that look good enough to eat but with zero calories. Whether you’ve always wanted to whip up some play food for your kids, or you just want a light and fun project to relax into, good news, you’re in the right place.
Now, you might be wondering, “What’s the deal with knitted food patterns anyway?” Well, let me tell you, these adorable creations serve up more than just a cute factor. These handmade pieces make for fantastic toy food for little ones so they can pretend they’re buying produce at the supermarket or cooking at a restaurant. These designs also make for the most charming home decor accents, a unique gift for your food-loving friends and family members, or even a new baby gift. Because, let’s be real, who wouldn’t want a slice of knitted pizza or their favourite snack to brighten up their day?
So, what exactly makes knitted food patterns so irresistible? From lifelike fruits and veggies to scrumptious desserts and savory snacks, there’s a veritable smorgasbord of designs to sink your teeth and needles into. You won’t need very much time and you certainly won’t need a lot of yarn or other craft supplies, so these designs are great for low-key afternoons spent searching for treasures in your yarn scraps basket. Before you know it, you’ll have a colorful feast of fiber-filled foods at your fingertips!
With knitted food patterns, the sky’s the limit, and your imagination is the chef. Whether you’re craving something sweet, savory, or downright quirky, there are knitted food patterns aplenty for every skill level. So, what are you waiting for? Scroll down and prepare to be inspired!
Cupcake and Ice Cream Cone
Usually you have to wait until after dinner to have your dessert, but there’s no such rules in the realm of knitted foods. Now you can enjoy colorful cupcakes and ice cream cones whenever the fancy strikes you. The pattern calls for knit and purl stitches as well as front back increases and two together decreases. Despite the large size of the designs, they work up quickly thanks to the super bulky weight of the yarn.
Designer: Tori Gurbisz for Premier Yarns
Yarn: Premier Yarns Parfait Chunky (Super Bulky Weight #6)
Premier Yarns Parfait Chunky Pom Pom (Super Bulky Weight #6)
Click here for the free pattern!
_______________________
Spring Radish
If you are looking to stock a play kitchen, you’ll be wanting plenty of patterns for fruits and vegetables. This can be a great way for kids to learn more about the different kinds of produce and be more open to trying new foods. For this radiant radish design, you’ll be using knit stitches along with basic increases and decreases and smaller needles for this design.
Designer: Elena Nerpina
Yarn: Garnstudio DROPS Alpaca (Sport Weight #2)
Click here for the free knitting pattern!
_______________________
Easy Knit Carrot
You can whip up a few carrots for a pretend game of grocery shopping with your little ones, or you can work these colorful vegetables into a centerpiece for your Easter table. You’ll be working flat in back and forth rows for this sweet carrot design. The smooth stockinette stitch carrot bodies are complemented by textured garter stitch carrot tops.
Designer: Gina-Michele
Yarn: Red Heart Super Saver (Aran Weight #4)
Click here for the free knitting pattern!
_______________________
Slice of Citrus Coaster
The next one of our knitted food patterns will add a citrus twist to your coffee table or patio set. The design is knit from the center out using the pi method. Easy yarn over eyelets make the little holes that mimic the placement of citrus seeds. Depending on your color selection, you can make these citrus slices look like lemons, limes, oranges, or grapefruits.
Designer: Little Knibbles
Yarn: Hobbii Rainbow Cotton 8/4 (Fingering Weight #1)
Hobbii Rainbow Cotton 8/8 Solid (DK Weight #3)
Click here for the free knitting pattern!
_______________________
Tweed Strawberry
Tweed yarn provides a clever shortcut for this strawberry design. Colorful flecks of yarn stand in for the seeds so you don’t need to do any embroidery. The strawberries themselves are knit in the round on double pointed needles with knit stitches, right lifted increases, and slip slip knit decreases. All the little strawberry leaves are knit flat in one continuous piece and then attached.
Designer: Handknit Hugs
Yarn: Knit Picks Wool of the Andes Worsted (Worsted Weight #4)
Knit Picks Wool of the Andes Tweed (Worsted Weight #4)
Click here for the free knitting pattern!
_______________________
Trio of Pumpkins
Pumpkins aren’t just for Halloween. You can enjoy these gorgeous gourds all year round and I think they would work especially well for home decor. There are two versions of this design: one knit flat and one knit in the round. Both versions have 3 pumpkin size options to choose from, so you’re positively spoiled for choice.
Designer: Just Jen’s
Yarn: Stylecraft Special Double Knit (DK Weight #3)
Click here for the free knitting pattern!
_______________________
Mini Mooncake
I remember seeing these adorable little desserts in the cartoon movie Over the Moon. In the Chinese culture, mooncakes are a symbol of unity, and they are traditionally enjoyed during the Mid-Autumn Festival. Knit and slip stitches are joined by knit front back increases as well as 3 kinds of decreases for this design. The pattern is knit flat in back and forth rows.
Designer: Amanda Berry for Qing Fibre
Yarn: Qing Fibre Classic DK (DK Weight #3)
Click here for the free knitting pattern!
_______________________
Cute Little Mini Mushrooms
Mushrooms have been having a bit of a moment lately with the rising trend of cottagecore design styles. Now you can get in on the fungi fun with this adorable mushroom design. It is quite a lifelike design and it’s fairly true to size as well. The pattern is knit in the round on double pointed needles using just basic knitting stitches.
Designer: Nimble Needles
Yarn: Fingering Weight #1
Click here for the free knitting pattern!
_______________________
Bite Into a Bosc Pear
Shades of golden yellow and rusty maroon mingle together to create this elegant pear. Can you imagine a bowl full of these on the kitchen table? It would be a true testament to the handknit harvest! You’ll be knitting in stockinette stitch in the round for this design and working basic increases and decreases. Of course, you could also opt for a muted green or red shade if you’re going for realism.
Designer: Roving & Mirth
Yarn: Aran Weight #4
Click here for the free knitting pattern!
_______________________
Sweetcorn
Adding eyes to knitted food patterns is such an easy and fun way to infuse some extra personality into your creations. You can even embroider on some extra features if you want, like a mouth or eyebrows. For this bright eyed corn cob, the textured stitch pattern is made using just knit and purl stitches as well as increases and decreases worked flat in back and forth rows.
Designer: fluff & fuzz
Yarn: Hayfield Bonus DK (DK Weight #3)
Click here for the free knitting pattern!
_______________________
Simple Sushi
True to its name, this sushi pattern is decidedly simple. You can see for yourself, thanks to the descriptive picture that the designer has provided. One long rectangle in garter stitch with a few clever color changes transforms from a tiny striped scarf into an adorable roll of sushi once it has been rolled up and seamed. Is it weird that I want to make sushi earrings now?
Designer: Sam Ferguson
Yarn: Worsted Weight #4
Click here for the free knitting pattern!
_______________________
Raspberries
There are so many lovely shades of red and pink that you can use to recreate the iconic hues of the raspberry. I love the color variation presented in the photo here because it looks like raspberries in varying stages of ripeness. You’ll be using knit and purl stitches along with center double decreases for this realistically textured design.
Designer: Yun Jeong
Yarn: DK Weight #3
Click here for the free knitting pattern!
_______________________
Praise Be, Pizza
Pizza is easily one of my top 5 favorite foods, so I had to make sure to find a great design for it. This pattern is knit flat in pieces using stockinette stitch along with some simple embroidery for the details. Topping options abound (pepperoni, pineapple, pepper, olives, basil, onion, mozzarella) so there are a myriad of combinations you can come up with.
Designer: Roving & Mirth
Yarn: None specified
Click here for the free knitting pattern!
_______________________
Tiny Little Doughnut
These cute little donuts are sugar free and packed full of fiber. The pattern is worked flat in stockinette stitch, so they’re super quick and easy to work up. If you work the two halves of the donut in different colors, then it gives the donut a frosted look. Adding all the details at the end is the fun part. You can use yarn to mimic drizzle or sew on tiny beads to look like sprinkles.
Designer: Little Cotton Rabbits
Yarn: Fingering Weight #1
Click here for the free knitting pattern!
_______________________
Yummy Knit Hamburgers
This scrumptious burger design is much easier to make than it might appear. If you know how to knit stitch and how to do a knit front back increase and a knit 2 together decrease, then you’re already well on your way to hamburger heaven. The pattern is knit flat and everything is all one piece except for the lovely ruffle on the lettuce which is knit separately and then sewn on.
Designer: Michele Wilcox for Yarnspirations
Yarn: Red Heart Amigurumi (Fingering Weight #1)
Click here for the free knitting pattern!
_______________________
Brussels Sprout
Adding eyes to knitted food patterns is hilarious, especially when they are of the googly variety. Just don’t give stuff like this to kids that still put everything in their mouths (for obvious choking hazard reasons). Maybe a silly knit brussels sprout will be able to convince your kiddo to give this veggie a try. The pattern is knit flat using knit and purl stitches along with basic increases and decreases.
Designer: fluff & fuzz
Yarn: Hayfield Bonus DK (DK Weight #3)
Click here for the free knitting pattern!
_______________________
Egg or Avocado Potholders
Pay homage to your favorite breakfast food or vegetable with these quirky potholders. This is such a fun idea and it would make a fabulous gift too. For this design, you’ll be knitting in garter stitch in back and forth rows. Special techniques include intarsia colorwork and short rows. If you want a bigger potholder, you could try working with a thicker yarn like worsted or bulky weight.
Designer: Knitting and So On
Yarn: DK Weight #3
Click here for the free knitting pattern!
_______________________
Corn Dog
This iconic corn dog pattern is an ode to the county fair. The design is knit in the round using stockinette stitch. A single strand of a thick yellow yarn stands in for the drizzle of mustard. An actual stick is used to replicate the corn dog stick (in this case, funnily enough, the designer is using a double pointed needle, but you could also use a chopstick).
Designer: Just Crafty Enough
Yarn: Worsted Weight #4
Click here for the free knitting pattern!
_______________________
Sweet Potato
Make this surprisingly realistic sweet potato to complete your play kitchen set. The pattern calls for knit stitches, make 1 increases, and knit 2 together decreases. It is knit in the round starting with a small section of icord. The natural looking lumps and bumps of the design gives lots of wiggle room for beginner knitters so any little mistakes you might make will blend into the background.
Designer: Patchwork Chicken
Yarn: DK Weight #3
Click here for the free knitting pattern!
_______________________
Prospect Park Pretzel
I’ve got a real soft spot for fluffy breads tied into knots, particularly if there is cheese sauce involved. Fellow pretzel fans will love the simplicity of the design of this iconic salty snack. You’ll knit one long rectangle in stockinette stitch, join the long edges together to sew it into a tube, and then twist it into the iconic pretzel shape. Embroidered French knots are used to make the flakes of salt.
Designer: Amy Gaines for Lion Brand Yarn
Yarn: Lion Brand Vanna’s Choice (Aran Weight #4)
Click here for the free knitting pattern!
_______________________
Chocolate Chip Cookie
It’s risky business to run into small cookies such as these in the wild, as you can’t stop at eating just 1, and before you know it you’ve eaten 11. Perhaps, knitting such a small cookie will be equally addicting and you will have a whole cookie jar full by the time your knitting needles stop clacking. The pattern is knit in the round starting with a bit of icord. You’ll be using knit stitches, increases, and decreases.
Designer: Mochimochi Land
Yarn: Cascade Yarns ® Cascade 220® (Worsted Weight #4)
Click here for the free knitting pattern!
_______________________
Knitted Hot Cross Bun
Do you recognize this famous dessert/breakfast food/any time of day treat? The clever design is knit flat in stockinette stitch. You’ll make something that looks a bit like a plus sign and then sew it up along the sides to form the cake-like shape. A couple lengths of icord in white yarn make the eponymous crossed icing.
Designer: My Poppet
Yarn: DK Weight #3
Click here for the free knitting pattern!
_______________________
French Macarons
This whole post is making me hungry, but especially so when I see these lovely macarons. If you have a sweet tooth too, then you know that the struggle is real. Skip the real slices of cake and opt for these yummy-looking macarons instead. They’re knit in the round in pieces using knit and purl stitches as well as basic increases and decreases. A long strand of knit icord is swirled and tucked inside the two halves to serve as the filling.
Designer: The Creations of Crazy Dazy
Yarn: DK Weight #3
Click here for the free knitting pattern!
_______________________
Easter Eggs
You don’t want your kids using real eggs to play restaurant with, as they are, of course, very fragile and prone to breakage. Make them these sturdy yarn ones instead! The pattern is worked in the round on double pointed needles. It calls for knit stitches, knit 2 togethers, and right lifted increases. Of course, you can choose to make your eggs all white (or perhaps a speckled brown) if you don’t want to make the colorful Easter variety.
Designer: Emily Kintigh Designs
Yarn: Worsted Weight #4
Click here for the free knitting pattern!
_______________________
Garlic
Never trust a recipe that only includes 1 or 2 cloves of garlic. The more the merrier, I say! Now you can add even more garlic into your life with this clever design. The pattern is worked in the round with knit stitches, increases, and decreases. Short rows are used for further shaping to create all the bumps that hide the tasty cloves nestled inside.
Designer: Kristen Wiszynski
Yarn: Worsted Weight #4
Click here for the free knitting pattern!
_______________________
Final Thoughts on Knitted Food Patterns
With these knitted food patterns at your fingertips, the possibilities are endless. Whether you’re crafting play food for little ones, adding a pop of personality to your home decor, or searching for the perfect gift, there’s a pattern here to satisfy every craving.
Don’t forget, sharing is caring and a great way to support small businesses! Send this free knitting pattern round-up to all your knitting friends so they can join in on the fun too! Bookmark this page or save the link to your Pinterest board for amazing knitting patterns.
I’ll see you next week for another free knitting pattern round-up. Make sure to follow the blog so you never miss a post. <3
Happy Knitting!