Free Argyle Patterns to Crochet and Knit

Today is Argyle Day! Argyle is a traditional pattern made of diamonds with lines through them. Argyle projects can be knit or crochet, and argyle designs can be put on any kind of project.

Argyle comes from a traditional tartan, or plaid, of one of the Scottish clans. It was popular in the 1920s and is often still seen on golf sweater vests and other golf-related clothing and accessories.

Argyle Projects

A great place to get started knitting argyle is with this Chic Highland Argyle Cardigan I designed. It’s designed for advanced beginners, and has tutorial videos to help you learn how to do the techniques to make argyle. You’ll use four colors of yarn: one for the background, two for the diamonds, and one for the lines.

Argyle patterns don’t have to be knit cardigans, however! You can add argyle designs on to all kinds of projects to crochet and knit to wear or for your home.

• Argyle Plaid Crochet Pillow
• Argyle and Plaid Jacket
• Argyle Sweater
• Sweet Argyle Dress
• Knit Argyle Scarf
• Argyle for Dad Wreath
• Argyle Bean Bag Ottoman
• Argyle C2C Crochet Baby Blanket

Planned Pooling Argyle Projects

Planned pooling is a crochet technique where colors in certain multicolored yarns can line up to make an intentional pattern. As long as you stitch carefully, the argyle shows up with just one skein of yarn instead of changing colors!

If you’ve never done planned pooling before, get started with the Total Beginner’s Guide to Crochet Planned Pooling.

Another good place to start is with the My First Series-Planned Pooling Argyle Poncho.

Get your planned pooling argyle on with these free patterns from Yarnspirations!

• Planned Pooling Argyle Table Runner
• Planned Pooling Argyle Throw
• Planned Pooling Argyle Cowl
• Planned Pooling Argyle Hat
• Planned Pooling Argyle Pillow
• Planned Pooling Argyle Wristers
• Planned Pooling Pullover
• Pooling Crochet Infinity Scarf

Also on the Blog

• Total Beginner’s Guide to Crochet Planned Pooling
• A Good Stitch-For-Yourself Project: Knit Argyle Cardigan Pattern
• My First Series-Planned Pooling Argyle Poncho

Frequently Asked Questions

What is argyle and why is it popular for yarn crafts?

Argyle is that classic diamond-grid pattern with diagonal overlapping lines… you’ve seen it on preppy sweaters, socks, and blankets. It originated in Scotland and has been a knitwear staple for centuries. In yarn crafts, argyle is beloved because it’s genuinely timeless and sophisticated-looking… an argyle sweater or pair of socks looks intentional and polished. It can be worked through planned pooling with variegated yarn, intarsia, stranded colorwork, or even surface embroidery, giving crafters multiple routes to the same beautiful result.

What’s the easiest way to create an argyle effect in crochet?

Planned pooling is the most magical approach… using self-striping yarn with the right stitch count, the colors pool into diamond shapes that look exactly like argyle without any color switching mid-row. It requires upfront swatching to find your magic number, but once you’re set up, the crocheting itself is straightforward. The other option is tapestry crochet, where you carry multiple colors and work them according to a chart. Both create beautiful argyle… planned pooling is more spontaneous, tapestry is more controlled.

Is argyle knitting hard?

Traditional knitted argyle uses intarsia… separate yarn bobbins for each diamond section, with the yarns twisted at color joins. It’s intermediate level because of the yarn management, but the geometric shapes themselves are very regular and learnable. Many knitters find their first argyle project takes patience but the second is much more manageable. If traditional intarsia sounds intimidating, look for argyle patterns that use stranded colorwork or slip stitch techniques instead… these achieve a similar effect with less yarn juggling.

What items look best in argyle patterns?

Classic argyle items are: socks (the original argyle expression), sweater vests and cardigans (very preppy chic), blankets where the diamond pattern creates graphic visual interest, mittens and fingerless gloves, and headbands and hats. Argyle has a smart, put-together quality that works beautifully in neutral tones with one accent color… think cream and navy, grey and burgundy, tan and dark green. Bold multicolor argyle is also stunning and feels more modern and fun.

Do I need to buy special yarn for argyle projects?

For planned pooling argyle, you need self-striping yarn with long consistent color repeats. For intarsia or stranded argyle, you just need regular worsted or DK weight yarn in the colors of your design… nothing special about the yarn itself, just the colors you choose. Plain, smooth yarn with good stitch definition shows the argyle pattern most crisply. Fuzzy or textured yarns blur the geometric lines. For socks, sock weight with nylon content is the practical choice for durability.