13 Charming St. Patrick’s Day Patterns to Knit Some Irish Luck

Show off your love of all things green, shamrock-ite and leprechaun-y with these delightful St. Patrick’s Day-themed patterns

Do you enjoy St. Patrick’s Day as much as I do?

I have to admit that St. Patrick’s Day is one of my favorite holidays. It’s not only the perfect day to cover yourself in green, which is my favorite color. 💚

It’s also a day when you’re encouraged to luxuriate in your own culture (if you’re Irish) or enjoy a different one (if you’re not).

In 2024, I visited New Orleans with my husband (who was there for business), and the visit happened to coincide with St. Patrick’s Day. I’ll never forget how we walked to a restaurant for dinner and literally ran right into a St. Patrick’s Day parade.

The beads! The shamrocks! The green faux flowers! The dancing! It was truly a joy.

If you’d like to bring some of that spirit of fun and play and Irish luck into your life, have I got the patterns for you! 🍀

I’ve divided this collection into patterns for the home and patterns you can wear. Enjoy!

Add Some Irish Luck to Your Home

1. St. Patrick’s Day Knit Cocktail Coasters

• What you’ll need to make them: About 100 yards of worsted weight green (or green + another color like white or yellow) cotton yarn; US Size 8 needles

• Why you’ll want to: These coasters couldn’t be simpler! In just a few days (or even hours), you’ll have a handy set of cocktail coasters for your St. Patrick’s Day party. If you want to spice them up a bit, you could stripe them with white or yellow, or you could use a variegated yarn with green as the primary color.

2. Shamrock Handy Kitchen Helpers

• What you’ll need to make them: 55 yards of worsted weight green cotton yarn (for each item; a total of 110 yards for both); US Size 8 needles

• Why you’ll want to: This pattern offers two options: a sweet shamrock to use as a coaster or a small mat, and a lovely flower to use as a mat or a potholder. Both are lovely, and both will knit up in a flash!

3. St. Patrick’s Day Washcloth

• What you’ll need to make it: 150 to 200 yards worsted weight green cotton yarn; US Size 8 needles

• Why you’ll want to: This sweet washcloth stamped with a shamrock design is a super-simple introduction to lace knitting. And if you’re an old hand at lace, you can knit a bunch of these in very little time.

4. Coaster with Shamrock in Double Knitting

• What you’ll need to make it: About 68 yards of fingering weight cotton yarn, divided evenly into two colors (one of which should probably be green 😉; US Size 1.5 or 2 needles

• Why you’ll want to: If you’re wondering about the thin yarn called for, that’s because this shamrock coaster is to be double-knitted. If you’re new to double knitting, this is a fabulous pattern with which to begin. And if not, well… it’ll simply be a fun knit! I love that it creates a double-sided coaster with a lovely shamrock design on each side.

5. Lucky Clover Cozy

• What you’ll need to make it: 21 yards each of worsted weight green yarn and worsted weight white (or another contrasting color) yarn; US Size 3 and 5 circular needles and/or DPNs (depending on how you prefer to knit in the round)

• Why you’ll want to: This fabulous cozy comes in two variations: one for coffee mugs, and one for bottles. Both are a great way to start or practice Fair Isle stranded knitting, while creating a delightful clover leaf design.

6. Shamrock Argyle Potholder

• What you’ll need to make them: 92 yards worsted weight cotton or wool yarn (divided into 2 colors); US Size 4 needles

• Why you’ll want to: This beautiful design would look gorgeous gracing any table! This is easily the most intricate pattern in this part of the collection, but it’s also a wonderful way to practice colorwork on a smaller scale.

Wear the Luck o’ the Irish

7. Knitted & Bejeweled Shamrocks

• What you’ll need to make them: Scraps of green sock yarn; US Size 2 needles; craft crystals (either adhesive or not); hot glue gun (optional, if the craft crystals are not adhesive)

• Why you’ll want to: These little shamrocks are so cute! I love the idea of adding craft crystals to them in order to make them sparkle and give them a bit more pizzazz. This could be worn as a brooch or added to any kind of fabric (a T-shirt, a bag, etc.) as an applique.

8. St. Patrick’s Striped Hat

• What you’ll need to make it: About 450 yards DK weight yarn, divided into at least 2 colors (3 if you follow the designer’s pattern exactly), with one of those colors being green of course; US Size 6 and 7 circular needles and/or DPNs (depending on how you prefer to knit in the round)

• Why you’ll want to: This pattern creates a simple hat, one with stripes that show Irish solidarity. This beanie has a bit of slouch to it, which I love, but the designer also explains how to make it snugger if you so desire.

9. St. Patrick’s Day Baby Leprechaun Hat

• What you’ll need to make it: 125 yards DK weight green yarn (along with small amounts of black and gold yarn); US Size 6 circular needles and/or DPNs

• Why you’ll want to: This adorable baby hat comes in two sizes, for a 3-month-old and a 6-month-old. The design is so cute, it’ll make any baby look like a teeny leprechaun!

10. Leprechaun Hat for St Pats

• What you’ll need to make it: About 120 to 150 yards sport or light worsted weight green yarn, along with small amounts of black, gold, and orange yarn; US Size 5 circular needles and/or DPNs (depending on how you prefer to knit in the round); tapestry needle; iron
  Note: orange yarn should be cotton or wool, as the instructions call for ironing the orange-knitted portion

• Why you’ll want to: This hat is similar to the Baby Leprechaun hat above, with one key difference: it comes with a little orange chin strap designed to look like a ginger beard! I think it’s absolutely adorable.

11. Shamrock Hat

• What you’ll need to make it: 190 to 240 yards DK weight yarn in two colors, one green and the other a contrasting color; US Size 5 circular needles and/or DPNs

• Why you’ll want to: This gorgeous hat is the most complex hat pattern in this collection–with lots of stranded knitting and charts to read. But if you’re feeling brave, or if you’re an old hand at stranded colorwork, why not give it a try?

12. Reversible Shamrock Scarf

• What you’ll need to make it: 1200 to 1600 DK weight green and a contrasting color of yarn; US Size 6 needles; 12 stitch markers (optional)

• Why you’ll want to: This pattern creates an unbelievably breathtaking scarf that’s entirely reversible, with adorable shamrock designs on each side. No question, this is the most time-consuming pattern on the list. But if you have the time and the courage, why not dive in?

13. Exclusive to Knitting for Charity: No Pinches St. Patrick’s Day Preemie/Newborn Hat

Copyright: Glenna Anderson Muse, Springfield, MO

Designer Glenna Muse has given me permission to reproduce her pattern here on Knitting for Charity, as she plans to take down her blog shortly. Thank you, Glenna, for your generosity!

You can find more adorable tiny hat patterns in Glenna’s book, available at Amazon. (The following is an affiliate link; if you make a purchase after using, I may receive a commission. Thank you for your support!)

Warm Hats for Wee Noggins-19 Knit Designs Sized for Preemie to 12 Months

Sizes: (Micro-Preemie, Med-Preemie, Large Preemie, Newborn)

Finished hat circumference measurements: (8, 10, 11, 12) inches

Abbreviations:

CO = cast on

K2tog = knit two stitches together as one, to decrease

Materials:

Size# 8 double-pointed needles or needles needed to make gauge

Optional:  Size #10 double pointed needles or 2 sizes larger than needles used to accomplish gauge.  Note: Casting on using larger needles creates a stretchier, more comfortable hat opening.
Nicole’s note: you can also use one or more circular needles, if you wish.

Less than 1 skein of any soft, worsted weight, kelly green yarn

Less than 1 skein of any soft, worsted weight, bright orange yarn

Less than 1 skein of any soft, worsted weight, white yarn

Yarn needle

Optional:  shamrock pin or girls’ shamrock hair clip

Gauge:  16 stitches x 20 rows = 4 inches

Directions:

With green yarn and larger set of needles, CO (32, 40, 44, 48). 

Change to smaller needles.

Row 1:  *K1, P1, repeat from * to end of row. Join to knit in the round, placing a marker (or using the yarn tail) between last stitch of first row and first stitch of second row.

Rounds 2-4: *K1, P1, repeat from * to end of round.

Change to white yarn.

Rounds 5-6: Knit all stitches.

Change to orange yarn.

Round 7:  Knit all stitches.

Round 8: *K2(orange), K2(green), repeat from * to end of round.
Note: Be sure to cross yarns at each color change throughout the row. Also, keep your tension looser than normal, so the fabric will lay smoothly without puckering.

Round 9: *K2(green), K2(orange), repeat from * to end of round.

Change to green yarn.

Round 10: Knit all stitches.

Change to white yarn.

Knit until piece measures (2, 3, 3.5, 4) inches from CO edge.

Change to orange yarn.

Knit 3 rounds.

Decreases:

Round A: *K2, K2tog, repeat from * to end of round. [(24, 30, 33, 36) stitches remain]

Round B: *K1, K2tog, repeat from * to end of round. [(16, 20, 22, 24) stitches remain]

Round C: K2tog to end of round. [(8, 10, 11, 12) stitches remain]

Round D: K2tog to end of round. Note that large preemie size will have one stitch at the end of the row to knit singly. [(4, 5, 6, 6) stitches remain]

Cut a long tail and thread onto yarn needle. Draw yarn through remaining stitches, pull tightly, and secure.  Weave loose end into the underside of hat. 

Finishing:  Weave in all loose ends and place (optional) shamrock pin or clip on hat.

Thanks again to Glenna Muse for permission to reprint this pattern.

With these delightful patterns, you’ll be ready for St. Patrick’s Day both this year and beyond!