Ok I know this is the time of year when knitters start gift knitting like mad, but for me it's also the time I start daydreaming about knitting a sweater for myself - I never actually knit one, but oh how I love to dream about it!  So I wanted to share some of my personal favorite sweater patterns that are available online.  I'm sticking with independent patterns (so nothing for sale through Interweave for example) because patterns available directly from designers or through independent sites like Twist Collective are much more beneficial to designers, yay!  Starting with pullovers, this one is so super popular but I love it just like everyone else does!  Owls by Kate Davies is a free ravelry download, and can be found on this page along with all of Kate's gorgeous patterns.  Above, you see the design, and below is an example of how you could be super crafty and embellish it further - ravelry user mamasue did this adorable embroidery!

I also love Kate's Paper Dolls pattern - so cute!  This one is £3.50 through her site or ravelry.



Baby Cables and Big Ones Too, designed by Suvi Simola and for sale on ravelry for , is so beautifully unusual and classic looking at the same time, I can't stop staring at it!



And speaking of unusual cables, Jared Flood designed the cool horizontal cabled Seneca, which you can buy from him on ravelry for .25.



One last crazy cool cabled pullover - Wisteria by Kate Gilbert is from Twist Collective:



Now how about a hoodie? Yeah!  Rogue Hooded Pullover is from Girl From Auntie - this fabulous one was knit by elkbiologist on ravelry:



Moving on to cardigans, I'll start out with a few free ones!  I love the simplicity and neckline of Buttony Sweater by Katie Marcus:



That one used Elizabeth Zimmermann's sweater-knitting concepts as a starting point; February Lady Sweater by Pamela Wynne is a "grown-ass woman" version of EZ's Baby Sweater on Two Needles (download on ravelry):



Everybody Knows by Weaverknits on knitty is a garter stitch jacket - "If you’ve never knit a sweater, you can knit this one and enjoy every minute" - love it!



I always love Weaverknits' design aesthetic; check out this fabulously asymmetrical jacket, Lauren, available on ravelry for :



Dexter by Zephyr Style (.50) looks so comfy, I'd want to wear it every day for sure!



Ysolda Teague designed this gorgeous zip-up hoodie, Vivian, for Twist Collective ():



And lastly, also on Twist Collective for , the most ultimate of all knit sweaters - Sylvi by Mari Muinonen is absolutely breathtaking:



Hope this inspired you to cast on a sweater, or at least to daydream about casting one on after the holidays perhaps, and also to support your favorite knit designers!  If you have a personal favorite sweater design, let us all know in the comments!