Get Witchy with Potion Bottle Cross Stitch Patterns

There are so many fun ways you can go when stitching Halloween cross stitch patterns or giving your place a slightly spooky or witchy vibe any time of year. I love the look of little potion bottles, whether they’re real bottles lined up on the mantle or shelf or cross stitched versions like these.

The gorgeous Elixir of Life cross stitch pattern from Makaronka Stitch is decidedly not Halloween in its vibes, so it would be fun to stitch and display any time of year. This is also definitely not a pattern for beginners, as it uses 37 colors and 34 blends to make the beautiful colors. It also uses full and half cross stitches, back stitch and French knots. The design measures 82 by 115 stitches, which comes out to 5.8 by 8.2 inches or 14.88 by 20.86 cm on 14 count fabric.

If you’re looking for something a little smaller but still a lot of fun, check out this set of six potion bottles from MIYA Stitch. I love how each bottle seems to have its own personality, from one with a pumpkin and witch hat to one with crystals, mushrooms, or a butterfly and flower. The patterns are 60 by 88 stitches each. That’s 4.3 by 6.3 inches or 11 by 16 cm on 14 count fabric. The full set uses 26 colors and blends.

Or try this set of five mini potion bottles from Plenty of Strings. I love the colors on these and they’d look great as a set on one piece of fabric or individually stitches as shown. Each one fits in a 3-inch hoop.

These minis from Giselles Cross Stitch are really cute, too, though they are meant to be worked together as one piece. The whole pattern uses 26 colors and measures 93 by 107 stitches, which comes out to 6.6 by 7.6 inches or 16.8 by 19.4 cm on 14 count fabric. They’re perfect on black or a dark blue fabric.

I also like this bigger set of potion bottles from SamXstitch, which is meant to be stitched as a set but you could also work individual bottles in their own frames if you’d rather. The full design uses 10 colors and is 123 by 173 stitches. Taht comes out to 8.78 by 12.36 inches/22.31 by 31.39 cm on 14 count fabric.

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Scandinavia is known for its sweaters, which usually include colorwork and are worked in muted colors of wool yarn. They’re nothing if not traditional, so giving that garment a modern twist is a fun approach.

Marita Clementz said in her book Knit Modern Scandi Sweaters that she wanted bolder, more colorful designs inspired by nature.

The book opens with a brief overview of needed supplies (plus the yarn she used to make her sweaters, which may be difficult to find in other countries), a discussion of yarn weigh, increasing or decreasing evenly across a project, color dominance, sizing and ease and general sweater construction. All of the garments are worked in the round from the top down, and several include short rows at the neck. She also talks about reading and adjusting charts.

The patterns follow, with lots of pictures and a large copy of the chart. Some of my favorites include Anemone, covered all over with large flowers that remind me of the 1960s; Lofoten, which features colorwork diamonds and is shown in three different colorways with three neckline options; and the cheerful zig-zagged Svalbard, inspired by the mountains and midnight sun of the island of Spitsbergen. I’m not finding the book on Ravelry as I write this but you can see some of the patterns in the preview on Amazon, linked above or the publisher’s website, linked below.

There are lots of floral motifs and geometric designs, and the patterns don’t do a ton of hand holding, so it would be good if you’ve knit a few sweaters before you try these. The skill ratings are on a scale of one to five: six are rated three, four are four and two are level five. (None are rated one or two.)

All the designs have seven sizes, which range in chest circumference from 34 to 53 inches, or 85 to 133 cm. Garments are shown on young adults and men and women (all the author’s family I think).

This book is a lot of fun if you like bold, colorful designs and cozy sweaters with a Scandinavian flair.

About the book: 128 pages, paperback, 12 patterns. Published 2025 by David & Charles. Suggested retail price $24.99.

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