While the whole World has been stuck indoors during the Coronavirus pandemic, rainbows have been popping up in windows all around the UK. My daughter and I love to count all the rainbows in the windows when we go out for our daily exercise.

The Rainbows in the Windows banners are perfect for hanging in windows, or on walls. The pattern is written for one basic banner that can be decorated with your choice of four intarsia motifs: a rainbow heart, a rainbow or the words HAPPY or THANK YOU. The patterns for the intarsia portions are provided as both charts and written instructions. If you’re not a fan of intarsia, you can knit the banner without any colourwork and use duplicate stitch to add the motif at the end.

Each banner uses the same rainbow palette, and is perfect for stash-busting., or you could buy the yarn you need and make a few extra rainbow banners for friends and family from your leftovers.

If you enjoy this free pattern, please consider making a donation to NHS Charities Together.

Sizes
One size: 30.5 cm [12.25 in] wide x 30 cm [12 in] high

Tension
18 sts and 25 rows = 10 cm [4 in] in stocking stitch worked flat on 5 mm (US 8) needles after wet blocking, or size needed to obtain correct tension.

Yarn
For each banner, you will need 130 m [145 yds] of aran-weight yarn in MC.

You will also need aran-weight yarn in the following colours and amounts, depending on which design you are making:

Heart

• CC1 (red): 5 m [10 yds]
• CC2 (orange): 15 m [20 yds]
• CC3 (yellow): 15 m [20 yds]
• CC4 (green): 10 m [15 yds]
• CC5 (blue): 10 m [15 yds]
• CC6 (indigo): 10 m [15 yds]
• CC7 (violet): 5 m [10 yds]

HAPPY

• CC1 (red): 5 m [10 yds]
• CC2 (orange): 5 m [10 yds]
• CC3 (yellow): 5 m [10 yds]
• CC4 (green): 5 m [10 yds]
• CC6 (indigo): 5 m [10 yds]

Rainbow

• CC1 (red): 10 m [15 yds]
• CC2 (orange): 10 m [15 yds]
• CC3 (yellow): 10 m [15 yds]
• CC4 (green): 10 m [15 yds]
• CC5 (blue): 5 m [10 yds]
• CC6 (indigo): 5 m [10 yds]
• CC7 (violet): 5 m [10 yds]

THANK YOU

• CC1 (red): 10 m [15 yds]
• CC2 (orange): 5 m [10 yds]
• CC3 (yellow): 5 m [10 yds]
• CC4 (green): 5 m [10 yds]
• CC5 (blue): 5 m [10 yds]
• CC6 (indigo): 5 m [10 yds]
• CC7 (violet): 5 m [10 yds]

Needles
5 mm (US 8) straight needles

Notions

• Fixed stitch markers x 2
• Tapestry needle
• Bobbins for holding the different yarn colours during colourwork (optional)
• Chart row marker (optional)
• 2 lengths of dowel, 35 cm [14 in] in length and 1 cm [0.5 in] in diameter
• Hanging thread
• PVA glue (optional)

Pattern notes
The sample is knitted in Paintbox Yarns Simply Aran (aran, 184 m per 100 g ball, 100% acrylic) in 202 Champagne White (MC), 213 Rose Red (CC1), 219 Blood Orange (CC2), 222 Buttercup Yellow (CC3), 228 Lime Green (CC4), 233 Marine Blue (CC5), 239 Sailor Blue (CC6) and 247 Pansy Purple (CC7). Yarn support was kindly provided by LoveCrafts (affiliate link).

Instructions are provided for four designs. For each design, you will need to print out the written instructions for the plain banner and either the chart or written instructions for the picture of your choice.

The pattern is designed to be worked using intarsia for the colourwork portions. If you prefer, you can work the banner in a single colour, then add the colour work at the end using duplicate stitch – the yardages given should be sufficient for you to complete the banner this way. Links to introductions to intarsia and duplicate stitch are provided in the Resources section. You may wish to use a combination of intarsia, stranded colourwork and duplicate stitch to minimise ends.

Pattern edited by Jo Torr.

Please note that the pattern link is an affiliate link.