Oh my goodness. Christmas is such a mixed bag for me. I see it coming down the calendar and a little part of me dreads it. Then I embrace it and I usually have a good time. It’s one of those things…what you put into it is directly proportionate to what you get out.
The best part of the Christmas season for me is the handmade part. Whether it’s cookies or ornaments or decor, I appreciate the love that goes into the “making” of Christmas.
When Carl was alive, I used to go crazy with handmade gifts and though that’s no longer necessary, l still cherish those heartfelt handmade moments. The problem is time. Time is of the essence when it comes to Christmas especially when it comes to knitting. Over the years, I’ve developed some sweet, fun and quick Christmas projects that slip easily into a busy schedule. These are free patterns that might just solve the time problem.
#1: Raspberry Dash Fingerless Mitts
Brightly colored and quick to knit, these nifty knits feature an easy mesh stitch back and sweet button closure. They’re ribbed top and bottom and have a fully fashioned thumb gusset. Worked in plump and vibrant Koigu KPM, they’re as satisfying to make as they are to wear. You’ll love them when the first fall nip creeps into the air!
#2: Barn Swallow Fingerless Mitts
How about a touch of ‘really pretty’ peeking out from your coat sleeve? These feminine fingerless mitts are just the thing! They’re quick to knit with just enough excitement to keep a knitter from getting bored, yet much easier than they look. They make great holiday gifts, too! You’ll want to make them in every color.
These little sachet bags are simple, sweet and very quick to knit. Sweet Sally Sachets can be made in two sizes with a variety of surface treatments. The larger bag features a moss stitch heart motif, while the smaller bags can be made with your choice of Dot Stitch, beads or sequins. They’re worked in silky soft Baby Bamboo, a blend of bamboo with a touch of wool, and edged with the lacy crown picot bind off. Trimmings, ribbons, bead and other embellishments can be added to personalize these pretty sachets. And what a lovely gift!
Slip on these soft and cozy half-socks under flip flops before your manicurist applies polish so you can duck out of the spa and into the sunshine without waiting for your toes to dry. Isn’t that clever? They’re perfect for yoga too, or for under flip flops on those early spring days.
Here’s a collection of soft, luxurious spa cloths, each featuring a different stitch combination. You’ll enrich your stitch vocabulary while knitting these giftable cotton cloths. Each cloth uses a single skein. Any worsted weight craft cotton will do! Bamboo works beautifully too!
The Tooty Mitts are simple shaped mittens with a color-block twist! Work them as opposites, complements or in crazy contrast blocks. Either way, they’re a great stash-buster and seriously fun to wear! These playful mittens have gentle shaping at the wrist rather than ribbing and a few rows of pretty garter stitch trim. Add some twisted cord trim to make them extra cute!
These sweet little Santa hats could be tree ornaments, wine bottle toppers or soft boiled egg warmers. Use them to embellish a little gift if you like! They use just a teeny bit of yarn (with the exception of the pompoms which always use more yarn than I think). You can knock a mini hat out in about an hour. I’ve made mine from sock weight yarn, but there’s no reason at all why they couldn’t be made out of heavier yarn; just be aware that the hat will turn out larger than these itty bitty ones.
I hope these help with your Christmas time-crunch! UPDATE: These free patterns are now on-site Ravelry patterns and will be stored in your Ravelry library! Yay! Remember, these are “off-site” patterns. They are printable from my website but will not be stored in your Ravelry library. If you have trouble printing or downloading, CLICK HERE for some tips.
Love,
Cheryl
