Life moves so fast these days. I can’t believe we’re nearly through the first week of December. The holiday frenzy has only just begun, and if you’re anything like me, your Christmas making/shopping is already behind schedule. So, maybe this isn’t the year to craft that heirloom coverlet for your sister or the cabled sweater for hubby. All is not lost! The universe is brimming with thoughtful gift ideas that are easy on your schedule.
Look at this sweet Lavender Heat Pack from Tori Grant Designs. What a clever gift made from easily obtained materials and a few humble skills. Tori has written a great tutorial and even included a link to download the precious little tags – her own design. No time/skills for sewing? Why not pick up a few fat quarters from your local fabric store and pack them into a pretty box or bag along with the rest of the ingredients? Recipients will then have the joy of making as well as a pretty, useful gift.
Knitting can be quick too, done right. Simple patterns for small items using thicker yarns win the day when the finish line is looming, but that doesn’t rule out learning new techniques. Take a peek at this cool hat designed by my pal Elizabeth McCarten as part of her stranded knitting class. The Yule Toque & Tam pattern is a quick and easy knit that showcases your fair isle chops whether you’re a beginner or an expert. Using worsted weight yarn, you can whip up a quickie in either a tam or toque variation.
When I was over at KnitSpot the other day, Anne was talking about Kate Atherley’s new Mayberry Cap, designed especially for the 2017 Knitspot Fundraiser. This fundraiser supports a scholarship that is awarded each year to a young person in the Foster Care 2 Success program. (Read all about this excellent endeavor here). Anyway, this gorgeous hat works up quick from a single skein of the fabulous KnitSpot Festivus 4.0 Worsted. Get it in Cranberry Crush and drool all through the holidays.
While we’re on the subject of hats, the quickest and best of all yule knitting, let’s address the gents. Show of hands… How many have made a rejected hat for a special guy? Yup. Me too. Apparently, super knitter Joji Locatelli has had this problem too and in response, has designed Rafa’s Hat.
We all have that man in our lives that we want to knit for, but we never seem to nail it when it comes to making something simple enough for them to love. So this season, I decided to write up this pattern and publish it for free, hoping you still have time to make one or more for your manly men 😉
A simple ribbed toque punctuated by garter ridges, Rafa’s Hat would be dynamite in a hand-dyed luxury yarn in worsted weight. I know lots of girls who’d love this too!
Here’s a lovely idea, Flying Solo by Espace Tricot. It’s a simple, lushly proportioned cowl that snuggles right down inside your coat. Who wouldn’t love this in a luxury yarn? I love the way Espace Tricot creates gradients by carrying two strands at once, a technique that allows the knitter complete control over color changes. This project calls for two strands of fingering weight yarn which, realistically, gets you a worsted weight. And just think of the color possibilities!
And last but not least, humble socks, the Maypole and Poppa socks for lazy/busy sock knitters. I’m a big fan of DK and worsted weight socks. They’re super quick to knit, they make the most of simple stitch patterns and they fill up snow boots like nothing else! I use heavy weight sock yarns to teach my toe up and top down sock classes because it’s easy for new sock knitters to see what they’re doing. And…pretty much instant gratification. Seriously, these are so fast you can make a pair for everyone.
So there are some ideas for you! If you get cracking now, you’ll be ready by Christmas!
