The Season of Joy...and Non-Stop Knitting!
I love to gift knit. The hunt for the perfect pattern, the perfect yarn. The joy of creating something for loved ones with my own two hands. The surprise and delight on their faces as they open their gifts.
Because I have so many family members who squeal with glee over a hand knit hat or pair of socks, my holiday knitting starts early. I'm always wandering around the net or spending way too much time thumbing through knitting books looking for gift ideas. So, I thought I'd share some of what I've found.
All of the patterns listed here are free (yes, FREE). Most of them are quick and easy knits - but with a little twist to keep you (and the honored recipient) from getting bored. I've also thrown in some inspirational photos from flickr, and listed some fun books, incase you don't find what you are looking for in the free patterns.
Happy knitting!
Photo by briebeest
Contents at a Glance
In A Nut Shell
That's a cinnamon almond nut shell, in keeping with the season, of course.
Want to see some of the projects in it before you buy it? There's a user-submitted photo gallery full of things like cabled socks and fair isle mittens. Lovely!
Handknit Holidays: Knitting Year-Round for Christmas, Hanukkah, and Winter Solstice
Amazon Price: $18.15 (as of 01/09/2009)
Used Price: $10.86
Gifts For Rugrats
'Cause you're the best (aunt, uncle, mom, dad, grand parent, family friend, etc.) ever!
- Round or Pinwheel Baby Blanket
- An easy pattern that's guaranteed to get an "oooo, wow" from the adults in the room...and guaranteed to keep baby warm and snuggly.
- HowStuffWorks "Free Baby Mary Jane Booties Knitting Patterns"
- Mary Jane baby booties! Can you even try to get any adorable-er?!
- Bananahead's Baby Beanie (pdf)
- No, it won't make the baby's head look like a banana, but with the little icord bow on top, it'll look really cute!
- Debbie Bliss Baby Shrug
- A classic Debbie Bliss pattern, This simple little shrug (think "cardigan minus the buttons") is perfect for those sunny days with a bit of chill in the breeze.
- The 1932 Soaker Pattern
- With a ton of new mommies returning to cloth diapers, soakers are a hot item right now. This pattern was inspired by the original publication, way back in the 1930's. Usually knit out of wool, they act as a diaper cover and an extra layer of absorbant material between a wet baby booty and you favorite pair of jeans. Which is a good thing, right?
- Sideways Garter Stitch Baby Bib
- This super easy baby bib is knit with self stiping cotton yarn, making it both stylish and machine washable. (Did I mention easy? And self striping?)
A Little Inspiration For The Little Ones
Warning: cuteness overload eminent
for a friend's new babyGoodbye Yellow Brick Road Booties, Lion Brand blogyarn ...
This free pattern from Knitting Pure & Simple was completed in less than...
"Baby Bib O'Love" from Mason-Dixon Knitting. Sugar n'Cream c...
Blogged here:
I can't remember what book I found this pattern in (got it from the library and ...
Babies in Books
Sometimes you just need a book full of cute babies...oh, and some knitting.
Run across "psso" or "k1tbl" in a pattern and feel like you need a code book to read it? Check out knittinghelp.com. It's full of video tutorials on both basic and advanced techniques. They've even got the video to answer the burning question on every beginner sock knitter's mind: So, what exactly is the "magic loop"?
Cute Kids
Patterns for toddlers to teens
- Kid's Crown
- What little kid wouldn't want their very own crown?! Make your little prince or princess happy with this one. :)
- Bulky Kids Mittens
- Need a quick knit for a kid? Try these mittens! Knit out of bulky yarn, they'll work up in a flash. Sizes range from 4t to 12 years.
- childHood
- A cute little hoodie for your favorite little hoodlum! This flexibly-written unisex cardigan pattern is sized infant to six years, and can be knit with or without stripes (or even without the hood).
- Arrowhead Lace Headband
- A good introduction to lace knitting, this headband knit with worsted weight yarn. It's only eleven stitches wide, and has a four row pattern. Directions are both charted and written out. It would make a great gift for a little girl or teen!
- Lost in the Music Coverup
- An open, lace shrug perfect for throwing on over a tank. Got a teenage neice? Make her this and you could possibly be the coolest aunt ever!
- Felted Skull Tote (pdf)
- It's a skull! On a felted tote! What could be cooler?
- Family of Felted Slippers
- No matter the size of the foot you're knitting for, this pattern's got ya covered. Sizes include toddler though adult.
- Kids Vest
- Knit this vest out of self striping yarn for a unique look, guarenteed to keep your little munchkin warm and toasty. (Includes instructions for finished chest sizes 25-30 inches.)
- Hardcore Cardigan
- Know a teenage boy who knits? Give him a gift to celebrate his complete awsomeness! This oversized cardigan features a yarn-ball-skull and knitting-needle-crossbones on the back, with the words "cool boys knit" above it.
Knits For Kids
Some fun ideas for children's knits
One of my Mothers' nurses knits these, they are fabulous and she gives them to l...
Great soft Egyptian cotton.Kids small - 6" foot(Available - see m...
This is one of my younger friends wearing a hat I knit - I crocheted the green r...
this is my first color work/ fair isle practice. it's only practice, but then i...
There was a free pattern but the link does not work anymore.Many knitters have ...
Kid Knitting Books
There are many great books of kids' knits. Here are a few...
Harry Potter Knits!
Um, I mean: Knitting based on Harry Potter!
Charmed Knits: Projects for Fans of Harry Potter
Amazon Price: $10.19 (as of 01/09/2009)
Got an HP fan in your life? Check out this fun book filled with knits inspired by the series. Make a wizzard's robe, a Gryffindor scarf, or even one of Mrs. Weasly's (in)famous sweaters!
Gifts for Guys
Because every guy needs a knitted tie, right?
- Bias Knit Tie
- You thought I was kidding? Well, here's a tie knit out of fingering weight yarn. Make it with self-striping sock yarn and you've got a one-of-a-kind gift for a great guy in your life.
- Seaman's Cap
- Even if your guy gets sea-sick sititng next to a gold fish bowl, he can still look like a fisherman of yore with this seaman's cap. The fold-up ribbed brim will even keep his ears toasy warm on those raw winter days.
- Men's Fingerless Mitts
- Got a crafty guy on your gift list? He'll love these fingerless mittens! They'll keep his hands warm, but still let him work on whatever he's doing out there in the garage.
- The Go To Scarf
- A really nifty looking scarf that's an easy variation on the traditional 2x2 rib. Textured enough not to be boring but not so frilly as to scare off the guy who just wants "a plain scarf." Because it's knit out of chunky alpaca, it's light weight but waaaay warm. Gotta keep those guys toasty, right?
- Cheesy Puffs Sweater
- Need a guy's sweater you can finish by the holidays? Check out this one! It's a handsome sweater knit on size US10 (6mm) needles with bulky yarn, and has enough patterning to keep you interested without driving you nuts. (Don't let the name fool ya, there's no bobbles or puffy do-das on here. But, the knit and purl patterning does kind of look like cheese puffs.)
- Guitar Man Socks
- Nope, sorry, this is not a sock with a guitar on it. But, it is a nice sock with a handsome diamond stitch pattern that continues down the instep. No lace skills needed, because the diamons are made from purls. This is a good step up from the basic sock.
- Mangyle Vest
- A modern take on a classic garment. Two rows of small argyles run down the left side of the vest, rather than in the center. A really great vest for a young man...or the young at heart!
Knitted Guy Gifts
Check it out, I found a picture of a knitted Elvis! If you are knitting for a guy who's an fan, this would be a big hit. Got a sci-fi movie fan on your list? Here's the crew from MST3K on a hat!
Thank ya, thank ya verry much...
Pattern: Hand/Wrist Warmers from Last Minute Knitted Gifts --...
A hat I knitted, using the chart from here:
From the book
very first hat i ever knitted. made it for the bf, xmas 2003. Used cheap acryli...
More Guy Knits
For when you want a whole book of guys in knitting...
Hand Wash, Please
Make sure your sweater doesn't end up fitting Barbie
To prevent this from happening to your hand washable gifts consider throwing in a bottle of wool wash, along with a pretty card explaining how to handle the item. Here are three of the more popular brands of wool wash: Soak, Eucalan, and Kookaburra.
Knits For Ladies
Because your bff keeps bugging you to knit something for her, right?
- Lacy Cap
- A good introduction to knitting lace in the round, this beanie makes a great gift for a woman or teen.
- Multi Directional Diagonal Scarf
- I l.o.v.e this scarf. It's knit all in one piece, but it looks like you sewed a bunch of knitted triangles together. This pattern really shines when knit with a varigated yarn!
- Booga Bag
- I see people knitting this bag all the time at my LYS (local yarn shop). It's way cute...and way easy! If you've never felted before this bag is a good way to get started.
- Coachella Tank
- This sexy-yet-elegant tank makes a statement, for sure! Unique shaping creates a racer back with a scooped cowel neck. Very nice!
- Ulterior Motive Pedicure Socks
- Kind of like fingerless mittes for your footsies, these socks make a quick and fun gift for your best pedicure-loving girl friend.
- Strozzi Lariat Necklace
- This fun knitted lariat alternates sections of icord with little leaves. Perfect for all seasons!
- Anthropologie Inspired Caplet
- This cute little caplet (think "top half of a t-shirt married a cape") is just enough to keep the shoulders warm on a cool day. It's even reversible!
- Quickie Cowl or Headband
- Kind of like a pre-wrapped scarf, this cowl is knit as a flat panel with the ends seamed together to create a tube. Made with chunky yarn in an easy lace pattern, it can even do double duty as a wide headband!
What Are Women Knitting?
A modest selection from the world of flickr.
it's a little mishapen because it's been on the needles all this time and often ...
This is the shawl that I'll be using as the demo for the Learn to Knit Lace clas...
an indulgence for my personal jewelry collection. Arline was one of my grad sch...
Aunty Shirley modelling the hat grandma knitted.
Books With Patterns For Women
Loom Knitting
Knitting without those pointy stick things.
(Thanks, enslavedbyfaeries, for the inspiration to add looms to this lens!)
Looming Patterns
Here are some of my favorite patterns form the site.
- Striped Leg Warmers
- A great beginner project, these leg warmers are basically a tube with a cuff. Change colors when you want to create a custom look!
- Hooded Scarf
- Keep yourself toasty warm! Make a flat scarf and do a bit of seaming to make a hood in the middle of it.
- Knifty Little Snowman
- With his cute hat and scarf, his little guy is sure to be a hit this winter.
- Shrug
- Knit as a flat panel, and seamed up the arms, this shrug is great for those evening when you want just a little something on your shoulders.
- Loopy Boa
- Once you're feeling confident on your loom, try out this fun scarf. The loops are made by wrapping the yarn across the loom, instead of around it.
Loom Knitting Pics
Here are some photos of projects on and off the loom, and some of people using thier looms!
I decided to start a "scrap bag", using all the thick yarn I d...
Bolas realizadas com um tear manual redondo. A diferença está no enchimento, t...
Hat knitted with bigTricotin.
Due to the stop in Amarillo, there is a not a lot of approved-electronic-devices...
Gina showing me how to use her super-fun knitting loom!
The Knifty Knitter
Gifts For Knitters
Got a knitter on your list? Check out these fun gifts...
Bind Off...
Thanks for making it all the way to the end. :)
I hope you had a good time here, and found some patterns or inspiration to help you on your gift knitting quest. Feel free to leave a comment!
dustytoes wrote...
Great! I am a fairly new knitter...will roll this to my knitting lens! 5 stars!
Posted January 05, 2009
alteredkat wrote...
Great ideas here!...I've always admired knitters...and envied them...I was unable to master it :o(
Thanks for visiting and commenting on my reuse toothbrushes lens! I appreciate it!
Posted December 18, 2008
naturegirl7 wrote...
I crochet, but my sister is just like you. The knitting is never too far away. I'm emailing her the link to this lens. Great job. Thanks for visiting our Christmas Cookie Recipe lens.
Posted December 16, 2008
If you liked this lens...
...you may like these.
- Learn To Knit: Video Tutorials for The Beginner
- A lens featuring video tutorials for the basics of knitting, as well as free patterns and fun books.
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- Knitting in the Round: Double Points vs Circulars
- Want to knit in the round, but don't know which method is right for your project? Check out the pros and cons of working with both double pointed and circular needles.
- Color Knitting: Intarsia vs Fair Isle
- Learn how to create colorful patterns in you knitting using both intarsia and Fair Isle.
- Knitting Tips: Five Things You Must Know Before Casting On
- Follow these five tips to make sure your knitted garments always turn out fabulous.
- Free Knitting Patterns: My Top Five Favorite Online Sources
- As a rabid knitter, I'm always on the lookout for free patterns. Here are my top five favorite places online to find them.
- Amigurumi: Cute, Cuddly, Crochet
- Amigurumi (a-me-goo-roo-me), the Japaneese word for 'knitted or crochet stuffed animal', is the hottest craze in crochet right now. And why not? They're easy to make, quick to do, are are as cute as a button!
- Amigurumi: How to Make Them and Where to Find Them
- Love to crochet? Love stuffed animals? (Or food. Or monsters.) Then amigurumi is for you!
- Increasing and Decreasing Explained for the Beginner Knitter
- Learn the most popular ways of increasing and decreasing in knitting. Written instructions and videos for k2tog, m1, ssk, and skp.
