Quick Holiday Gift Knitting Ideas

Hi friends. I know you're all working away diligently, stitching gorgeous, inspired holiday gifts.

I have a secret. I haven't started my gift knitting yet. It's December 11th. And, to make things worse, I don't even have a plan. No list. No yarn purchased or patterns selected. Nothing.

Sound familiar?

Well, if it does, here are a few ideas for quick holiday gift knits. Each of these patterns takes 1 skein of lovely yarn and a few hours of your time.

Lakeshore Cowl

Created as part of the Malabrigo Freelance Pattern Project, the Lakeshore Cowl uses 1 skein (for the small size) of Malabrigo Rasta. buy now

Obstacles Hat

Part of an earlier collection of mine, the Obstacles Hat works up like greased lightning. Only 3 rounds of cabling and you're done. buy now

The Warmer

Beginners and experts alike love knitting this simple neckwarmer. One skein of super bulky yarn, like Malabrigo Rasta or Cascade Magnum, 2 hours of your time, and you get a lovely gift :) buy now

Riverside Cowl

With a bit of squishy sport weight yarn - I recommend Malabrigo Arroyo or The Wool Dispensary's Useful Restorative - you get this highly textured piece. buy now

The Cowl

A cousin to The Warmer, this piece is worked up flat, and then seamed using a 3 needle bindoff. It looks cool when the seam is worn as a decorative element on the outside. buy now

Good luck with your gift knitting!

New Pattern: Indigo Swan Cowl

It's no secret that I love knitting with Swans Island yarns. They are dyed using natural ingredients, such as roots, leaves, insect shells and natural indigo. And many of them are certified organic.

I've been lucky enough to work with a variety of their yarns - laceweight, fingering, worsted and bulky - and they are among the softest I've ever worked with. The colors achieved from the natural dyes are both brilliant and nuanced.

While at TNNA this past June, I chatted with Michele from Swans Island about potential new design ideas, and several skeins of their beautiful bulky weight came home with me to Chicago.

I fell in love with an indigo-colored skein. Many people are hesitant to knit with yarns dyed with natural indigo because the color rubs off onto your hands (and bamboo needles). It's a natural part of the process that easily washes off with soap and water. And, I learned that Eucalan is amazing at removing the extra indigo during the soaking process.

Personally, I don't mind getting a bit messy while I'm knitting. Especially when I get a finished project like the Indigo Swan Cowl. By the way, that's what this post is actually about.

The Indigo Swan Cowl is the second pattern in the Summer Stack e-book subscription.

Through September 30, 2012, this pattern is available for purchase from Doodlebug Yarns, or as part of the Summer Stack collection. After September 30, the Indigo Swan Cowl will be available for individual purchase on Ravelry.

Riverside Cowl Pattern - Now Available via Ravelry

The Riverside Cowl can be worked in two sizes – small and large, which is big enough to double up around the neck. The pattern is written for the small size with instructions in parentheses for the larger version.

It would be lovely in any heavy sport / dk weight yarn.

This pattern was for sale exclusively via Doodlebug Yarn through March 2012 and is now available for sale by Breean Elyse as a Ravelry download.

Materials:
Size US 6 circular needles – 16” or 20” for small size; 32” for large size
Size US 5 needle for bind off (optional)
1 (2) skeins Malabrigo Arroyo
1 stitch marker
Tapestry needle

Gauge (before blocking):
28 sts/4” in 2x2 ribbing
24 sts/4” in whelk pattern

Finished Measurements (before blocking):
Small Version: 22” diameter, 8” height
Large Version: 50” diameter; 8” height

Riverside Cowl Pattern Now Available at Doodlebug Yarn

This quick and simple cowl pattern is now available at Doodlebug Yarn, where it will be sold exclusively through the end of March  2012. Then I'll have it for sale via my Ravelry pattern shop.

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This beauty is knit up using Malabrigo Arroyo. Small and large sizes require 1 or 2 skeins, respectively.

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Simple 2x2 ribbing and an easily memorized slipped stitch pattern make for a quick and portable project.

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Any heavy sport or dk weight yarn would do well, such as Malabrigo Arroyo, The Wool Dispensary Useful Restorative, or Madelinetosh Tosk DK.

Purchase now from Doodlebug Yarns

On the Needles: Zuzu's Petals in Lizard Boy

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Have you seen this new pattern by Carina Spencer? It's extremely cool. You begin working as a traditional triangle shawl and then join for knitting in the round, eliminating the annoying shawl points when wearing draped around the neck.

The pattern has instructions for both sport and worsted weight versions. I chose to knit up a sport weight version using The Wool Dispensary Useful Restorative, which is a super squishy100% superwash merino wool dyed up by Sam (mercourier on Ravelry). 

Lizard Boy (the green pictured) is one of my current color obsessions. Bright and deep verdant preparing me for spring showers, green grasses and flowers! A perfect choice for this transitional piece, aptly named 'petals'.

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