Check out These Booklets Full of Knit Holiday Cheer

It might be a little late to order these books from Leisure Arts to make something for this Christmas, but they’d be a great gift for the knitter in your life (or you) who loves to knit things for the holidays.

The Stockings Were Knit by Mickey Landau includes eight cute stocking patterns: one with a dog theme and a cat theme, one with a cool textured colorwork cuff, one decorated with bells, one with herringbone and a bit of lace (pictured on the cover), on covered with snowflakes, one with a snowy scene and one with a gingerbread man (see some of them on Ravelry). They’re all really cute and best for intermediate knitters.

Beaded Ornaments is a collection of 12 knit balls, with beads worked in different designs, made to slip over a ball ornament (the page on Ravelry is for an older version, but the patterns are the same). There are a variety of designs here including hearts, crosses, zigzags, stripes and diamonds. Because they are worked in the round and include beads, all the patterns are rated intermediate, but they aren’t really that difficult.

Either of these books would be fun to start knitting for next year or to whip up a quick ornament or two for gifts this year.

Are you done with your gift knitting yet? I’d love to hear what you’re working on.

Looking for more Christmas themed Knitting patterns? Check out some of our favorite Knitting patterns on Etsy and

These Christmas Knitting Pattern Books on Amazon

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I know that my posts can be read at different times of year and in different years by different people, but as I write this we’re on teh cusp of summer. And I know a lot of people don’t knit as much, and certainly don’t wear a lot of knits in the summer, but I want to encourage you to make and to wear your makes no matter the temperature.

To introduce you to the joys of summer garment knitting, I offer the Tied Vest from Lion Brand Yarn.

This easy project is great to make and wear throughout the year but it’s especially good for summer. It’s worked flat in one piece from the bottom up, mostly in stockinette stitch with a seed stitch edging. The I-cord ties are worked directly onto the garment so you don’t have to sew them on.

The project uses worsted weight yarn, and calls for a blend of cotton and hemp that’s great for warm weather.

There are eight size options, ranging from a finished chest measurement of 35 to 62.5 inches, or 89 to 159 cm. That makes it sound like it should be worn with at least a few inches of positive ease, but the pattern doesn’t specify.

The ties at the front give it a casual look and make it great to wear over a tank top or T-shirt when the weather is warm.

I also think this one would be good to knit in wool or a warmer fiber, too, to make a version you could wear more comfortably in the winter months, too. Though of course you could layer the summer version over a long-sleeved shirt and wear it throughout the year, too.

The tied vest is a free pattern available from Lion Brand. You can also purchase a kit that includes the yarn and optional needles and stitch markers if you need them.

[Photo: Lion Brand Yarn]

Knit an Easy Hooded Vest

Knit Vests to Help Transition to Warmer Weather

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