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Do You Knit Gift Bags?

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Knit gift bags to make Christmas a little greener.There’s a lot of waste involved in the holiday season, not the least of which is all the wrapping paper and gift bags that might just get thrown away after being used once.

Now I usually used paper gift bags and I reuse them as often as I can, but there are other options. My sister-in-law uses a lot of sewn fabric gift bags, and we pass them back and forth among the family.

But Pam Mackenzie notes that you can also knit gift bags, which she has done for years. The article includes a basic pattern for drawstring bags knit in three sizes. She uses cotton, which makes the bags both durable and inexpensive.

It doesn’t take long to knit simple bags like these, and they can be used over and over for any gift-giving occasion. They also make a purchased gift — even a gift card — a little more special (speaking of gift cards, I did a pattern last year for knit gift card holders shaped like stockings, which you can use to decorate the tree before you hand them out).

Do you knit gift bags or otherwise try to be eco-friendly with your wrapping? I’d love to hear about it!

[Photo via My Central New Jersey.]

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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Comments

  2. I haven’t knit gift bags, but I have been sewing gift bags for years. I really hate gift wrap because it’s so wasteful both money and trash.

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Summer T-Shirt Knitting Patterns

Knitters are always looking for ways to continue to knit and to wear their knits even when it’s hot outside, so there are tots of great T0shirt knitting patterns to choose from. I love knitting short-sleeved shirts because they feel so much faster than sweaters, and you can wear them on top of dresses or even longer-sleeved items when it gets cooler.

There are lots of different styles of knit tops, from the basic to the more detailed. On the more basic side are things like the Perfect T-Shirt from Originally Lovely, a basic raglan tee with nine sizes and worked in worsted weight yarn; Paper Bloom by Yvonne Hugo (free on Ravelry), available in six sizes and worked with cotton and silk yarn for extra coolness; or Iris H’s Amelia Top, also on Ravelry, a slim fit, DK weight top with nine size.

Jazz it up with a bit of lace like on the Athens Lace Hem top by Sarah Hatton (Ravelry). This otherwise simple project has a bit of lace at the bottom, which is an easy way to make a project more interesting without a ton of work. This one uses fingering weight yarn and comes in nine sizes.

Another simple embellishment is to emphasize the lines of your top with different stitches. The Spring Lines top uses twisted ribbing at the center front and V-neck and along the raglan lines to give it a slimmer fit and more interest. This design from Turquoise Toque Designs has 11 size options and is available on Ravelry.

Silfurberg by Joji Locatelli uses both of these elements, with lace panels at the center front and back and purl ridges throughout to make it a little more fun to knit and to wear. The pattern uses fingering weight yarn and comes in 10 sizes. Learn more on Ravelry.

Keep it simple or add puffed sleeves (and/or long sleeves) to the slim fit Knitty Committee top by Lily Kate France. This one has two length options, waist shaping and optional bust darts to fulfill all your curvy top dreams, and it comes in nine sizes. You’ll find it on Ravelry.

Take it even more romantic with the Daphne Top from Friday Knits, which has puffed sleeves and applied I-cord to emphasize the bust and sweetheart neckline. It comes in eight sizes and uses DK weight yarn.

Or add some sweet flowers with the Gigio pattern from Emilie Luis. This pretty pattern found on Ravelry has cable panels running up the front with the option for adding sweet embroidered flowers. You can also add decorative buttons if you like. It comes in 11 sizes and calls for sport weight yarn.