Gift Idea: A DIY Kit and Gift Cards

It’s a little late in the game to be ordering gifts for people and expecting them to arrive on time, especially from artisans at etsy or specialty yarn shops.

But if you happen to have a local yarn shop nearby, now is the perfect time to support it.

I have two gift ideas for knitters that you still have time to put together, and you get extra karma points for shopping local.

The first requires a bit of sleuthing, but can be a lot of fun. If your knitter friend is on Ravelry, you may find that they have a wish list of patterns. Pick one, buy some yarn they might use for it, and buy them the pattern. Or you can just buy some yarn you know they like, in enough quantity to make something (like a pair of socks or a small shawl) and let them pick the pattern on their own.

This works best for people whose tastes you know really well because picking colors and fibers can be really personal. But if you do it right, it’s an amazing gift.

Alternatively, just get them a gift card or certificate to their local yarn store. You may be able to purchase these online and have them sent to the recipient if you don’t live in the same place, or give the store a call and they can probably mail the card for you (or hold it for your friend). It’s always fun to be able to go in and get whatever you want.

Are you buying gifts for a knitter this year? I’d love to know what you got them, or what is on your wish list.

Getting ready for back to school makes me think about pencil crafts, so let’s take a look at some pencil themed knitting patterns!

I recently made a pencil on a circular knitting machine, and it was a fun, quick, easy project that uses little bits of leftover yarn (and if you don’t have yellow you can make it a colored pencil using whatever color’s your favorite). And if you want to make a bigger version check out this pattern from Orange Olive Road on Etsy.

If you want to knit a pencil pillow by hand, check out Sketchy, available on Ravelry from Shana S. Cohen. This one uses worsted weight yarn and has two size options and the choice to make a pencil with an eraser or a colored pencil.

Pencil scarves seem to be the most popular kind of pencil knitting pattern, and there are lot of cute ones. This one from Cosy Craft UK mostly uses garter stitch, with some welts to add texture and what looks like an I-cord edging. It calls for DK weight yarn.

If you want to go all garter stitch try this version from Emsley Co Creations, which uses five colors of DK weight yarn and just a little shaping to make the point of the pencil.

There’s also this fun, mostly stockinette so it looks like it curls a bit, pencil pattern that looks like it’s worked in chunky yarn from Little Knits Studio. This one uses just a little garter stitch and easy shaping for the point.

If you don’t want a pencil scarf, how about some pencil socks? The No. 2 Pencil Socks from The Yarn Enabler are available from Ravelry and use five colors of sock yarn. They feature wide ribs to mimic the texture of a pencil and have options to be worked from the top down or the toe up.

Needs Sharpening by Alexander Walker is a free pattern on Ravelry that uses five colors of sock yarn to make a sort of shortie sock. The little bit of black at the tips of the toes inspired the name. These, too, can be worked in either direction and are available in three sizes.

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