Knitting

Free Patterns, Tutorials and Project Ideas

Gift Idea: Yarn Bowls

by

Gift idea for knitters: yarn bowlsI don’t have a yarn bowl, but I love the idea of them and I know a lot of knitters use them and love them.

A yarn bowl is basically a bowl with some kind of hole or groove in the side through which yarn can travel. You put your yarn cake or ball in the bowl, thread the working end through the hole and knit away, with the bowl keeping your yarn from rolling around on the floor (and protected from cats/toddlers, if that’s a concern in your house). This teapot is way too small to actually use as a yarn bowl, but you get the idea.

Some models have multiple holes for doing colorwork or for holding needles when you’re not knitting. There are all sorts of handmade ceramic versions on etsy, from beautiful pieces of pottery to whimsical pieces shaped like animals, faces with the yarn coming out of the mouth or nose and more.

I think a yarn bowl, with or without some yummy yarn included, would be a great gift for a knitter on your list.

Do you have a yarn bowl? I’d love to hear about how you use it and if you use it in a functional or decorative way, or both!

Comments

  1. How about s strawberry pot? LOTS of holes to use and there are some nice big ones out there. I see them at flea markets all the time… and they’re so pretty!

  2. I ‘ve used a panettone tin with great success. Drill a hole either on lid or on side of tin, a large tin can easily hold a 400g ball of yarn

Have you read?

Knits for the Table for Thanksgiving and Beyond

As we get into the part of the year with a lot of food-forward holidays, it might be time to start thinking about knitting some new things for your table. While a few of these are more fall/Thanksgiving focused, just changing up the colors would make others work for Christmas, or keep it neutral and use them all year long. 

What got me started thinking about this was the lovely and simple Fresh Bread Dishtowel, a free pattern from Purl Soho. Worked in a lovely cotton and linen blend, the towel is mostly stockinette stitch with a bit of texture on the borders. 

You could use this same kind of pattern to make anything from placemats to a table runner, but let’s look at some specific patterns for those kinds of projects as well. 

The easy moss stitch table runner from Glass Bird Knits is beginner friendly can can easily be modified to fit your table (or, again, to make placemats instead of or in addition to a runner). This version is worked in macrame cord, but you could also use bulky yarn. 

Emielle Design has a garter stitch runner pattern that’s made with braided cotton cord for a lot of texture without a lot of work. But be sure to take a lot of breaks when knitting with cord because it can be rough on your hands!

I also love the diamond pattern on the Hamilton Table Runner from Wyndlestraw Designs. It calls for a DK weight cotton and linen blend yarn and comes in three sizes with different widths and lengths. The pattern has both written and charted instructions. 

Amy Marie’s Table Pumpkins (on Ravelry) is a fun mosaic knitting pattern that would be great to use as a table runner through the fall and for Thanksgiving. It uses a worsted weight cotton yarn in two colors, and you can make it as long as you like for your table. 

The no cable knit placemats from Yarn Culture Studio have a fun faux cable look that would be great for the table through the fall and winter. 

Or here’s another pattern from Wyndlestraw Designs, this time for an easy knit and purl stitch placemat pattern that looks different but still good on both sides. It calls for worsted weight cotton and comes in two sizes for placemats, but also has instructions for coasters, a hot pad and a table pad all using the same stitch.