Gift Knits You Still Have Time for

We are coming down to the wire on Hanukkah and Christmas, but there’s still time to do some gift knitting if you want to. It’s not ideal, but there are a lot of quick knitting projects out there that can be great gifts, or part of a gift, and we’ll talk about a bunch of them over the next few days.

Yarnspirations suggests that you can get a lot of gifts done in the little time that’s left by using your arms as needles. They say you can arm knit a blanket (plain or in holiday colors) in three hours or less, while a scarf or cowl can be made even more quickly. (If you don’t know how to arm knit yet, I just published an arm knitting tutorial over at About, as well as a pattern for a super-simple cowl you can knit in about 10 minutes.)

Love Knitting has a great roundup of quick knit gifts on its website; some of my favorites are the Scrunchy, Slouchy Slipper Socks from Lion Brand Yarn and the Eco Ewe from Rowan, which would be perfect for the fellow knitter in your life.

Speaking of gifts for knitters, be sure to check out the yarn basket ornament knitting project from Red Heart. This cute little knit basket designed by Scarlet Taylor includes tiny balls of yarn and little needles sticking out. Too cute! (I actually have one that was given to me and I keep in my office all year.)

Also check out my collection of quick knitting patterns over at About. Some of my favorites include the simple Roll Brim Hat, which doesn’t look so simple in a multicolored yarn; and the Drop Stitch Soap Sack, which is a great gift to mass produce and give along with a really nice bar of soap and other spa goodies.

Are you still knitting holiday gifts? I think I have one more cowl and a scarf to do, plus little knit things for my daughter’s teachers. 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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It’s always a good time for a bookmark, and even more so as we start thinking about back to school time. Reading is more fun when you have a pretty bookmark. That’s just science.

Plus bookmarks are fast, portable, and a fun way to try out different skills. So let’s get busy with some bookmark knitting patterns!

This set of three bookmark knitting patterns from Lucky Fox Knits includes one worked in garter stitch, an easy eyelet lace and one with eyelets running down the center. I love the little I-cord for the tassel!

Add a simple textured stitch to a bookmark to make it a little more fun. This one from Franciscan Gypsy is called the paper towel bookmark, and I’ll bet you can pick it out above just from that description. This one calls for fingering weight yarn.

Another pretty allover pattern is this slip-stitch lace design from Handy Little Me. Inspired by Taylor Swift’s Speak Now, it’s a sweet little design worked in fingering weight yarn. This one is a little extra fun because it has two tassels.

I love this undulating wheat ear bookmark pattern from KMKnits Shop. It’s an interesting stitch pattern perfect for advanced beginner knitters, and it uses sport weight yarn.

A lot of knit bookmarks have a bit of lace, and they’re actually a great way to pick up some lace knitting skills on a tiny project that doesn’t have to be perfect. I like this lacy one from Val Knitting Shop, which is inspired by daisy petals. It calls for fingering weight yarn.

The Jasmine Bookmark from Valentina Fezova-Georgieva is another pretty lace pattern that’s a little more complex but still totally doable. It calls for fingering weight yarn and is available on Ravelry.

If you want a more literal inspiration of flowers in your bookmark pattern, try the pair of floral bookmarks form Warm and KnittedS. One has a little rosette and the other just has leaves. They look like I-cord but they’re actually worked flat on two needles and will stitch up in no time for a last minute gift or to tuck into your latest read.

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