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

Next Pattern:

Last year I shared with you Maxie’s Tank Top by Ainur Berkimbayeva, mostly because I really wanted to knit one (and I still do, maybe this year I’ll finally get to it!). I also am really attracted to patterns that seem to look good on everyone, which this tank top does.

Now Ainur has released a sweater version of the top, known as Maxie’s V-neck, and it seems to have that same wonderful property of looking amazing on everyone, at least as far as I can tell from the pattern’s project page on Ravelry.

This is a top down, V-neck, ribbed top that can be knit with short or long sleeves. Bust darts help with the fit. There are also 13 size options available so you can find just the right fit for you.

The sizes are designed to fit actual bust measurements ranging from 29-32 inches (74-81.5 cm) up to 62-64 inches (158-162.5 cm) and the pattern has instructions for A-C cups, with modification notes in the pattern to help folks with D+ cups make their sweater fit them.

It calls for sport weight yarn, which is probably the only thing that kept me from casting on this sweater immediately when I first saw it because that’s not a yarn weight I typically have in my stash (certainly not in sweater quantity).

Which just gives me an excuse to go shopping! Ainur used Purl Soho Wigeon yarn, which is 100 percent wool from the Falkland Islands. You can check the pattern page for other options that people have used, though wool seems to be a near universal choice as of this writing.

Ainur also does pay what you can on her patterns so if the cost is too much for your current financial situation you can use a code on the page to get a discount. (That said, if you can afford it, please support designers to the extent they ask to be compensated!)

Check out the pattern on Ravelry.

[Photo: Ainur Berkimbayeva]

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