Knitting Projects to Make Now for Gifting Later

It is unbelievable to me that summer is almost over, but as soon as school starts, thinking about the holidays begins.

At least that’s the way it should be if you’re a knitter (or any other type of crafter, I suppose) who intends to make and gift anything for the holidays.

Because as much as we all have good intentions, it’s best to back those intentions up by starting early.

But don’t get cocky just because you’re starting your holiday knitting in August. It’s still a great plan to choose small, easy-to-complete projects, because things happen. And the people you’re gifting will probably be just as grateful for a knit hat as they would a knit sweater.

Maybe even more so.

To get you started, check out this list of projects from Lion Brand Yarn geared toward knitters and crocheters who are planners. You’ll find hats, mittens, scarves and cowls, all of which have a feminine look but a couple of which could be stitched up for guys as well. For instance, the Modern Garter Knit Hat, pictured above.

Are you thinking holiday knitting already? I’d love to know what your plans are!

[Photo: Lion Brand Yarn.]

Next Pattern:

If you’re looking for a sweater knitting pattern that uses up some of your stash and allows you to make just the sweater you want, the Marlina Rib by Shay Johson might be just the thing.

It’s worked with two strands of fingering weight yarn held together to make a DK weight gauge, so you can use the same two yarns throughout or change one or both regularly for an even more colorful look.

The pattern has options to make it either a crewneck or a henley style with buttons, tapered or relaxed sleeves, and a straight hemline or a split hem with buttons (which sounds so cute if you do the henley with split hem and match the buttons on both parts).

It’s also knit from the top down so you can make the body and the sleeves as long as you want. There are 10 sizes available in the pattern, with a chest circumference ranging from 32 to 68 inches, or 81.5 to 172.5 cm. It’s meant to be worn with 4-6 inches/10-15 cm of positive ease at the chest.

The pattern page on Ravelry includes tons of measurements and yardage estimates so you can make sure you’ll get a good fit for your body before you even buy the pattern. Shay also shows a few variations of the sweater so you can see how different options look before you decide how you want to put them together.

The stitch pattern is 1×2 ribbing, which is really easy to do and gives a look almost like fisherman’s rib that’s relaxed and easy to wear.

This sweater looks like a great option for people who are somewhat new to sweater knitting or those who love to have lots of customization options (because it’s like getting multiple sweater patterns in one!).

Check out all the details and grab a copy of the pattern for yourself at Ravelry.

[Photo: Shay Johnson]

Next Pattern:

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