What Are You Knitting for New Year’s Eve?

New Year’s Eve doesn’t get the crafty build up that Christmas does, probably because frankly we’re all kind of tired after the big event and no one can quite handle another holiday exactly a week later.

But if you’re going to — or hosting — a New Year’s Eve party, it can be fun to knit up a little bling to wear as you ring in the new year.

Here are some projects I found that can help you settle into some selfish knitting and bring a little extra sparkle to your year-end events.

The Cotton Sparkle Infinity Scarf from Knitting Fever uses a shiny yarn and a simple elongated stitch pattern to make quick work of the design, sized to be a cowl, scarf or wrap.

Red Heart’s Diamond Girl Top is a lovely, sparkly little number that’s not all that difficult to knit (it’s rated intermediate) but it also uses pretty big needles so you’ve got plenty of time to finish it.

Looking for a sparkly chevron shrug? (Say that 10 times fast.) Lion Brand has a pretty one that calls for yarns that have been discontinued, but anything sparkly and bulky would look great in this funky pattern.

My beaded necklace from About was originally designed for Mardi Gras, but it would be fun in a shiny or sparkly yarn (or even just a bright color) for New Year’s, too. Or try the simple Adele Triple Strand Necklace from Tahki Stacy Charles. For that matter, pick up any fun yarn you like, knit a long I-cord, sew the ends together and you’ve got a super fun necklace in no time.

Paula Schramm has a pretty sparkly cowl pattern that costs €2, but it looks to be a Stockinette cowl, so you could do something similar with whatever fun yarn you have on hand (I have a pattern for a Multi-Yarn Cowl that was actually made with a purchased magic ball, but you can make your own out of odd balls for a really cool look).

These sparkling fingerless gloves from Mary Garing will run you $5, but they’re a lovely pattern that would also be great for gifts (maybe for next year).

I found a couple of Iris Schreier patterns that I really love, too. Her Sparking Wrap is another pretty simple pattern that’s made stunning by the yarn choice (it’s also $5) and the Sparkling Chevron Scarf and Mitts ($6) are a great addition to an otherwise plain outfit that will make it look really special.

Knitting anything special for New Year’s? I’d love to hear about it!

Next Pattern:

Blankets are a great blank slate project that you can change up in a million different ways. From color to stitch pattern to size, the possibilities are almost endless.

Jared Flood, the designer behind Brooklyn Tweed, was inspired by a log cabin quilt his mother made in 1995 to re-create that design in knitting, which led to more blankets and ultimate Brooklyn Tweed’s Knit and Crochet Blankets, which includes 25 patterns from an array of designers using different skills and techniques to make cozy, pretty blankets.

The patterns are divided into three aesthetic themes: traditions, minimalism and colorplay. The patterns are rated on a scale of one to five, with one being the easiest, and there aren’t any pieces rated five. Two blankets are rated one, 14 are two, eight are three and one is four.

In addition, three of the 25 patterns are crocheted, but they either use single crochet or granny stitch, so they are pretty easy even if you don’t do a lot of crochet. You can see all the patterns on Ravelry.

Some of my favorites include Rattan by Rastus Hsu, a chunky blanket worked in knits and purls with simple crossing stitches to make a raised woven look; Homewood by Seth Richardson, covers in dramatic, loopy cables; Ainur Berkimbayeva’s Tessellate, one of the beginner projects that doesn’t really look beginner but is totally worked in knit and purl stitches; Warp + Weft by Aist? Butkevi?ien?, which is mostly knits and purls but makes a fun woven look fabric that blew my mind a little bit; and the same designer’s Canyonland, a multicolored blanket with wavy stripes.

The patterns tell you how to resize them for different dimensions and include information on pattern repeats where it is possible to make a totally custom size.

Many different techniques are included here such as cables, lace, shadow knitting, intarsia and other colorwork techniques, as well as modular knitting and lots of sewing pieces together. The patterns are all presented with charts, but there are line by line written instructions available on the Brooklyn Tweed website if you need them.

The book ends with a deep dive into log cabin knitting, telling the story of the quilt Jared’s mom made and how he made it in knitting, as well as the multitude of variations you can make if you want your own log cabin style design.

The back of the book includes a little written information about some of the special techniques needed, but there are no photos.

This is a lovely book full of inspiration for knitting and crochet blankets for any skill level. If you like to make blankets as gifts or aspire to have a handmade blanket in every room of the house, these designs would be a great place to start.

About the book: 192 pages, paperback, 25 patterns. Published 2024 by Abrams Books, suggested retail price $24.99.

Next Pattern:

Have you read?

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