Tag Archives: gifts

Pattern Spotlight: Turkish Bed Socks

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I love knitting gifts for other people, but there are only so many hours in the day, and so many yards of yarn in my stash.  So what’s a girl to do?  How about making Turkish Bed Socks for all your friends.  These ankle socks are a great compromise between being a quick little project, and producing something beautiful and useful.

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERAThey make great gifts, since they’re one-size-fits-most (even I, with my big man feet, can fit into them if I add a few extra rows in the foot part, but that’s easy to do).   They’re nice for bumming around the house and keeping your tootsies warm, and they look really cute peeking out of clogs or Converse sneakers.

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERAAnd, a pair of these socks takes only a fraction of the amount of yarn that regular socks take to work up.  I managed three pairs of these from one 100g skein of sock yarn.  A bargain, if you have to manufacture a bazillion of these.

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERAAlso, while the pattern is written as a simple stockinet stitch sock, they suggest that you work your favorite cable, rib, textured, or lace pattern on the top of the foot, which can make each pair unique, and will keep you interested while you knit them up.

So, if you’re looking for a stocking stuffer, try making up some Turkish Bed Socks.

Pattern Spotlight: Weasley Sweaters

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I must have mentioned at some point that I’m a huge Harry Potter nerd.  It’s true.  And I’m not one bit ashamed of it.  I’ve probably read through the books at least five or six times.  I even dressed up with my friends to go to the midnight release of one of the last book.  Then we all sat up until dawn reading.  Good times.

One of my nerdier purchases (which is saying something), is my well-used copy of Charmed Knits, by Alison Hansel.  It’s an unofficial Harry Potter knitting book, and it is utterly delightful.

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If you’ve read the books, you know that Mrs. Weasley knits sweaters for each of her seven children every Christmas.  And, if you’re a knitter, you know what an undertaking that must be (even with the help of magic!).  It’s one of the ways she demonstrates how much she loves her family and how much pride she takes in protecting them.

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In Charmed Knits, Alison Hansel has two patterns.  One pattern is for a full-sized Weasley sweater (with sizes running from toddler all the way up to adult XXL).  The other is for a miniature, Barbie-doll sized sweater.  She suggests bending a bit of wire into a teensy coat hanger to turn your tiny sweater into a Christmas ornament.  (It’s pretty much the most adorable thing ever.)  I’ve made both the full sized sweater (minus the big double-stitched letter on the front; I’m a nerd, but not that much of a nerd) and at least a half dozen mini sweaters.

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA(This is a mini-Weasley sweater I made for my friend Kate’s Harry Potter-themed 29th birthday party.  Also pictured, a felt Mimbulus mimbletonia and a scroll with a magic incantation.  Like I said, I’m a nerd.)

The coolest thing about these two patterns?  They are constructed in exactly the same way.  So, if you’re worried about making your first sweater, why not try knitting up a mini Weasley sweater first, to see how everything fits together before you go?  The two patterns are great beginning sweater patterns; simple, and knit at a largish gauge to make the projects go quickly.

So go find a copy of Charmed Knits, and make your family some sweaters for Christmas.

Christmas Knitting: Deck the Halls!

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But what do you make for someone who is super picky about clothes, or someone whose size you don’t know?  Try making decorations.  These ornaments are fun and quick to make, and will be appreciated by everyone (or, if the recipient doesn’t like them, they only have to put them out once a year).  Start knitting away, and before you know it, you’ll have enough to cover a tree!

Balls Up! By General Hogbuffer

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Yarn Basket Ornament by Scarlet Taylor

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Deck the Balls by Sonia Ruyts

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Stjarna by Karolina Eckerdal

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Christmas Knitting: Kiddos

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Kids are great.  You can make all sorts of ridiculous stuff for them to wear, and they’ll do it!  If you made a hat shaped like a fish and gave it to your sister-in-law to wear, she’d probably look like you were a tiny bit insane.  If you gave the same fish hat to your kid brother, you might just win Christmas.  Here are some fun knits for kids’ Christmas gifts:

Fish Hat [Dead or Alive?] by Thelma Egberts

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Pocket Ted by Frankie Brown

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Owlet by Kate Davies

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Baby Alligator Scarf by Morehouse Designs

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Christmas Knitting: Gents

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We can’t forget about the dudes!  Sometimes they’re a little harder to knit for, since they (typically) don’t go for fancy lace and pompoms and such.  But, here I’ve dug up some pretty neat (and manly!) projects for the guys in your life:

Bus Hat by Kylie McDonnell-Wade

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Handsome Scarf by Spilly Jane

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Modified Army Gloves by Selyn Birnbaum

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Socks With Pints On by Spilly Jane

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Christmas Knitting: Ladies

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Holy crap, Christmas is coming soon!  (Even if you don’t do the whole Christmas thing, there’s always an excuse to do some gift knitting.) So, what to make?   This week, I’m trolling Ravelry for ideas for gift knitting projects.  Follow along if you’re looking for something, too.

Let’s start with knitting for the ladies in your life.  Mothers, friends, sisters, aunts, daughters, mothers-in-law, coworkers, the lady down the street that waters your plants when you go out of town.  I bet they’d all appreciate any one of these quick (and girly) projects:

Baktus Scarf, by Strikkelise

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Toast, by leslie friend

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Meret, by Wooly Wormhead

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Christmas is coming

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ChristmasTreeChristmas will be here in 5 months from yesterday.  If you’re planning on doing knitting for Christmas gifts, you should start thinking about it now.

You have been warned.

Giving It Away

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If you’ve been knitting for more than a hot minute (especially in public), you probably have had someone request that you make something for them.  It’s always kind of awkward, especially if you don’t really know the person.  I am not opposed to making things for other people, but my response is governed by how I’m asked.

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Here are some responses that I’ve come up with:

1.  “Oh, you knit?  Make me a scarf.”  In my brain I immediately reply “No! You rude person.”  But what I say is:  “Sure!  I’d love to make you something.  If you pick out a pattern and get buy the materials, I’d be happy to make it for you!”  I have never had anyone go through the hassle of actually buying the yarn, so they get no scarf from me.

2.  “I love the socks that you’re making!  Could I pay you to make some for me, too?”  This is trickier, because they are actually willing to put forward some money/effort to get you to make them something, which I approve of.  But, most non-knitters don’t realize how much effort goes into a pair of socks (or any other project).  Let’s say that it takes 10 hours to knit a pair of socks (which is crazy fast, but I like round numbers).  And, minimum wage in Washington is about $9 an hour.  That comes to $90 for labor, plus another $10-20 for materials, so you end up with a $100 pair of socks.  The point is, you’re not going to make money knitting.  If I am actually interested in making the project, I’ll usually will give them the same deal that I give folks from the first group (although they are much more likely to follow through).  If I don’t want to make the project, I usually laugh awkwardly try to change the subject.

3. “Allison, would you be able to make me a very special hat to match the color of my coat, and could it have a pattern so that it goes with those mittens I got for Christmas last year?”  These requests I almost always fulfill.  It’s clear that they have really thought about what they are looking for, and they are very polite about asking for it (weird, right?!).  Usually, though, I’ll keep these projects secret until birthdays or Christmas when I need to pull out a really great present.