With the holiday season swiftly approaching you might be in a panic to get gifts for all your loved ones. As a knitter, the most obvious gift would be your hand-knit delights. Now, with time running short you need not go in search of knitting patterns and get supplies. Let us take you through some quick and last-minute quick knits that you can go ahead with any of your knitting needles and yarn. You can also avoid going to the store and getting done with your scraps leftover from projects. And, if you need to get some new yarn look for bulky-weight or chunky yarn that stitch up rather quickly and make some plush fabric for most projects.
It is the thought behind the gift that matters, so let’s get started. Knit some love for your loved ones.
Gather your supplies
Knitting Needles: You can make some last-minute holiday gifts with any knitting needle you have in your collection. Circular knitting needles are ideal for beginners as well as advanced makers. The same pair of needles work for both knitting in the round as well as back and forth. You can knit not only in the round as well as back and forth much more comfortably. The double-pointed needles specialize in knitting small circumferences and would work wonderfully for some amazing projects. A knitting needle set with the most popular needle sizes and accessories is just a blessing. You will have everything you need to turn in some quick knits for your loved ones.
Yarn: Choose any yarn from the collection you own. For quick knits, worsted and chunky weights are quick to work with. If you have lost the yarn label, knitting a gauge swatch would help you understand and plan your project. The gauge is very important even if you have knit with it before as it would also help you calculate the amount of yarn required to complete a knitting project.
Knitting Accessories: The essential accessories to have for your quick-knit projects include a darning needle, stitch markers, sharp scissors, tape measure and a row counter.
After you’ve got all the materials you need, here’s all you can make.
1. Hat
Hats are wonderful gifts. They are also quick projects. For last-minute holiday gifts, a hat is a good option. It won’t take your entire weekend but a few hours at the most. Now given your knitting proficiency and comfort you can knit a hat with double-pointed needles or circulars. If you want to work with double points, make sure to have the right size to go with the yarn. For circular knitting needles, the needle length is most important. The needle length must be smaller than the circumference you will be knitting so that the stitches don’t get stretched. If you have the hat sizes and measurements then you are ready to cast on. But, if you are making a general size one, use stretchy stitch patterns such as ribbed (k1, p1 or k3, p2) combinations. The chunky weight yarn hat looks plush and also knits up rather quickly.
Socks are also loved gifts that can be made easily but then again you need to make a pair so that might take a little bit more of your time. You can refer to our guide to make some easy socks.
2. Cushion Covers
Plush pillows and cushions look beautiful and are wonderful gifts. This holiday season an Emoji pillow cover or cushion would make a lovely gift. With so many knitting patterns out there you can easily knit one. For this project too use some chunky weight yarn or scraps from previous projects. The more colors and textured yarns you use, the better. It will rather knit up quickly. A great idea would be knitting small swatches in different colors or even different weights and bringing them together for the fabric. Another wonderful way to add glamor to the cushion or pillow cover is duplicate stitches, a common colorwork knitting technique. With another shade of yarn same weight or different and a darning needle add some special effects. You can make an emoji or a snowflake or any cute pattern in the spirit of Christmas.
If you would like to knit a textured pattern this project gives you enough to practice. Seed, Moss, Loops, basketweave patterns, etc. make your project extra special. A blanket or throw to go with the cushion cover would be lovely but that would require at least weeks to be done. But, then you many other days to gift, birthdays, anniversaries and even the next Christmas.
3. Dishcloths
The humble dishcloth or washcloth serves as beautiful and pretty useful gifts. You can knit one or a set. They are easily done with your yarn stash. You only have a few rows to go and can easily be knit within an hour or so. You don’t even need a pattern for one as it is almost similar to knitting a gauge swatch.
Cast on some stitches on any needle (even double points) but you will only need two and get making some squares. Here too the darning needle would help with easy patterns.
4. Scarf
A cozy scarf is a wonderful gift. Here again, the chunky-weight yarn will go well. You don’t even need a pattern but some dedicated hours to knit the entire length. Pom-poms do wonders. You can add a special touch with picot cast-off or some other knitted borders. Make use of colors to give them a special shine. Though time is of the essence, make sure to have neat edges for your project with our guide on some easy tricks.
5. Toy
A knitted toy or ornament makes for a memorable gift. For a toy it is better to stick to a knitting pattern, especially if you are a beginner. You can knit in pieces and then seam them together. This way you will work for a few hours at the most and assemble the gift rather quickly.
With this, you are sure to get done with last-minute holiday gift knitting. Ear warmers, leg warmers, etc. are also quick projects that make wonderful gifts.
You can make anything but keep in mind the clock is ticking. Do not overexert yourself with long hours of knitting, make sure to take breaks. Work with stainless steel knitting needles that work smoothly with all kinds of yarn. Another trick is to carry your work with circular knitting needles that are ergonomic, easy to carry and help manage the weight of the project even when working with heavy-weight yarns.
Happy Gift Knitting!
