With Mother's Day quickly approaching, let’s show the special woman in your life how much she means to you with a one-of-a-kind, handmade present. While the tradition of surprising your mom with a little something on this Sunday in May has been around for ages, finding the perfect present that genuinely captures the love she deserves can still be daunting.
If you're looking for gift ideas to make your mom feel special, you’re in good hands! Whether she is a fan of knitting or crocheting or simply introduced you to these activities, we have prepared some easy-to-make gift ideas that will work. Also, all patterns are entirely suitable for beginners and experienced crafters.
The Knitted Gardening Bucket Hat
Wait, what? Until now, we thought a fancy bucket hat could only be crocheted. But here comes a pattern that shows an easy way to craft this stylishly striped summer hat on your knitting needles. It is made from cool cotton and will perfectly protect your mom from dangerous UV light while being out in the sun or going for a walk.
And it gets even better: Surprisingly, you don't need to be skilled in knitting in the round to create this original piece. The pattern is worked as a flat fabric and then shaped evenly towards the top, making it an easy and enjoyable project for all knitting enthusiasts. Our Gardening Bucket Hat is knit in garter stitch from bottom to top. All you need to know is how to cast on, create a knit stitch and be familiar with knitting two stitches together (k2tog.).
Materials required:
50 g Cotton yarn in the main colour and about 20 g of cotton for each additional shade. Depending on your knitting tension, the yarn should suit a pair of straight or circular needles, size 3.5 or 4.
You also require 9 stitch markers, a pair of scissors, and a darning needle.
Gauge: 10 x 10 cm/4x4” = 17 st. x 38 rows
Start by casting on 120 stitches in your primary colour and knit in garter stitch. Knit two rows in your main colour, then two rows in your first added colour, again two rows in main colour, then two rows in your second added colour. With this pattern, you will create one garter ridge in each colour on the right side (RS) of your work. Continue to knit this way for 5 cm (approx. 2 inches). In your next RS row, *knit 2 stitches, then k2tog *, repeat *-* throughout the entire row until you have 90 stitches left on your needles.
Knit in your pattern until your labour measures about 15 cm /6”. Now it is time to shape the top of your hat. In a wrong side row (WS) insert 9 stitch markers evenly after every 9 stitches into your row. In your next RS row, k2tog on the right side of every stitch marker. Make this decrease four times every 4 rows, always in an RS row. All the while, continue knitting cour coloured stripes. When you have 54 stitches left on your needle, decrease at the right side of your markers every second row until you have ten stitches left. Then bind off and weave in all tail ends. Sew the hat together mid-back. Your finished piece measures approx. 23 cm (approx. 9 inches) in height.
Granny Square Shopping Bag
This cute shopping bag is made of ten big crocheted granny squares, quickly crafted while streaming your favourite series during a couple of evenings.
The stitches you need to know include the chain stitch (ch.), the double crochet (dc) and the slip stitch (sl.st.), with which you later assemble the different pieces.
For the bag shown in our images, you'll need roughly 120 g of yarn in your primary colour, 50 g for each of the four complementary colours, plus a crochet hook to match your yarn weight. Learn more about how to source the correct crochet hook sizes here.
To make the bag, first, crochet all 10 squares. Then, take 8 of the squares (in colours 1 to 4) and arrange them as shown in the diagram. Use a different coloured yarn to slip-stitch them together, starting at the chain space in the corner and working your way around until all 8 squares are connected. To finish, attach the last square (colour 4) to the first square (colour 1) to create a connection on both sides of the bag.
Use the last 2 squares shown in the second diagram for the bottom of the bag. Start at the bottom right corner and connect square 5 to square 1, then connect square 5 to square 3. Continue crocheting until both squares are attached to the bottom of the bag, and finish with a slip stitch through the last stitch of the previous seam.
Cut the yarn and weave in the ends.
Should you decide to crochet the shoulder straps instead of opting for a twisted cord, be sure to have some extra yarn in the specific colour of your choice on hand. Don’t forget to block your project!
Birdy Bookmark
Our last pattern idea will delight your mom’s inner bookworm! The Birdy Bookmark is a delightful pattern crafted by the talented designer Claire Garland. This free whimsical design is perfect for gifting alongside your mom's latest read from her favourite author. Imbued with a sense of playfulness and creativity, this adorable bookmark is functional and will make your mom think of you whenever she reads.
The bookmark is designed in a garter stitch and is quickly made from approximately 20 meters (22 yds.) of leftover yarn. It is knit in one piece on 3.5 mm straight or double-pointed needles starting at the tail. The designer is using the German short-row method for her decreases; you can, however also shape the bird by knitting two stitches together. To fill the body of this little birdie, use leftover scrap yarn or soft cotton.
