Gift Knitting

Christmas has finally arrived, and I was able to knit a few gifts this year. I have a few rules that I follow when knitting gifts. First, make it small. This allows multiple gifts to be knit without driving you, the knitter, crazy. Second, make it machine washable, or at least easy to care for. Third, choose a pattern you enjoy. When knitting for someone else, just like giving any present, you can't be sure the recipient will actually like it, so you might as well have enjoyed knitting it.

Great projects that follow these rules include hats, socks, scarves or shawls, and items for the home. Below is Holden, a small shawl that I knit for my sister in machine-washable sock yarn.



A set of two organic cotton washcloths, All Washed Up and my own Corrugated Cloth:

Another set with Corrugated Cloth and Double Bump Dishcloth:

All of these gifts followed the basic rules for gift knitting, and I was able to add a little hand-knit goodness to my holiday. Bigger and better next Christmas, I hope!

Happy Holidays

Even though I am mostly all grown up, I am so excited about Christmas that I wake up ridicuously early not just on Christmas morning but also the two or three days prior to said event. I won't pretend like I'm not chomping at the bit to open some presents, but seeing family and spending time together is a larger contributor to my excitement.

And I'm giving some handknit gifts this year, of course. I haven't posted them here at Nothing Fancy Knits to avoid potential spoilers, but will be back next week with pictures of (hopefully) happy recipients with their handknit items. Until then, Merry Christmas!

New Pattern: Big Sweater, Little Pockets

I'm so excited! The pattern for Big Sweater, Little Pockets is live on Ravelry.

This sweater is sized for 2, 4 and 6 years and is intended to be oversized. Learn some new tricks, like the tubular cast on, and then relax with some stockinette stitch in the round. Two tiny afterthought pockets add a little interest to the front of the sweater, and bulky yarn means this project knits up quickly.




Buy it on Ravelry! See what some other fantastic knitters have done with Big Sweater, Little Pockets! Not a Ravelry member? Join here or purchase pattern without joining by clicking the "buy now" button below.