My top knitting and crocheting pattern picks for gifts this holiday season
Wow! I cannot believe how quickly Christmas is approaching! Time is flying this year. Where did September go? Even though we are having record highs in the 20’s this early November week my mind is on making gifts.
I love making Christmas presents and am already well under way. In fact if you are the type of person to make gifts, especially knitting or crocheting then you know you need time to make them.
I thought I would share my favourite patterns that I have come across on Ravelry. If you are not on Ravelry.com what are you waiting for? It is the most amazing site ever. You create an account for free and you can search thousands of patterns. There is a “notebook” tab where you get to save patterns in your favourites, queue and library. It is a must. Open up a new tab in your web browser and set up an account now. Seriously go now!
Some of these patterns cost money but $5 is the average cost I find. The beauty is they get stored in your ”library” and are updated if the designer revises the pattern. I personally don’t know any of the designers of these patterns but I am grateful for them sharing their lovely designs.
A couple tips:
If you are looking to make some quick gifts search up patterns that use bulky or super bulky weight yarn. When you are doing a search on Ravelry remember to pick knit, crochet or both. Also in the search field you can type in “free” to look for patterns that are free. For example type in “free cowl pattern” and see what comes up.
Are you ready? Here are my top knitting and crocheting pattern picks:
Cowls
I am in love with cowls. They are so satisfying to make, quick and usually only take one skein of wool. Here are my Faves:
Drop Stich Cowl:
I may have had a slight obsession with this one last winter. Everyone got one. I made so many of them and I am making more this year. They are gorgeous. The pattern is free.
http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/drop-stitch-cowl-3
Cozy Cowl:
This is the pattern that got me into knitting. I felt so proud that I was able to make a sophisticated looking garment. Buying beautiful chunky buttons are the key to this project. This is a free pattern too. If you live in the Burlington, Ontario area head to Spun and pick up some gorgeous wool and wooden buttons. Be careful though, before you know it you will walk away from there with a few hundred dollars worth of scrumptious stash yarn. I warned you, don’t blame me if you get sucked in. Danielle the owner created this pattern and it is a free download.
http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/cozy-cowl-4
For Kids:
Burton Bear Cowl:
This one is a crowd pleaser hands down. If you are looking to make a gift for any little ones this year look no further. Heidy May has several designs on Ravelry but I keep coming back to the Burton Bear Cowl. I think I made six of these last winter. If you can knit, pearl, decrease, and crochet (optional trim) then you are good to go. My picture does not do this pattern justice, go to the link and see how awesome it really is!!
http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/burton-bear-cowl
Square Brimmed Newsboy Hat:
This is a great crochet pattern than you can make for a boy or girl. I love the look of brimmed hats. I have made several of these in a variety of colours. Super quick to make and super cute!
http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/unisex-square-brimmed-newsboy-hat—pattern-017
Owl Amigurumi:
Often I like to make toys for babies because you just never know how big they will be. Some babies grow out of newborn clothes before they get a chance to wear every item and with creating wooly garments, the child might be the right size but the time of year is wrong. Nothing like wearing a sweet chunky wool sweater in July. So here is a super cute Owl Stuffie. I personally bought an “egg shaker” from a music store and put it inside so it was more like a rattle.
http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/owl-amigurumi-2
Mitts/Slippers
Heart Fingerless Mitts:
Stix and Stones is a beautiful wool boutique in North Bay, Ontario. If you ever get the chance to check it out do so! They have tons of amazing wool and it will also be a store that you come home with your arms full of wool that you are not sure what to do with but you knew you absolutely needed it. One’s wool stash can never be too big.
Last year Stix and Stones ran a KAL in February and it featured this pattern. As you can see I put dog paws on my mitts instead of the hearts but I was super proud of these. I had never knit on DPNs before and still can’t believe that I made them.
http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/heart-fingerless-mittens
Owl Mary Janes:
So this is what I am making for my nieces this Christmas, they are currently under construction as you can see. Completed images to follow. It is a crochet pattern and looks super cute! I think using crochet cotton is a great way to go. There are so many colours to choose from and it washes nicely. The bonus is that whatever yarn you have left over you can work up some new dishcloths. This pattern currently costs $6.99USD on Ravelry.
So there you have it, just a few quick, easy to follow patterns to kick-start your gift making season.
Happy creating!