Giftmas Knitting Part III: Gifts for Knitters

Do you have a knitter in your life? Stumped on what to get them this holiday season? Afraid you'll disappoint them with your yarn selection? Fear not. Here's the KnotMagick Top 10 list of things to get your friendly neighborhood knitter (even if you know nothing about yarn):

10. Gift cards
While this might seem like a generic, flake-out type of gift, it can be quite thoughtful IF it comes from the right place. While some knitters prefer to buy their yarn from places like Michael's or Joanns, a better option would be to find their shop of choice--be it a local yarn shop or an online retailer. Not all knit shops are created equal, so by purchasing a gift card for their favorite place, you're ensuring they have access tot he supplies they need, rather than cheap stand-ins. Still in doubt? Knitpicks.com, Yarnmarket.com, and JimmyBeansWool.com are all popular sites with knitters.

9. Travel Survival Kit
If your knitter is anything at all like me--or any knitter I've ever met--then she probably has trouble keeping tack of her notions. Stitch markers fall between the couch cushions, the cat makes off with the tape measure, and gnomes steal tapestry needles in the dark of night. Why not get her a cute kit from an Etsy seller, and support small business while you show your appreciation for all of those handmade socks?

8. Blocking tools
In the world of knitting, blocking is frequently one of those little chores many avoid. It's also a place where budget-consious knitters, like myself, can save a few pennies by skipping the fancy tools and McGuyvering a solution--like using old towels or a spare bed as a blocking mat. But when company comes, or the project is just too stubborn for the soft surface or a towel, sometimes something a little fancier is required. Those foam puzzle pieces that are used as floor mats? Great for blocking big projects. Sock blockers help keep socks in shape and give them a longer life. Blocking wires create a nice edge on shawls, and some good T pins are a necessity.

7. A Knitter's care package
Put a basket together with a book of nice patterns, 1-3 balls of yarn, some nice needles and other notions, and maybe some chocolate, a container of tea, and some hand cream. If you're not sure where to start, locate your nearest yarn shop, arm yourself with the recipients favorite colors, yarn brands, fibers, or any fiber allergies, and ask the nice person behind the counter for help in making your selections. Unless they have a severe wool allergy, you can never go wrong with Malibrigo.

6. A yarn club susbcriptionYarn clubs run on 3-12 month cycles, depending on the program, and usually include a specialty yarn, a pattern, and a handful of other goodies that are shipped directly to the knitter on a monthly basis. If you know the knitter's favorite Etsy shop or indie dyer, then this is a great way for her to sample new yarns at relatively low cost, and since packages arrive for several months in a row, it's the gift that keeps on giving.

5. A great knitting bag
Women love bags. Men know this. So why not get her a really nice one that's made with her knitting in mind? Knitpicks has a great selection, but don't forget to check Tom Bihn and Jordana Paige, too.


4. Classes
Every knitter has a skill she or he would like to expand on, so why not help them do that? Pick up a class schedule from the local yarn shop, and go over it with your knitter. Do they want to start knitting with beads, or just learn to tackle a sweater? What about dying? Spinning? Cover the cost of the class and, if possible, materials. Your knitter will tank you. 

3. Swift and ball winder
How about an umbrella swift? These save time and hassle when winding a hank of yarn into a ball, but can be a little pricey for the broke knitter.


Ball winders also save a lot of time and headaches, but if you have to choose just one, I'd go with the swift.

2. Spa day
This doesn't have to be expensive, though a day at the local spa would be nice. It could be something as simple as a night off, a nice shoulder massage and some aromatherapy. Knitting can be hard on shoulders and wrists, so those are key areas for massages. Alternatively, manicures--be they professional or just mother and daughter at home on the couch--are always appreciated.

1. Uninterrupted knitting time
Take a page out of the kid's book and put together some coupons, good for things like shoulder rubs, or blocks of uninterrupted knitting time--not less than 2 hours. No cooking, no cleaning, no childcare--just time to sit back and relax with a ball of yarn.

Hope that helps with some of your gift-giving worries. If you have any other suggestions, leave a comment below. :)

Giftmas Knitting Part II: Project ideas

For those keeping track, Kwanza begins in 47 days, Christmas is in 45, Yule is 6 weeks from today and Hanukkah is one month and one day away. If you're a knitter, now might be a good time to start panicking if you haven't finished at least one of your holiday gifts yet.

Never fear, there are still plenty of great gifts that you can make in plenty of time. I won't link to specific patterns, but here's a roundup to give you a few ideas:

1.  Fingerless Gloves
Great for:  teenagers, office workers, and anyone with cold hands
Estimated stash usage: 50g is enough for a pair ranging in fingering to worsted weight yarn. If you're leaning more to the worsted end of the spectrum, then I recommend a more open pattern, and gearing more towards hand warmers (which end at the wrist) rather than arm warmers (which go closer to the elbow).

2. Cowels
Great for: the stylish lady, the outdoorsy type, and the hard-to-shop-for manly man.
Estimated stash usage: depending on the pattern, 50-100g
Cowels are fabulous gifts. A lace pattern done in malibrigo or a mohair is great for moms, aunts, or any female relation. Switch to a sport weight yarn in a bright color, and it's great for the jogger or otherwise active person who enjoys spending time outside during cold weather. Make it a warm, bulky yarn in dark or neutral colors with a plain stitch pattern, and Dad will be able to safely keep his neck warm while he clears snow from the driveway or fixes those little winter emergencies where a scarf might not be a good idea.

3. Basic Beanies
Great for: anyone
Estimated stash usage: about 50g, maybe a bit more.
It's cold. Everyone needs a hat. Use a navy blue and a plain ribbed pattern and Dad can wear it with his cowel. Stick with stockinette and add some colorwork, and it matches your 14 year old cousin's favorite outfit. Put a pompom on top and it's great for the toddler.

4. Berets/slouchy hats
Great for: Any female relations or friends
Estimated stash usage: 50g
My favorite slouchy hat is openwork, and can be worn as a beret or pinned in my hair as a snood.

5. Drawstring pouches
Great for: gamer geeks, other knitters, anyone with collections of small objects to organize
Estimated stash usage: depending on the size, you can get 1-3 bags out of a 50g ball.
Great for storing dice for tabletop gaming, being used as a small project bag to carry in your purse, keeping notions or small office supplies handy, or really anything you want.

6. Scarves/neck warmers
Great for:Almost anyone
Estimated stash usage: 100-200g
Try thinking outside the box on this one--a short neck warmer that is fastened with a button, or a scarf with pockets to keep your hands warm.

7. Socks
Great for: Almost anyone
Estimated stash usage: ranges from 2-3 pairs of baby socks per 50g ball to 100g for a pair of ladies knee highs.
I wouldn't reccomend socks as a go-to project for Giftmas, just because not everyone likes handknit socks (It took me a while to get used to them, and I make them!). For a beginner, this can also be quite an ambitious project. So make sure that you are using materials and a pattern that you are comfortable with.

In addition, you could start from the toe up and just make ankle-high slipper socks by squeezing some puff paint in a fun design on the sole.

8. Washcloths and hand towels
Great for: any household
Estimated stash usage: 1 50g ball is enough for one crochet-top hand towel and a dish cloth.

Two things I've discovered are very popular with my family members are handmade dish cloths and the tea or hand towels with the crocheted tops. When I need a pallet cleanser between projects, I pull out some crochet cotton and make a dishcloth, then set it aside in the bin. These are great for Christmas, housewarming, and even birthdays. Natural, red, and blue seem to the be the most popular colors for kitchens that I've seen, while white can easily be bleached. They're pretty inexpensive, too--a cone of cotton yarn is about $10 at Walmart, and can make upwards of a dozen washcloths. The towels can be found for $1-2, sometimes for a multipack, and cutting them in half means you get two for the price of one.

I know I said *cough*years*cough* ago that I would make a tutorial for those towels, and I will...eventually. Maybe this year. Maybe not.

So that's my rundown of eight last minute items you can knit or crochet for the holidays. What are your go-to gifts? 

Giftmas Knitting Part I: Planning

Good gravy, I've been off the ball, haven't I? NaNoWriMo (or really, to be honest, the NaNo forums) kind of ate my soul this week. It's a problem, since most the time I can set aside to write happens to be time that is normally taken up with knitting. It's leaving me in a quandary, since I have at least two projects that need to be done by the end of November, and I can't work on them if I'm writing. The only solution, obviously, to st get an extra set of arms, like this:

One set could be writing, another cleaning, then one for my Christmas knitting and another to work on my next pattern, which I thought for sure would be done by now. I did not count on ripping it back every time I sit down to work on it.


In the mean time, however, I'll just have to come up with another solution. And for this, that means lists and a whole lot of prioritizing and planing

Last year in my family, we started doing this differently. Instead of everyone buying gifts for everyone, we drew names out of a hat and we each buy for that person. We did this because we're all pretty broke, for various reasons.

The good thing about this is that you're never left wondering,"What did I get for so-and-so? We did remember to get them something, right?" It makes it a lot easier to get a specific wishlist from that person.

In my case, I get to exchange gifts with my aunt. I love this, because she's one of my favorite people, and one of the few in the family that is knitworthy--who actually appreciates handmade gifts and treats them accordingly. Other family members that I have knit or crocheted for one might use or wear the items once out of obligation, then donate or put the item in a yard sale.

My aunt is super easy to shop for anyway, and there usually isn't much variation in her Christmas list. One item that always pops up is a specific style of sock that is difficult to find the rest of year, but pretty common around Thanksgiving and Christmas. Last year I got the idea of knitting socks for her. While that ended badly, I am trying again this year and the results seem to be a lot better so far.

Last year, my yarn didn't even get ordered until Dec. 6th. This year, it arrived in October--giving me plenty of time to get them done. At least, until Nano started. I work on these socks a little every day, mostly when I'm waiting in the car for someone, or on my breaks at work. I'm knitting them two at a time and 15 minutes is enough time for me to get a round and a half on each sock, or one round if it's a cable row.

Another strategy I've been using is the Year Round Christmas bin, where I make small items like washcloths and tuck them away for gifts--housewarming, birthdays, etc. I always have a few things on hand if a gift is needed.

Lastly, I advocate not trying to knit for everyone. Pick no more than three people, and don't pick large, involved  projects. No sweaters, complicated lace, or afghans. Stick with simple, portable, easily accomplished goals like hats, scarves, socks, fingerless gloves, and useful household items. 

So those are my tips for holiday knitting. What are yours?

Stash Enhancement

The suitcase full of yarn got a few additions this week. My check for the Joann's Knitting and crochet booklet (due out in December) came this week, so I promptly deposited it and bought food, followed in short order by yarn (see? I have my priorities straight. Sometimes).

First, my Knitpicks order came in. I can't show you all of that, since I don't know if my swap partner reads this blog (I highly doubt it, but better safe than sorry). I can, however, show you this yarn:

I love the color. This is partially for me--I get to knit something out of it, and that's great because it's my favorite color and I'm in the mood to knit socks after those illusion projects--and partially a gift, since the finished object is going to someone else. Which, you know, completely justifies the purchase of yarn.

KnitPicks "Comfy Fingering" color B979

Speaking of those illusion projects, though, I'm about to cast on for the next pattern (which I will actually have to work out by hand before I can write it down, unlike the others). The pink was on a super clearance at The Yarn Shop. I got three balls for $6. The white was a little pricier. I'm not completely sold on either, even though they are the pallet I wanted. The yarn I wanted to use would have been about $40 all told, and was a little out of the budget. I'll try this and see how it works out. Swatching for that project will commence later tonight.

It amuses me that the name of the yarn is "Dazed."
Feza "Dazed," color 46.

Cascade "Ultra Pima," color 3728

  Those color names sure are descriptive, aren't they?

I was able to cast off the Super Secret Project #1 earlier, and it is blocking on the floor in front of my closet as I write this. A note for anyone who wants to buy me a Christmas present: I want a Steam Buddy. It's a little gadget meant for steaming wrinkles out of clothing, but knitters use it for blocking--especially blocking acrylic, since it doesn't wet-block very well.

Now if you will excuse me, I have a book proposal to write.

Cat v. Mouse

I had no idea Hermes could dedicate this much attention to anything but sleep. He spent over three hours last night staring at the underside of our fridge because I suspect a mouse was hiding under it. He stared at it so long, in fact, that he forgot to wake me up at 2:30 the way he normally does and I got to sleep until 5:30 (is it wrong for me to hope he doesn't catch the mouse in the near future?). This morning, I didn't even see him until mid-afternoon because he was so busy staring at the underside of the stove. He was like a bookend, he held so still.


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Do you know what this is?

If you guessed the start of my Christmas list, then you're spot on. You see here half a dozen dish clothes waiting for their accompanying hand towels. I have the towels and the sewing on them is mostly done, I just need to make the crocheted hangers.

I finished the second pocket lining for the London Calling sweater. It is cooling off for a few days while I get caught up on the other projects that went to pot during my hell unit, namely on the aforementioned gifts and also on a pair of socks that I started just because I had the urge to knit socks. I've got the heel turned on the first one, just finishing up the gusset shaping. This is the first pair of top-down socks I've ever made, and they're turning out rather well. I always forget how long it takes to knit socks until I actually sit down to knit them. It's taken me seven disks of Gundam Wing to get where I am now, though I think I might have been working on other things through about half of that. And then of course there's disc 5, which has 3 episodes of nothing but rehashing the last four disks, so I normally skip that one.

Speaking of anime, it has been decided that the CFM crew will be at Ohayocon in Columbus at the end of January. We might even be running a panel--we'll see. Anyone else going to be there?