What can you knit for Christmas? (by Ina Gilmore)

I don’t know about you, but the Christmas presents I remember most are not the most expensive.  No, the ones I remember most are the ones that came from the heart.    

They may have been as simple as a young child helping his busy mom make Christmas ornaments for everyone.  Or as complex as a favorite aunt making matching hat, scarf, and mitten sets for my sisters and me — while taking care of her own growing family and working full time.    

And in an economic downturn, maybe it’s time to consider — or reconsider —simpler . . .more practical . . .less expensive gifts.    

So what are some projects to knit for Christmas?    

• A lap-ghan or baby blanket  This recommendation comes from Vanna White of Wheel of Fortune.  She’s an avid crocheter, reportedly preferring these gifts.  And yes, they do work also for knitters!What’s a   lap-ghan?  It’s a half-size afghan that an adult uses to warm his or her legs.  This is a favorite of those bothered by chills and drafts.  And yes, it’s not just confined to the northern areas.  Southerners get chilly too!
• Scarves, hats, and mittens  Well these will get more use in northern climates.  Hats and mittens usually require knowledge at least roughly of the size of the recipient’s head and hands.  Scarves on the other hand are small projects.  And even beginning knitters can knit garter stitch scarves.  Actually their biggest challenge may be binding off!Tip:  When you want to make a scarf faster, knit it lengthwise.  Instead of knitting back on forth on only a few stitches, cast on enough for the entire length of the scarf.  This way you only have to knit a relatively few rows.  Although they can get quite long!
  
• Toys  You can knit toys for children, such as a teddy bear or doll clothes.  You can also knit a cover for an I-pod or cell phone to protect an adult’s “toys.”

These ideas can help you get started for knitting your own memorable gifts.    

And when you want to knit a special gift for use every Christmas, consider knitting a Christmas stocking.  You can personalize it with names if you are so inclined . . .or just your own knitting style.  When you’re looking for Christmas stocking kits, be sure to check out the kits Naughty Knitterz offer from patterns I designed.  (Insert link)    

   

  

 

 

How do you make Christmas stockings? (by Ina Gilmore)

When my friend Erika asked if I could design a Christmas stocking, I thought, “Why not?”  Why let something small—like never having knit one before—stop a knitting project? 

Deciding to start at the beginning with some basic research, I plowed into the project.  After studying Christmas stockings’ construction, I decided it wouldn’t be any harder than knitting socks.  And was pleasantly surprised to find they were easier to knit than I thought.

So just how do you make Christmas stockings?

1. Knitting Christmas stockings is very similar to knitting socks.  Yes, the original Christmas stockings were actually stockings children wore the rest of the year.  So, the overall pattern is roughly the same as a sock pattern.
2. Modern Christmas stockings tend to be larger than socks. Larger in diameter and leg length, although the foot is often knit shorter.
3. To hide the stocking stuffers from little eyes, their stockings are often knit in stockinette stitch rather than a lace pattern.  Stockinette stitch is also a traditional pattern for stockings.  Stockinette stitch even gets its name from knitting stockings.
4. Because most Christmas stockings are knit in the round, stockinette stitch is all knit stitches.  Many knitters prefer the knit stitch to the purl stitch.
5. If this is one of your first projects knit in the round, the yarn and needles are usually heavier than those used to knit socks to be worn.  This makes knitting Christmas stockings easier, especially if you’re not used to knitting with either a set of double-pointed needles or two circular needles.
6. Christmas stockings usually are knit from the top down, although there’s no reason they couldn’t be knit from the bottom up.  You might have to adjust a motif or graph if you’re knitting your sock in more than one color.
7. Because the stocking is for decoration, the heel usually looks squared and is often different than the main stocking color.
8. The toe is often the same contrasting color as the heel.
9. And left-handed knitters will be happy to note that Christmas stockings can be knit left-handed, too.  If the pattern has an asymmetrical motif, you may end up with a mirror image unless you reverse the graph.  The good news is most Christmas motifs are either symmetric or can be just as lovely as a mirror image.

So you can see that knitting Christmas stockings isn’t so complicated after all!  And they’re fun to knit, then display or give away.  There is a picture of the Victorian version of Christmas Stocking to the left on this page.  See all 3 designs on the Stocking Kit page. 

Keep knitting to your heart’s delight — or someone else’s…Ina

When you’re ready to try a Christmas stocking, check out the kits The Naughty Knitterz made from the patterns I designed.   Find all three kits at http://theknittingyarn.com/stockingkits.

Article Source: http://theknittingyarn.com/?p=2506

Cotton Craze…Great Handmade Gifts (by Natalie Badolato)

I’ve recently moved which forced me to pack my ever growing supply of craft materials. It wasn’t until I unpacked my supplies that I realized I have an incredible stash of yarn. So in an effort to depart from my norm of crocheting gifts for family and friends, I’ve decided to dive into my pile of 100% cotton and crochet things to sell at a community craft fair.

I jumped online to get inspiration and found that cotton kitchen and bath items are a hot ticket item. Now I’m happy to report that I’m not just drowning in balls of cotton but I’m also drowning in spiral scrubbies, wash cloths, bath puffs, cotton pads and apple cozies.

With the holidays quickly approaching and the economy as it is, I wanted to make something affordable that people could buy more than one of.

These cute and affordable pieces are perfect gifts for those hard-to-buy-for people on your list like co-workers and teachers. If you are looking for some really quick gift items, I recommend crocheting some spiral scrubbies. They take a small amount of cotton and you can bang a bunch of these out in an evening.