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)    

Gifting handmade takes far more time than gifting store-bought, however. Making each individual item takes a far amount of time – there’s the picking out of patterns and yarn, sizing items properly, not to mention the actual knitting! To keep myself from losing my mind (and giving myself Carpel Tunnel) this November, I’ve already begun my holiday knitting.

Getting your holiday knit on this early is as easy as a few simple planning steps. Here’s how I got myself into the holiday groove so early.

First, I spent some time making my Gift List. I put everyone’s name into a document on my computer, and started to figure out what each person might like. For some, it’s as simple as a hat or a pair of mittens. For others (like my nieces and nephew) something more substantial like a sweater was in order. I made this list as large and “Ideal World Knitting” as possible – practicality comes into play later.

Once the list was made, I started to figure out what I already had yarn for. This is key in getting as many hand-knits made for the holidays as possible, truth be told. If you’re constantly running to the store for more yarn, you’re cutting into precious knitting time and spending far more money than you may want.

If you’re lucky, you’ll find much of the yarn you need in your stash – in my case, I had enough yarn for at least five of the projects on my list. That’s when the fun really starts. I updated my list to reflect the yarn I already had, so that I could start figuring out what yarn I needed. If you don’t know what you need, you won’t know what to get!

I watch the sales at my local yarn shops as well as at the big box stores, and when I saw yarn on sale for a holiday knitting project I wanted to tackle, I snapped it up. Thanks to this, I was able to purchase almost all the yarn I’ll need for holiday knitting before April 1!

Once you have your yarn, or have begun to figure out what yarn you already have for your projects, you can begin knitting! I started knitting some of the smaller items (scarves, mittens, etc) right away. With the weather turning warmer every day here in the Midwest, I don’t want to get bogged down with too many larger pieces on my lap. Plus knocking out a bunch of smaller items will get more names crossed off the list faster – a huge mental boost! Figure out which project you want to knit first, and jump right in!

Finally, I designated an area in my craft room for holiday presents – it’s actually the top drawer of my “knitting dresser” for now. As I finish gift-able hand-knits, I write down basic information (who it’s for, yarn content, care instructions) and pin that piece of paper to the hand-knit so it doesn’t get lost. Then I store finished items until it comes time to gift! You may also want to keep a running list of what you’ve knit up and who it’s for, to help remind you at a glance which projects still need to be tackled. I’ve been using Ravelry for that so far, with much success.

Even if you don’t start your holiday knitting as early as I do, if you love to gift hand-made presents, a little organization can go a long way to keeping your gift-giving in order – and help keep you sane!

The other day, I was astonished at how passionately two knitters were debating.   Knowing both of them, it’s not surprising they were passionate.  What surprised me was the topic of their debate: knitted thumbs.  Each was absolutely convinced her favorite thumb was “the best,” and other ways of knitting thumbs just don’t fit right. It took the calming influence of another knitter to put the discussion in perspective. 

She noted while she preferred one type of thumb, her husband another. Perhaps, she calmly asked, it depends upon our individual hand shapes?  Or even what we do with our hands when we use the mittens? Maybe this is a case of individual preference?  Since I’ve usually made only one type of thumb for myself, this discussion started me thinking:  Just how many different thumb types are there? And are there times one would be better than another?

So, what are the types of knitting mitten instructions for thumbs?

Peasant Thumb: Often considered the simplest thumb to knit. Knit without a gore, or wedge-shaped insert, this thumb is often preferred when a complex color pattern is used. The peasant thumb allows the pattern to continue without interruption. The thumb is knit slightly into the palm, so the mittens are either left-handed or right-handed. There’s no adjustment in mitten width for the thumb. The thumb tends to be flat.

Peasant Thumb

Stitches for thumb gore

Side seam gore thumb

Normal gore fingerless mitten

Norwegian Gore Thumb: Knit with a gore and a peasant thumb, this thumb also interrupts the color pattern. In Norwegian mittens, though, this interruption is often incorporated into the color pattern. The mittens are either left-handed or right-handed.  While this mitten has a thumb gore, the mitten body continues above the thumb with the same number of stitches. This thumb also tends to be a flatter thumb.

Color pattern interruption for thumb gore

Norwegian thumb

 Many knitters view these as two types of thumbs (those with or without gores) or four types of thumbs.  

Do you have a favorite?

About the Author: Ina Gilmore

Ina Gilmore learned to knit as a child.  She enjoys sharing her knitting adventures, tips and techniques. You can find her online at her knitting blog, The Knitting Yarn, on Twitter at www.twitter.com/theknittingyarn, and on Ravelry as theknittingyarn.