Building a stash of handmade gifts – Nine knitting patterns to use again and again (by Robyne Devine)

Almost every knitter I know loves to gift handmade presents for birthdays and holidays, but we also all find ourselves remembering this at the very last minute. While a plethora of “last minute knit” patterns exist, I’ve taken to keeping a list of “go to” patterns that I whip through whenever I have some spare knitting time. I store all these finished knits in a drawer of my yarn dresser (where I store my yarn stash), so that when a birthday, holiday, or celebration sneaks up on me I’ve got something waiting in the wings!

Babies – Everyone knows someone who is having a baby, and most new parents love the gift of handmade items. I love to give smaller gifts – hats, sweaters, and booties – that can grow at least a little bit with the babe.

1. My go-to hat pattern: Cabled Hat (http://heyjulie.wordpress.com/2006/08/18/cabled-baby-hats/). This hat looks great made in any color, and stretches unbelievably – I’ve known babes to wear it for their first six months!
2. My go-to sweater pattern: 5 hour baby boy sweater (http://gailbable.tripod.com/id41.html ). It looks good on both boys and girls, and most babes can wear it for up to four months if you make it long enough (the sleeves can be rolled up for the first month or two).
3. My go-to sleep sack pattern: Snug As A Bug sleepsack (my own pattern – http://robyndevine.blogspot.com/2010/05/snug-as-bug-sleepsack-free-pattern.html ). I can whip one of these up in three days flat, and for babes born in colder months, this can be a god-send!

Men – Men can be a bit harder to knit for. They look for utility above all, I’ve learned, which means neutral colors and design, less flourish and pattern drama but more classic lines and design. A good go-to pattern for men has to be something you’d give to your father, your husband, and your son.

1. My go-to gloves pattern: Cigar mitts (http://knitty.com/ISSUEsummer05/PATTcigar.html ). I make the pattern either with all fingers fully completed or with all fingers left open, and always in black, grey, navy or brown – and always in Patons wool. They stand up to anything, are great for working outside or on home improvements, and are classic enough for any man to love.
2. My go-to hat pattern: Vancouver (my own pattern – http://robyndevine.blogspot.com/2010/05/vancouver-hat-free-pattern.html). This hat is another fast and classic knit. It’s simplicity hides the fact that any man on your gift list will love it and wear it out – ask my father-in-law!

Women – The women in your life will end up being the hardest to knit for. Every woman I know has a different style, favorite colors, and fabric loves. None the less, I keep a few patterns on-hand for last-minute gifts – I’ve found these classics will make almost any woman happy!

1. My go-to scarf pattern: The Star Scarf pattern (http://crafthope.com/2010/01/project-6-orphan-foundation/ ) from Vickie Howell (made for Craft Hope) became an instant classic for me. Simple enough to memorize quickly, this is a great traveling project, and can be worked into a skinny scarf or a more substantial shawl. Again, the yarn makes the style for this beauty – knit in a neutral the scarf becomes perfect for anyone on your list, but by adding a fun color to the pattern you’ve got an instant favorite for those looking for an up-to-the-moment accessory.
2. My go-to hat patterns: Any hat by Jane Richmond (http://www.janerichmond.etsy.com/ ) is a winner in my book! Every woman I’ve made one of Jane’s hats for, from friends to family members and spanning generations, has loved her hat to death! They can be made slouchier or snug, and are classic enough that by simply changing up the color of your yarn, you end up with a hat that is traditional to funky and fresh!

Kids – If you thought knitting for the women in your life could be difficult, try knitting for the kids you know! From the minute they become mobile, kids start expressing their likes and dislikes, and that definitely includes knit-wear! I’ve found that sticking with simple items, knit with super soft and WASHABLE fabrics increases the chances the kids in your life will love what you knit for them.

1. My go-to hat pattern: Baby Beanie by Ulli Shibuya (free Ravelry download). The pattern calls for fingering weight, so by sizing up to sport weight or even worsted weight, you end up with a hat to fit any kid from a toddler to a teen. Leave off the tab at the top for older kids, and this hat is sure to be worn by girls and boys alike.
2. My go-to sweater pattern: Drive Thru, by Knit and Tonic. You can work this sweater into a cardigan (my preferred method) or a pull-over, and it can be made solid or with any variety of patterns to suit any boy or girl. I’ve made these for my nieces this year, and they fell in love instantly!

And if you’ve got a little extra time on your hands, my go-to blanket pattern is the Project Linus blanket from Knitting For Peace. This blanket works up great in any color, and can be adjusted for smaller or larger blankets. We’ve got a few in our home, even!

What’s In A Notions Bag? (by Robyn Devine)

Most advanced knitters carry around with them a bag, full to the brim with tools to help make their knitting time easier and more productive. But when you’re just starting out a trip down the knitting aisles of your local craft store (or a visit to the notions section of your LYS) can send you into a tizzy in a hurry – all those extras, many with little to no explanation!

Never fear, Robyn is here! With this handy list of my seven favorite items you’ll want to have in your notions bag from month one – along with what each item is used for and some possible substitutions! – you can be sure you’ve got everything you’ll need to make your knitting time just as productive as the pros!

Stitch markers. These bad boys can be bought in bunches of plastic, multi-colored packs, or you can purchase them from Etsy sellers and other knitters. I’ve had my plastic ringed stitch markers almost from day one, and have slowly acquired some pretty beaded ones that I whip out when knitting something extra special. Don’t feel like you need to spend a lot of money on these, though – especially at first. You can even substitute strands of contrasting colored yarn, safety pins, or hoop earrings in a pinch!

Yarn-only scissors. No matter how new you are to knitting, you’re going to need to cut your yarn ends off at some point. I recommend keeping a pair of “knitting-only” scissors in your knit-kit. This way your scissors won’t get dulled by cutting paper, hair, or anything else, and you always know where your scissors are! Mine came from the dollar bin at Target, although I know knitters who have spent up to $20 on their pairs.

Cable needle. You may not think you need this at first, especially if you’re not cabling quite yet. I’ve used my cable needle to pick up errant stitches, however – this is actually more often what I use it for! I got a three-pack at my local craft store, so I know I’ve got a cabling needle that will work for any size cable I want to make!

Darning needles. When weaving in ends, I’ve known knitters to use crochet hooks, but I prefer a plastic, blunt-tipped darning needle. Buy these in bulk, as you’ll find they are the item that most often goes missing!

Row counter.  I’ve pretty well stopped using mine at this point, thanks to an app on my iTouch – if you’ve got an iPhone or iTouch, you can find knitting apps for free! Most knitters, however, slip this onto their circular needle so they never lose track of which row they’re on!

Tape measures. I buy mine at the local craft store when they’re on sale for $1 – they’re known to be stolen by my kitties for play toys, and can break pretty easily. I should probably buy a nice one that won’t break, I guess. This comes in handy for measuring gauge, for measuring length/width of your knitting, and for determining sizing.

Pencil. I keep a mechanical pencil in my knitting bag at all time – perfect for marking rows and notes onto my knitting patterns, and great in a pinch to write something down or even pick up a stitch!

While there may be dozens of other tools knitters will tell you to pick up, or tools you’ll come to love in your years as a knitter, this basic kit will keep you happily knitting from day one!

Holiday Knitting Is A Marathon (by Robyne Devine)

Say what you will about me, but I’ve already begun my 2010 holiday knitting. One of the joys of the holiday season for me is giving the gift of something hand-made; from hats to sweaters to mittens, I love the look on a loved-ones face when they open a package full of items I’ve made just for them.

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!