How is it that every year I plan to knit ahead of time so that I am not feeling rushed in December but here it is December again and I haven’t finished any of my Christmas knitting? Heck I haven’t even finished the shawl I started in July. Does that mean I won’t be giving any knitted items this Christmas? Nope, it just means I have to plan all my hours and modify my knitting plans. I have 2 pairs of socks that I am giving as presents both of which are almost finished – one needs a toe and the other a heel and leg. No problem to get those done. I promised my husband in September I would make him a cowl so that will now be his Christmas present. Luckily it is a chunky yarn. I still haven’t decided what pattern to use but I am not too worried about that. The other pair of socks I thought I would give I think has now been put off and will be a February birthday present. I found some super chunky ( like knit on a 25mm needle chunky) that I will make into a cowl for someone else – sorry, not the gloves I had thought I was giving. I did find a couple almost finished hats while looking through my stash so maybe those will be presents too. There see it is not so bad as I thought.
So what are some good last minute items that you might still have time to fit in? We have a couple super chunky yarns – Hygge and Lalala which could be used to whip up a superchunky blanket in no time. Or use it to make a cat mat or seat cushion that would only take 1 skein.If super chunky yarn isn’t your thing, try a pair of fingerless gloves. You can make a pair out of worsted weight yarn and you only need about 80 m to make a pair. They are great for texting. I like to wear mine with a pair of dollar store gloves underneath. You can use coordinating coloured gloves to go with the fingerless gloves so they will match any coat.
With pompoms being all the rage, you could knit a hat with a pompom. We have a yarn called Lady that is a chunky yarn that comes with the pattern for a hat and the matching pompom. It is knit in the round with 16″ 8 mm needles so you could easily knit a hat in an evening.If you were thinking of knitting someone a sweater but ran out of time, why not knit them a miniature sweater with a note saying you will knit them a full size one. The miniature could them be used as a Christmas ornament. I did this one year for my husband.
You could also drop hints that you would love to receive that special luxury skein of yarn. A skein of beautiful Biscotte and Cie or Sweet Georgia yarn is always nice. Or Manos Alegria or Malabrigo are both beautiful yarns. Maybe you have been longing to try a couple of skeins of Shibui. If you don’t trust them to pick the right colour, a new set of needles or a yarn bowl is another nice idea. Let your friends and family know that they can find the perfect gift for you at Rose’s Fine Yarns!