If you’re thinking about gift knitting already – or perhaps need a little nudge towards thinking about gift knitting – we have a few treats for you today. We’ve already shown you a couple of patterns made just for the NEW Downton Abbey Yarn Collection, on KNITmuch this week, and today we’re going to take some selections from the vast knitting internet to give you some more ideas! Let’s take a look again at the Lady Mary yarn this awesome collection, which can be both elegant and fun because of that extra bit of metallic thread. It’s never too early to start gift knitting and adding some sparkle to your holiday knitting!
The Lady Mary yarn from the new Downton Abbey yarns includes metallic thread for extra sparkle.
The Lady Mary yarn is listed as a light yarn weight in category 3, in other words as a DK weight or “light worsted.” This makes it versatile for projects needing 5-6 stitches per inch in gauge. Knitted more firmly it would make an extremely stiff fabric, for knitting three-dimensional ornaments and baubles, and knitted more loosely it would be enjoyable for lacy projects, as in the Budding Romance shawl pattern we profiled on yesterday.
One lovely and quick gift idea is this Mini Mitten pattern (shown below). It uses double-pointed needles and can be done easily within an evening – make a pair for a unique present-topper or ornament! Or perhaps a bookmark? Or, how about this little stocking pattern, for a similar festive ornament project?
Another great gift idea that I like are these knitted coffee cozies. If you know people who enjoy their daily dose of caffeine, save them the trouble of always throwing out those cardboard cup cozies they provide at cafes, and give them a re-usable one instead! Knitted in a sparkly color like this yarn, they will be less likely to forget it!
Or, try a simple hat pattern – hats make very quick gift projects. With the metallic component we don’t need to look at cables or color-work patterns since the pattern and sparkle would compete too much. Try something very simple like the Whitman Hat, or this Classic Slouchy Hat.
Simple gift projects like this mini mitten pattern are even more festive with the metallic sparkle added in.
These are just a few fun ideas – there are so many to choose from! When trying a new yarn it’s always a good idea to buy one or two skeins to play with before committing to a big project, if you’re thinking about something larger. So, these are all one-skein-or-less projects to get you started. And remember, it’s never too early to think about gift knitting while adding some sparkle to your holiday knitting!
