| Author |
 Topic  |
|
Crfkt
Warming Up
70 Posts |
 Posted - 11/05/2003 : 07:58:56 AM
|
Help! Does anyone have any quick gift ideas to knit? I have 5 women at work I need to make the "same" thing for and not alot of time. Thanks.
Kathy |
|
|
klfrazier
Permanent Resident
1745 Posts |
Posted - 11/05/2003 : 08:00:25 AM
|
Hmmm.. small purses for coins/makeup/whatever....hats....facecloths those are my quickest, best suggestions
Kristin
|
 |
|
|
Cayli1
Seriously Hooked
USA
635 Posts |
Posted - 11/05/2003 : 08:44:37 AM
|
You could do those "Gap skinny scarves" that everyone has been talking about. They are 6-8 feet long and about 4" wide. Knit lengthwise they take no time at all and are very "in". If you do them in a textured or varigated yarn they look really great. Make sure you add long fringe too. 
How about wrist warmers. They are very cute and fast. Knitty.com has a pattern for them too for free. (Not sure which issue)
I also like the small purse idea or small felted purses too with fun novelty trim. Felting is my new love so I had to suggest that.
Cayli
|
|
|
|
jade
Permanent Resident
USA
1543 Posts |
Posted - 11/05/2003 : 08:50:13 AM
|
I second the skinny scarf suggestion. I've made 3 in almost no time, to be given as gifts for girls in the family. I used some stash oddballs, blended different textures to get something interesting, and knitted them on big needles. Each one takes an evening or so and there's no sewing up afterwards.
Cheryl
|
|
|
|
PattiG
Permanent Resident
1119 Posts |
Posted - 11/05/2003 : 1:10:24 PM
|
The flower washcloths in IK (And Melanie Falick's new weekend knitting book) are quick and could be accompanied by a nice bar or soap.
Also, for bookworms, I'll knit up book marks in seed stitch, using leftovers from other projects.
PattiG |
|
|
|
Trina
Permanent Resident
USA
1871 Posts |
Posted - 11/05/2003 : 1:16:20 PM
|
I'm making scarves for 3 of the girls in my office. They are moving along pretty fast. I also like change purses & washcloths with a bar of Lavender soap.
Hold fast to dreams
For if dreams die
Life is a broken-winged bird that cannot fly.
-Langston Hughes |
|
|
|
Elizabeth
Permanent Resident
USA
1557 Posts |
Posted - 11/05/2003 : 1:34:04 PM
|
quote:
The flower washcloths in IK (And Melanie Falick's new weekend knitting book) are quick and could be accompanied by a nice bar or soap.
PattiG
I am thinking of making these for gifts and have a great source for good soap: https://www.theenterprisingkitchen.org/index.html
This is a chicago-based non-profit that makes lovely soaps while providing "paid employment, work and life skills training and a variety of other support services. While many participants in our program have challenging personal histories, often including substance abuse and homelessness, they are highly motivated and committed to building independent and sustainable livelihoods." (this is from their web site).
The soaps are very nice and come nicely packaged. I love it when I can combine gift-giving/shopping with supporting a worthy effort!
|
|
|
|
warble
New Pal
USA
46 Posts |
Posted - 11/05/2003 : 6:10:39 PM
|
It seems like if you are pressed for time, there is no need to force yourself to knit something for these ladies -- you can alway buy something small but nice, and (if you like) knit them something at a later time -- for a birthday, or whatnot, without all the crafty holiday stress. I think a lot of people who have a craft feel obliged to use it for every single gift, when sometimes you just have to give yourself a break and make handmade gifts more special.
|
|
|
|
myshelle10
Permanent Resident
USA
2749 Posts |
Posted - 11/05/2003 : 6:42:17 PM
|
Thanks for saying that :) I knew that, but just the same I was feeling (almost) guilty for knitting so little for anyone else for the holidays... mostly I knit for me, or for others when the mood strikes-- usually not for any occasion though!
myshelle :)
|
|
|
|
Three Bags Full
New Pal
3 Posts |
Posted - 11/05/2003 : 9:01:08 PM
|
I am making scarves for my children's teachers from a pattern we give out at the yarn shop where I work. They take one ball of Trendsetter Dune (mohair/metallic blend). Cast on 2 sts. on #13 or #15 needles:
Row 1: knit
Row 2: Increase in first st., knit to end.
Repeat above 2 rows until you have 30 sts. Then, begin decreasing 1 st. at beginning of every other row until you have 2 sts. left. Knit them together and fasten off! This makes a nice size triangle scarf, and takes about 2 hours. |
|
|
|
thevalkyry
Sustaining Member
USA
736 Posts |
Posted - 11/06/2003 : 01:26:54 AM
|
Hats are nice too. I am making a one skein hat with Silky Wool right now. It's cabled, but still going quick. And some of the Noro Silkgarden colourways mean would could do a really simple stockinette with a roll brim - just whip it out.
Food, Gas, Rent.. and Yarn |
|
|
|
BooksAngel
Chatty Knitter
USA
165 Posts |
Posted - 11/06/2003 : 06:46:05 AM
|
The women on my list are getting tams this Christmas. Some get warm could be pulled down lower ones and others getting cute perch on the top of head ones. I found several patterns to choose from on the web. Searching for "tam" brought better results than "beret". Each is taking about 15 hours of knitting. I even ended up with one for fall with a spider web shaped decrease on top. I just added a plastic spider for Halloween.
Using one of the web patterns for tams to felt would take much less time to knit. Just be careful, to my horror I discovered that nice alpaca yarn felts much faster than wool. I have one tam that became a pixie cap for a small pixie. Know any small pixies that like dark green?
Angel
|
|
|
|
pnitter
New Pal
USA
18 Posts |
Posted - 11/06/2003 : 06:58:20 AM
|
I just finished making the fingerless gloves from Sally Melville's new book, The Purl Stitch. It took three evenings, using 2 skeins of Koigu. They come up to my elbows. For friends, I would probably make them about 4 inches shorter in length, and they would take 2 evenings. They are really beautiful.
|
|
|
|
Licensed2Cook
Permanent Resident
USA
3554 Posts |
Posted - 11/06/2003 : 07:03:42 AM
|
I am making 3 pairs of "bedsocks" for my friends. They should go pretty fast because I am using sportweight baby alpaca and the free pattern I got from the yarn shop.
You could also make the leaf cravat from IK, do a search for previous postings on that project.
I think I would place a vote for the soap and that washcloth pattern, I really like it a lot. I am tempted to scrap my plans above for the socks and go for that!
One of my favorite things to make and it's so fast is a mobius scarf out of Plymouth Firenze using a size 17 needle. It takes only one ball to make it and you can knit it in an hour or so.
Dee |
|
|
|
Crfkt
Warming Up
70 Posts |
Posted - 11/06/2003 : 07:42:04 AM
|
Thank you so much for the ideas. I did scarfs last year so that leaves them out. I'm knitting gifts cuz we work in retail (non craft) and buying seems so much like work!
Thanks,
Kathy |
|
|
|
msgb
Gabber Extraordinaire
USA
531 Posts |
Posted - 11/06/2003 : 07:45:12 AM
|
 I am giving a few women on my list accessory scarves made out of Plymouth Eros. I figure that one ball per scarf comes out to a bout 11.00 dolloars or so a person. On size 15 needles it is quick and easy. Just put on a fringe and voila.
|
|
|
|
sann@nc.rr.com
USA
Posts |
Posted - 11/06/2003 : 08:43:20 AM
|
Could someone explain a bit more about the GAP skinny scarves? I am a new knitter and have never knitted anything the long way.
---What kind and what size needles do you use? They must be pretty long.
---What kind of yarn works best? I think I have some multi-color yarns I can use.
---How many stitches do you cast on usually and how many rows do you knit? Or do I just measure out 4 inches?
Sorry for so many questions.
Thanks so much,
Sandra |
|
|
|
clevergrl
Chatty Knitter
USA
127 Posts |
Posted - 11/06/2003 : 10:07:19 AM
|
i basically have the same questions as sandra. how many stitches do you have to cast on to knit lengthwise, and on what size needles. i've been to the gap a couple of time to take a look at the scarves, and they are quite long, and flat-yet-thick feeling. i haven't gone a taken a really good look at the tread about this scarf, but i think it's pretty long now, so if someone could summarize for us i know i would really appreciate it. thanks, and thanks to sandra for asking because i was a little shy about asking and should have remembered that "there are no stupid questions...". 
jessica |
|
|
|
Lisgitt
New Pal
11 Posts |
Posted - 11/06/2003 : 10:38:33 AM
|
Have you thought about knitting Xmas ornaments? They're fun and quick. I use a pattern from Wool You Order (they've changed their name to Two Old Bags) for felted Christmas ornaments. You can make little stockings or mittens. They're adorable, you can use scraps, and everyone loves them.
The other quick pattern I found recently was Fuzzy Feet. It's in an old issue of Knitty and also on a blog: www.spellingtuesday.com. I've made some for myself, and they are wonderfully comfy and warm. |
|
|
|
myshelle10
Permanent Resident
USA
2749 Posts |
Posted - 11/06/2003 : 10:47:41 AM
|
Jessica & Sandra: If you both do a search, there's a long thread (5 pages or so??) on the GAP skinny scarf (and I think that's what it's called...) where everyone worked out what worked and what didn't...
(I'd sum it up myself, but since I haven't made one, that'd be tough!) LOL :)
myshelle
|
|
|
|
marfa
Permanent Resident
USA
1875 Posts |
Posted - 11/06/2003 : 4:52:58 PM
|
How do.
What a "find" this topic is! I have received some cool ideas from your posts - thanks!
PattiG, the bookmarks are a wonderful idea. I have 8 women in my book group & your idea might be the ticket for a holiday gift for them.
Lisgitt, I tried to log on to the web link you posted & could not find anything about Fuzzy Feet. Yes, I used the "search" feature. Any other ideas?
Three Bags Full, thanks for the scarf pattern - I will try that for sure as I have a number of scarves to make.
I saw a Noro Kureyon (sorry if I boo booed on the spelling of that!) scarf sample recently in a yarn store - they used size 8 needles w/3 skeins of yarn & casted on 32 stitches. They used double moss stitch w/the length being whatever you wanted it to be. It is an easy pattern & the result was lovely. The double moss stitch brought out the texture of the Noro in a fetching way.
Martha
|
|
|
|
Topic |
|
Topic Locked
