If you’d like to create handmade holiday gifts this year but are pressed for time, here are some very versatile and simple ideas that you can whip up in a hurry.
Even if you are a novice knitter, you can master the art of creating a knitted dishcloth. This is a great project because it takes little time and can be done while relaxing and watching television in the evenings. I would estimate that each dishcloth/washcloth takes about an hour to an hour and a half to make. Since it’s a small project, you can usually complete it during one sitting. A great pattern for knitted dishcloths/washcloths can be found in the book The Complete Idiot’s Guide To Knitting and Crocheting.
This is a great learning pattern for those new to knitting, because it incorporates the techniques of increasing and decreasing stitches, as well as using the yarn over, or “yo” method. This is also a great classic pattern for experienced knitters, as it’s one that is tried and true, so to speak. My gift suggestion using this pattern is to create two or more matching dishcloths/washcloths and create “snowball soaps” to go with them.
To create the “snowball” soaps, simply use a pure white bar of any regular bar soap, and grate on a standard cheese grater. Then, using a small amount of water, mix with the shredded soap pieces and form into balls. These will resemble snowballs. Set aside as many as you would like to include with your dishcloth set. This makes a great gift alone (the dishcloths and soaps set), or adds a nice touch to a gift basket including other bath or kitchen type items. The example photo accompanying this article can be found in my Etsy shop at www.etsy.com/shop/CHRISTY1968 .
You could also choose to crochet a simple square, then add a simple border around it to make the same type of dishcloths/washcloths. These would probably take less time than the knitted versions.
Scarves are another fast and easy project, if you use the right sized needles and yarn thickness. To make a project fly by, use a very large size needle, perhaps a size 10, and a super bulky yarn. Cast on around 15 stitches,knit several rows to see what your gauge is going to be, and adjust accordingly if you want it wider or more narrow. Once you establish how many stitches you’ll need to obtain desired width, you can really get moving by simply knitting in plain garter stitch. With a bulky yarn, this will look fabulous, and you’ll be knitting inches of scarf within minutes. Just keep going until you achieve desired length then bind off stitches and you’re done. Scarves are great because you can make them for male and female recipients by choosing the right yarns, and they are very practical gifts for winter.
Baby booties are another fast project idea. Check around in any knitting or crochet pattern book, or look online for a variety of free patterns to try. Since they are so small, they go very quickly, and they are just so cute that everyone loves them.
These are some great project ideas that will be well received by the recipient. You will have given the gift of handmade this holiday season, and the people you’ve given your finished projects to will long remember this special gift from you. These projects are also time and budget friendly, so you should be able to turn out several for gift giving this year.