I have an alarm in my calendar that goes off in July to remind me to start my gift knitting for the knit worthy. Just like my morning alarm I hit snooze multiple times until right around now when sheer last minute panic sets in. And so with just six weeks to go until Solstice/Hanukkah/Christmas/Kwanza I’m rethinking my earlier more ambitious gift ideas and keeping it simple.
What to consider when knitting or crocheting a gift:
- Is the person knit/crochet worthy?
Please note that there are perfectly lovely people who take up huge parts of my heart are not knit/crochet worthy. They just don’t quite understand what goes into the knit item and so I’m not going to use my precious knitting time on those individuals. Other time, just not knitting time. It truly is okay to recognize that a loved one is not a knit worthy one. - What will the recipient enjoy and use?
Like you probably do, I have many projects picked out on Ravelry that I think are gorgeous, and a stash/yarn art collection to be proud of, but that doesn’t mean the recipient will adore the yarn, or the pattern. What will work for them – for their lifestyle, their color choices? My better half will never wear a deep red knit cable vest even in the cold, but an earth-toned beanie that he can wear camping! Oh yes! Watching someone enjoy and wear a gift I’ve made beats creating an item I think is pretty that they never wear or use. This may mean including them in some of the choices around the gift – it can still be a surprise! - Yarn type
Oh how I love my fingering weight cashmere blends, but even the knit worthy person may not be able to handle the care associated with some of our finer yarns, that takes a special knit worthy recipient. Make sure the care requirements match your recipient’s abilities and time availabilities. Also, is the yarn up to the use that they will subject it to? My family gets most use out of knit gifts when we’re camping, I go for more rustic hardy yarns that are perfect for outer wear. Remember that the delight in squishing a ball of yarn doesn’t necessarily translate into an item that will with stand use. - Yarn weight
With crunch time upon us, nothing in lace is going to go fast. I’m going to focus mainly on DK weight yarns and higher for gift giving.Next time: our pattern picks for quick gifts.
