Time flies. Even though we cannot see or touch it, we know it has wings – and here it is almost Christmas, with Hanukkah barely a week and a half away. What to knit in a hurry?
If you are like me, some holiday tasks get done well ahead and others wait for “when I have more time”. Small, easy knitted gifts can be worked up in no time and are always appreciated by whoever is lucky enough to receive them.
What makes a good quick gift
It uses one skein. Anything needing multiple balls is not a quick project, and it removes any risk of running out.
It has no fit to get wrong. Nobody’s measurements needed, nothing to try on.
It is finished when the knitting stops. Projects requiring seaming, lining or assembly take twice as long as the knitting suggests.
It uses chunky yarn. The fastest single decision you can make. A bulky yarn on large needles produces a finished object in a fraction of the time.
Ideas that meet all four
A cowl. Cast on, work in the round until it is long enough, cast off. No shaping, no seaming, no sizing. In chunky yarn this is an evening.
Fingerless mitts. A tube with a gap for the thumb. Quick, useful, and they fit almost anyone.
A hat. Slightly more involved because of the crown decreases, but still a single evening in bulky yarn. One size fits most adults.
Coasters or a mug cosy. Tiny, quick, and good for using up oddments. A set of four looks considered.
A simple scarf. Always fits, always welcome, and it shows off a nice yarn.
Wash cloths in cotton. A set of three with a bar of good soap is a genuinely nice gift and takes an evening.
Making it look like a present
This is where quick gifts are won or lost, and it takes ten minutes.
Block it. Even a cowl looks noticeably better wetted and dried flat, and it takes no effort beyond planning a day ahead.
Weave the ends in properly and trim them close.
Wrap it well, with a tag saying what it is made of and how to wash it. A gift with a care label reads as considered rather than knocked together.
Choosing yarn under time pressure
Go softer than you think you need, especially for anything worn at the neck.
And machine washable, unless you know the recipient will hand wash. A beautiful gift that cannot go in the machine often quietly stops being worn.
