Sweet Gift Makes for the Holidays

The time has come for gift knitting! There’s nothing more personal than a handmade gift, and we love stitching on these projects just thinking of how excited our loved ones will be when they finally open them. Since we don’t have the time to make everyone a sweater by the new year, we’ve taken a deep dive into Ravelry to find patterns that are darling but quick to knit. 

Read the rest of this blog post to see what we’re thinking of casting on for the holidays, and be sure to look over at our Ravelry Bundle of Holiday and Gift Pattern Suggestions for more great ideas! The best part? This is a collaborative page, meaning you can add your own favorite gift ideas by simply clicking the yellow plus sign that says “Add to This Bundle”. We love hearing about what our Thistler community is casting on and cannot wait to see the knitspiration you add!

Baa-ble Mug Cozy by Donna Smith 

We have been delighted to work with Donna Smith this year from including her Langsoond yarn in our annual Selection Box to interviewing her for our blog on everything from croft life to knitwear design. Since chilly walks with warm beverages are part of our plans, the Baa-ble Mug Cozy is a must-knit this year on our gift list! Find kits for the mug cozy in our shop!

The World’s Simplest Mittens by Tin Can Knits 

Keep your loved ones' hands warm this winter with a clear and thoughtfully written mitten pattern that is sized for the whole family and can be made in a variety of yarn weights. These mittens can be knit up in fingering, DK, Worsted and Chunky weight yarns depending on your preference. We like our gifts to knit up quickly, so we would pair this with the lovely Fivel wool from Rauma. This 100% Norwegian wool is a lovely worsted weight that comes in 24 colors meaning you’ll find everyone’s favorite color! 

Ella Gordon’s Yule Mitts 

Light up your needles and hands with the Yule Mitts by Ella Gordon! We love Ella Gordon’s thoughtfully written designs from her Houll Hat to the Hattie Yoke on last year’s SWW Annual. 

Inspired by vintage Christmas lights, you only need a few grams of each contrasting color for the lights - meaning this is a fabulous project to knit along on as you open your 12 Days of Cheer box! 

These mitts need 50 grams of fingering weight wool for the main color, and J&S 2ply would hbe a fabulous choice. If you’re looking for a more natural tone like Ella’s check out J&S Supreme undyed wool. You need just a few grams for each string of lights, meaning this is the perfect opportunity to stash dive or shop the rainbow and check out the entire J&S 2ply color range!

Rue Bonnie Cowl and Hat by Caitlin Johnson 

We love a pattern that covers the whole family, and our very own Caitlin has designed a pattern that’ll fly off your needles with its addicting colorwork and fun yarn choices! The Rue Bonnie Hat is sized all the way from infants to an adult large, and the accompanying cowl is the bright and colorful accessory your winter wardrobe needs. Our kits include enough yarn for both a hat and a cowl, meaning you get two gifts out of one set! If you want a combo that looks like Caitlin’s original cowl, check out the Chamonix colorway. Named for a French ski town in the Alps, this set will keep you warm on your family’s next winter adventure!

Flukkra Oven Mitts from Uradale Yarns

You probably recognize Uradale for their gorgeous yarns or may have even read “A Visit to Uradale” on our blog. But have you seen their fabulous patterns? Their most recent pattern is the Flukkra Oven Mitts which are knit up on US 10 then felted down. Named after the Shaetlan word for snowflake, these cooking mitts knit up fast and make a fabulous gift! We love the idea of introducing wool for the household to a loved one, and the felted wool means that they’re both heat and water resistant - perfect for the kitchen!

You have two options for yarns when knitting this pattern - bulky yarn held single or DK weight held double. To hold double we have some fabulous options including Uradale’s own DK weight or our freshly topped up Tukuwool DK. If you prefer to do a bulky weight, check out our Álafosslopi Yarn. This is a bulky weight yarn made with 100% Icelandic wool that comes in a variety of colors so you’ll find the perfect match…

Hook Your Next Gift - Chicken Coasters by Denton Foreman 

Prefer to crochet your next make? This Chicken Coasters pattern is free on Ravelry and is made with worsted weight yarn, meaning they work up quickly! An 100% wool yarn would be an ideal match for these as its heat resistant properties means hot mugs won’t hurt your wood surfaces. We have a soft spot for chickens here at TWT and the Agatha Socks are even named after one of Corinne’s clucking companions. We especially love the idea of a set in Retrosaria Brusca - talk about an amazing color combination!