Before I begin, if you are a family member of mine who I typically give gifts to at Christmas, you need to stop reading now – I’m serious – I don’t want your gifts to be spoiled!

Anyways, moving on now 🙂

Where I live, it feels like we have only had a few weeks of fall so far. We might even have below freezing temperatures this coming week, so that points to fall being nearly over, sadly! So naturally, it’s the perfect weather for knitting. Below I’d like to share what I will be working on this season, as well as the gift knits I’ve made, or plan to make.

Fall Knitting Plans

Market Henley

This top is designed by Claire Johnson of Perfectly Knotted. I’m probably about halfway through knitting this sweater. I’m really enjoying the fabric it is making and am excited to wear this when it’s done. I do love a V-neck, so I think I’m going to like how this top fits.

I’ve never done a button hole before, and this pattern calls for three. I’ve made two now, and there is one more that will be added with the collar. It was much easier than I was expecting! I love learning new things while making a pattern that I otherwise have already done most of the techniques before.

I don’t enjoy picking up stitches, so I’m not looking forward to the sleeves, and especially the collar, but it seems like once I get started picking up stitches, it’s never as bad as I had been thinking it would be.

Cordillera Scarf – Test Project

The Cordillera Scarf is a pattern created by Jennifer Lovett of Violet Loops. It is created using Tunisian crochet in the round. I had been thinking for a while that I’d like to try Tunisian crochet again, because of what a beautiful fabric it creates. That’s when I saw this test knit come up. I applied and was picked as one of the testers! It took a little bit of research on my part to get back into the mindset or Tunisian crochet, but once I figured that out, and learned how to use my double-sided hook, I was good to go.

It is so addicting watching the pattern come to life. It’s also the perfect pattern to pick up when you know you may get interrupted or when you only have a short amount of time to kill. I have until January to complete the test, but I am trying to get as much done now, as I know things are about to get very busy for me in the next month. More on that soon 🙂

Alpinepaca Jumper

This is a pattern in thepetiteknitter’s book, “Arctic Knits.” I purchased yarn specifically for this pattern while at Rhinebeck, and am excited to say that I found alpaca yarn to create this pattern with. There is an alpacas motif in colorwork around the yoke so I was looking for alpaca yarn specifically. I haven’t done the gauge on it yet, but I’ll alter it however I need to to make that yarn work. I’m determined to make it using alpaca.

Gift Knits

Ok if you’re a family member, this is your absolute last warning to click away! You don’t want to ruin Christmas, do you?

For my gift knits, I wanted to make a point to only use yarn from stash. It might be a tight Christmas financially this year due to a big purchase coming up, so I knew this would save me a chunk of money. Plus it would force me to get creative with my leftover stash yarn. I tend to make large garments, so I usually don’t have much use for the leftovers. All of these projects are perfect for stash busting.

Tiger Cub Minaudiere

This was a project I picked up at Rhinebeck, where it came with the pattern as well as the yarn to create it. I have a 2-year-old niece, so I was excited to find a project that I could make for her.

The pattern is slightly confusing at times – sometimes it over-explains things, and then other times it expects you to know what technique they’re talking about. I would make a guess that it was not tech-edited. Nevertheless, it looks like I’m creating what it’s supposed to look like, so that’s always a bonus! A lot of it has the yarn held double, which can make knitting a little hard if you’re a tighter knitter like me. I’ll keep you updated on what it looks like once it’s done!

Emotional Support Chicken

This was a trend I didn’t think I would get on board with. However, I realized I have a family member who likes to collect roosters/chickens, and I had to make it for her. I was excited to be able to use several different stash items to create the pattern on this chicken. Most was from recycled sweaters or socks that were really too rough to do anything else with. I think it turned out super cute! I am sooo tempted to make myself one now. I will add this pattern got a little confusing in a few spots, but maybe that was me making a mistake. So many people have made this pattern, I’m sure there are notes on how to avoid those mistakes.

Dumpling Bag

This bag is really great if you have a single skein of DK yarn and have no idea what to do with it, but really love the colors. It is a free pattern from Purl Soho. I had no idea how this skein of yarn was going to knit up just based on the dye pattern, but it ended up making a really beautiful dark blue and off-white striping pattern, with speckles of pink. I think it will be the perfect gift for a minimalist family member.

The Rybka Pouch

This is a pattern by Rat and Sea Witch. It creates a bag that looks like a fish. It will be the perfect gift for the fish-lover in your life, and even better for stash-busting. I have several stash yarn that will be perfect for this, including a shiny blue which should look really cool. I haven’t started on this one yet, but will update with pictures once it’s done!

Sophie Scarf

Again, I didn’t think I would be jumping on this trend either, since this isn’t the type of scarf I typically wear. However, I think the Sophie Scarf by PetiteKnit will be the perfect gift for one of my family members. I haven’t quite decided on which yarn to use for it, but I’m hoping to find a red or a neutral that will work.

What about you?

Are you planning to make gifts for your family or friends this year? It can be a difficult choice since it’s a huge time commitment in many cases, and it may feel as though some people may not be appreciative of the effort you put into them. That’s why I think choosing the pattern is important – make sure it’s something that won’t take you too much time, like the patterns above. Do keep in mind that you may start to have less time around the holidays though, so remember to plan accordingly, so you’re knot panic knitting on Christmas Eve!