By Sonia Simone

If you choose the right techniques and easy knitting patterns, making your own Christmas gifts doesn’t have to be intimidating. Even a beginning knitter can make wonderful gifts that will show your love and creativity!

The key to knitting for gifts is to keep things simple, use quality materials, and, if you want to knit several gifts, consider using one pattern multiple times.

I’m a beginning knitter (or I don’t know how to knit yet)

Here’s the big untold secret about knitting. If you pick a simple pattern, knitting is really easy! If you’re an absolute beginner or just feeling a little lack of confidence, knit up some scarves in chunky, beautiful yarn.

They’ll go quickly, winter scarves are wonderful to wear, and a thick “novelty” style yarn hides any little irregularities in your stitches.

If you don’t know how to knit at all, pick up a book like Teach Yourself Knitting Visually or a clear, simple how-to-knit eBook like this one.

You can master the basics in less time than it took you to figure out how your email program worked.

Finding the time to make handmade gifts

This is the kicker, right? We’re all crazy busy, and finding time to make hand-knit gifts might seem completely impossible.

Here are some great opportunities to get some knitting in. Think about your own schedule and see if there are other times you can find.

• TV. This is the big one for most folks. If you watch an hour of TV a night, you can get a beautiful gift knitted every week, at least. Two hours a night = two gifts a week. Netflix counts too!
• Train or bus commutes. If you usually manage to get a seat, especially on the train or light rail, this is a fabulous knitting opportunity. Again, you can figure an average of a gift a week per hour of commute time.
• Waiting on hold. Does your job or home life ever find you waiting around on hold, in a doctor’s office, or anywhere else? Perfect knitting opportunity.
• Before bed wind-down. Staying up on the Internet or electronic gaming until right before bed (you know you do it) is rotten for your sleep patterns. Instead, about an hour before you want to turn in, make yourself a cup of non-caffeinated tea, put on a recorded book or some music, and get out your knitting needles. You know what I’m going to say next. An hour a night will equal at least one beautiful knitted gift every week.

Knit for charity

If you live in a warm climate or your friends just aren’t winter scarf people, you might consider knitting for charity. You can knit blankets for the elderly in cold climates, “comfort dolls” to comfort children with AIDS in Africa, or hats and scarves for the homeless. Google “knit for charity” to find some great opportunities. You might even consider knitting for charity in a friend’s name as a holiday gift, if you’re a little short on cash for something like the Heifer Project.

Tips for knitting Christmas gifts without stress

The most important tip is to keep it simple. Even if you’re a pretty proficient knitter, this isn’t the time to learn a new technique or work with a skinny fingering-weight yarn that will take forever to knit up. Pick an easy knitting pattern for something like:

• A winter scarf
• A simple winter hat
• Fun knit toys
• Easy fingerless mittens

I created a Squidoo lens with lots of tips, patterns, resources and ideas–far more than I can link to in an ezine article. There are resources there for cute and easy knitted toys, too, and some more charity knitting ideas. You can find it at Knit Christmas Presents.

If you find a pattern you like, say for an easy hat or a cute stuffed toy, use it as many times as you can for multiple presents. You’ll be amazed at how much faster the second, third, and fourth version of the same pattern can be.

You also will usually want to stick with chunky yarns (this is a good use for “novelty” yarns, which have lots of texture and are usually thick but also light and fluffy), since they knit up quickly so you can make more presents. Remember that a scarf or hat should be made of nice, soft yarn so it feels good against the face. Even a beginner can make a simple scarf with novelty yarn in just a few hours, and have it look just fantastic.

Don’t let the idea of knitting Christmas presents intimidate you! Keep it simple, use quick-knitting materials, make use of your downtime, and you’ll have 5 or 10 heartwarming home-made gifts to give this year. Happy knitting!

Copyright (c) 2007 Sonia Simone. Sonia is a professional marketing writer and editor who also loves to knit. You can read her blog at www.remarcom.typepad.com.

Article Source: Sonia Simone ==> Easy Knitting Patterns – Knit Christmas Gifts

By Lyn Bell

When looking through your baby knitting patterns for the perfect gift for a new baby the choice need not be a challenging experience. We tend to think that new parents will have already bought everything their babies will need, or perhaps they have other children and already have many of the things they need in their home.

A perfect baby gift in this situation is the gift of a hand-knitted baby blanket. By presenting the new parents with a hand-knitted blanket you show them that you took the time and trouble to make something special with their baby in mind. The blanket will be appreciated and is likely treasured for many years to come, and it is less likely to be subjected to the whims of fashion.

With the recent popular revival in knitting and crocheting, there are countless options available for yarns and fibers that can quickly and easily be knitted into an heirloom baby blanket. With so many wonderful pastel or bright colors available, you can be sure to match any nursery decoration that the new parents have prepared. Why not create a wonderful unisex design, which will be appropriate for any baby regardless of their gender?

A handcrafted gift is one that can be passed down through the generations and will be appreciated by everyone. It shows the recipient that you spent time and effort in making something to treasure and will be just the right gift for the occasion. Because of the time you spend in completing the gift, it will be well received and will be a source of pride a pleasure for you.

When searching out your baby knitting patterns for the blanket or for stitch design ideas there are a few important things to consider. Here are some of them:

• Pattern Selection — if the blanket is to be used for a very young baby you should choose a knitting pattern, which is tightly woven and not too lacy. Designs with open work allow the baby’s fingers or toes to get caught up in the design and may cause discomfort and distress. Think of this as both a health and a safety issue.

• Yarn Selection — When you are knitting an item for a baby you want to find a yarn or fiber, which is both soft and machine washable. Remember that baby’s skin is very soft and some yarns may be too rough. Babies can be very messy and it is essential that anything they come into contact with can be easily washed. The new parents will often be too tired and busy to spend time hand washing items. If the yarn for the blanket is not machine washable, it may end up looking very sad and tatty.

• Color — If you know the color scheme of the nursery, or even the sex of the baby, matching and choosing colors is easy. If not, use your imagination and create a wonderful unisex blanket full of color.

• Blanket Size — When you are knitting for a baby, you may feel inclined to make a very small blanket. However, babies grow very quickly and sooner than you realize they are toddlers. Babies tend to move around a lot and require a decent sized blanket to keep them covered up and warm. Your blanket will get much more use if you make it a bit larger than the size you first thought. This will allow it to be used as baby grows.

• NO Beads — While beading is popular in today’s knitting and crocheting patterns, beads are not appropriate for baby knitted items. The beads can loosen and they then become a choking hazard.

Keep these simple considerations in mind and you will be well on your way to knitting a keepsake baby blanket, which will be cherished for many years to come. As with any baby gift, you will want to ensure that the blanket is safe and appropriate for the baby who will be using it. Use your imagination and creativity when searching for baby knitting patterns, remember the things to avoid and you will find you have the perfect, safe design for the new arrival.

Lyn Bell has been in the finance industry for more than 30 years and is a Certified Financial Planner. As well as enjoying helping people to make wise financial decisions Lyn has a passion for knitting. This passion started many years ago when she was taught to knit by her grandmother. She has a knitting website at http://baby-knitting-patterns.weebly.com.

Article Source: Lyn Bell / Baby Knitting Patterns – An Idea for a Special Gift