Back again: Holiday Knitting
Hi Everyone! Danielle, here, to talk about holiday knitting with Sheepspot yarn.
Every year I tell myself not to take on so many projects for the holiday season, and every year I ignore my own advice. I really think there’s nothing better than a handmade gift, especially a hand knit one that someone made with you in mind. It’s also often something that you couldn’t get anywhere else, making it even more special. That’s why I choose to make a majority of the gifts that I give each year. In addition to gifts, I also make a few items for the annual charity silent auction at the YMCA, and I take on a few commissions from friends and colleagues. When I add it all up, it’s a LOT of knitting – which means I start planning now, and I’ll start knitting by the end of this month.
A large part of being prepared to make all of these things on a deadline is being organized ahead of time with yarns and patterns that I’m going to use for each project. This usually begins with a trip to my LYS and a search through Ravelry. If I can’t find what I need on Ravelry, then I have time to come up with a pattern. If I can’t find the right yarn at my LYS, or not enough of the colour I need, I have lots of time to order some online. One handy aspect of planning ahead is that you’re forced to think about how much yardage you need, which means you won’t have a scare a week before your deadline when you run out of yarn.
If you don’t have knit-worthy people in your life to give gifts to, the winter holidays are a great time of year to donate handmade items to charities, shelters, and hospitals. A lot of silent auctions happen in the winter, and they’re always looking for donations.
As you can see above, my list is small right now, but it will likely double (or even triple) in size within the next two months. Being organized this far in advance makes last-minute additions less stressful and more manageable.
P.S. This month’s challenge in the Sheepspot Community Facebook Group is to get going on your holiday gifts! There will be a free PDF download available in the group to help you plan your gift knits.
Happy knitting!
