Knitting Trendy Gifts of Warmth for the Holidays

It is that time of year again where I am kicking my knitting needles into high gear to create beautifully knitted gifts to give for the holiday season. In my opinion, nothing could say I love you more than something that you have weaved together with your knitting needles. I have a lot of top-secret projects in the works, but I wanted to show a few ideas and patterns for some lovely knitted gifts that would be perfect for this holiday season’s time of giving!

These ain’t your grandma’s knitted gifts though! These are trendy & cute knits that anyone would love to wear and own. I vow to never make my friends and family wear ugly or itchy knitted items. With all the effort that goes into knitting, you might as well make something beautiful!  These are just a few projects that I am working on right now and almost all of the patterns are free and easy for a newbie knitter!

Be sure to join Ravelry for fun & free patterns for your knitting & crochet projects! I love staying connected with my readers so you can find me on Facebook, Twitter, GoodReads, and, of course, Ravelry…just to name a few! Chances are, if you search for someone named momadvice, you will likely find me there!

Beautifully Ruffled Lace Scarves

Pattern: Ruffle Lace Scarf by Suzie Blackman

Needle Size: US 10 Needles (40″ circulars)

Yarn: Caron Simply Soft in Off-White (On sale at Michael’s for $2.50!)

Notes: If you want a scarf that is wildly impressive, can be created with a single ball of yarn, and looks like a million bucks than this would be the perfect gift to give this holiday season. It is a very mindless knit, but is an INSANE amount of stitches, especially in the last two rows (over one thousand stitches!). The beauty of this scarf though is that you only need to know how to knit, purl, and yarn over to create it.

The twisting is created by knitting the scarf length-wise, rather than width-wise and through the series of yarn overs. As pictures above, you can see that it is really hard to see your stitches, let alone if it is actually going to twist. The good news is, as you cast off, you will see that scarf naturally twists, making that beautiful ruffled twist.

This one is definitely a statement piece and is also a statement of your absolute love for whoever you might make it for!

I followed the pattern that is linked above, but added four more rows to give the scarf a fuller appearance. I repeated rows 11-14 two times before I started rows 15-16. I am really glad I did and love the lush fullness of this scarf.

Anthropologie-Inspired Scarflets

Pattern: Anthro-Inspired Scarflet (available as a free Ravelry download with your free Ravelry membership) by Kim Seio & Lydia Flowers (size small)

Needle Size: US 8 Needles (straight) for both the flowers and the scarflet

Yarn: Premier Yarns Chunky Weight in Pristine (scarf) & Yarn Bee Boucle Traditions in Black

Notes: These little scarflets are my teacher gift this year because they knit up so quickly and are perfect for anyone who doesn’t like to wrestle with a scarf.  You can see in the center picture that you create a little knitted pocket to tuck one side of the scarf into. My plan is to stick a $5 Starbucks gift card in the little pocket as a fun little surprise for gifts this year.

I followed the sizing and increases that ilikecookies(another Ravelry member)  had shared in her pattern. She said, “Increased until 30 stitches, worked 15 rows even until ribbed section and knit 15 rows of ribbing to make a slightly larger scarflet.”

I added a black Lydia Flower (size small) with a red button center to finish it.

Republic Hats

Pattern: Toddler Republic Hat or Adult Republic Hat (you can find the pattern in the side bar) with Lydia Flowers (Size Medium & Small)

Needle Size: US 5 Needles (circular) & US 8 (straight) for the hat embellishment

Yarn: Malabrigo Yarn Merino Worsted (for hat) &  I Love This Cotton! in Ivory for the flowers

Notes: If you are looking for a perfect hat pattern for a novice beginner who is learning how to knit in the round, then these patterns are the perfect patterns for you. In the pictures above, I actually used the Toddler Republic Hat pattern for myself since I have a smaller head than most normal adults. I adjusted the length to 5 1/2 inches long. Linked above is also the adult-sized version that would be a perfect holiday gift for just about any girlfriend or sister to wrap underneath your tree this year!

The embellishment is the Lydia Flower in both the medium & small sizes, stacked using size eight straight needles. If you don’t feel ambitious enough to knit a flower, you can finish it with a simple button and skip that step altogether!

Gorgeous Gathered Scarves

Pattern: Gathered Scarf by Maryse Roudier

Needle Size: US 4 & US 7

Yarn: Lion Brand Cotton Ease in Lime

Notes: I didn’t get a chance to show you what I created for my sister & best friend last year for Christmas. Pictured above is my stunning sister wearing one of my gathered scarves!  Since they both read the site regularly, I had to keep these gifts under wraps and knit them when they weren’t around. I knitted these gathered scarves as holiday gifts to give with a set of fingerless gloves.

This pattern is so easy for a beginner and was a gift that was loved by both of them.  You actually use two different needle sizes to create the gathered effect on these scarves which added beautiful detail and a bit of ruffling to the scarves. I loved that the cotton is so stretchy and soft. I would definitely recommend this pattern especially to a beginner who is looking to add a little variation to the traditional scarf!

Waffle Stitch Fingerless Gloves

Pattern: Waffle Stitch Fingerless Gloves by Jill Toporkiewicz

Needle Size: US 7

Yarn: Lion Brand Cotton Ease in Lime

Notes:I made a set of these fingerless gloves to go with the gathered scarves that are pictured above. The girls that I gave them to have tiny hands and wrists like myself so I modified the pattern to accommodate a smaller hand (after realizing just how huge these were after making a sample glove). I reduced the CO to 28 stitches and then only repeated the waffle pattern four times to reduce the length a bit on these. They turned out absolutely perfect and were a fast and easy knit!

This fingerless glove pattern is ideal for someone who hasn’t mastered knitting in the round yet because you simply seam these to create the glove. These are a really fast knit and are perfect for my coffee-loving friends who like to have their fingers free for their coffee chugging in the morning!

Super Cozy & Fast Fingerless Gloves

Pattern: Cosy Knitted Hand/Wrist Warmers

Needle Size: US 5

Yarn: Malabrigo Yarn Merino Worsted

Notes: Fingerless gloves are great for layering underneath gloves or worn alone in chilly weather. I have been dying to make a pair for myself to keep my hands warm in the chilly morning air when taking my kids to school.  This was my first time starting on double-pointed needles so I was worried that I wouldn’t be able to do these, but this pattern was so simple that it made it a great pattern to get the hang of knitting in the round!

These look so tiny off your hands, but stretch perfectly to accommodate your hands. The pattern is so quick that you could easily knit these in an afternoon of knitting. I have a feeling I am going to be making a lot more of these as holiday gifts this year!

I did the pattern just as directed except using size 5 needles and they were the perfect size!

Prayer Shawl for Comfort

Pattern: Alice’s Lace Shawl in The Prayer Shawl Companion

Needle Size: US 13

Yarn: Lion Brand Homespun in Granite

Notes: Holidays can be so hard for those who have lost someone and prayer shawls are a wonderful gift to give to comfort them through the holidays. While perhaps not as trendy as some of the projects above, it is a gift that will be appreciated nonetheless!   I have made this lace shawl so many times and you can read more about the shawls that I made for my grandma & mom last year.

These are beautiful gifts that can be personalized and tailored for that special person who might need a little extra comfort during the holiday season. I highly recommend, “The Prayer Shawl Companion,” because it offers patterns, prayers, and even the importance of color choices and what they symbolize when creating your gift. I love to add pictures, charms, and symbolic colors into each of my shawls as gifts.

It is one of those gifts that will be long remembered and appreciated!

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Looking for more knitted gift ideas for the holidays? I recommend throwing a few of these projects on your needles for the holiday giving season and also visiting our Crafting section and Gifts section of the site for more gift-giving inspiration!

Cupcake Hat

Dulce Neck Cozy

Ruffled Shawl

Rainy Day or Snowy Day Scarf

Disclosure: The knitting book link is an affiliate link and is provided so you can locate the book quickly and easily. Feel free to order a book, but we encourage utilizing the library system and buying me some yarn instead.  Wouldn’t that just be so much more lovely?

What handmade gifts are you working on for the holiday season? Please share your ideas and links here!