Christmas knitting? Now? Yes, now.
Every knitting project takes a certain amount of time. Plus, you have to:
- Decide WHO you’re going to knit for
- Decide WHAT you’re going to knit
- Find (& Buy) the PERFECT yarn
- Stock up on needles & notions
- Carefully plan for knitting in the heat, or not.
Who Appreciates Your Knitted Treasures?
We spend hours and hours working on our knitting. At the end, it would be nice to get a little appreciation.
That’s not as easy as you might think. It’s tempting to knit for family members, but they may not be enthusiastic about your knitted work. Maybe you’ve knitted too many things for them already.
If your feelings will be hurt by their lack of enthusiasm, it may be best to avoid knitting for family members. Instead, make your gifts for someone who will appreciate your efforts.
If you want to go beyond friends and family, a variety of charities exist that would love to receive your work. Below are just a few:
http://www.afghansforafghans.org
https://alicesembrace.org/
https://www.binkypatrol.org
http://caretoknit.org
https://www.chasethechill.com
http://www.hats4thehomeless.org
http://warmthforwarriors.com
You get the idea. There are charities that welcome everything from hats & scarves to breast prostheses. You can knit for the homeless, the elderly, babies, unwanted pets, even soldiers!
Whoever you want to knit for, finding them is just a web search or two away. Just make sure your gifts conform to the charity’s guidelines and that they’re still accepting knitted items.
Bonus: Many charities that accept knitted projects also provide free patterns!
What will you knit?
If you’ve chosen to knit for a charity, this question may no longer apply. For everyone else, this is THE question, isn’t it? Will you knit Christmas stockings or ornaments? Useful gifts like hats, scarves or socks? Afghans? Lapghans?
You’ll need to consider your skill level and your yarn budget.
Small projects like Christmas ornaments can be lots of fun and provide quick gratification. They also won’t warm you up on a hot day. You can use the sparkliest yarn you can find and use your knitted decorations to decorate your house or Christmas tree!
Knitting a lapghan or full afghan is a pleasure in colder weather, but not much fun in the heat of summer. While these can be simple projects, their size guarantees that they’ll take some time. You’ll want to plan on taking some time off if you’re going to make one of these!
It can be hard to knit a sweater or even leg warmers for a loved one without getting caught in the act. Also, you may need some measurements! On the plus side, you can get the pattern & yarn pre-approved, if you don’t mind your recipient knowing their gift ahead of time.
Getting the Perfect Yarn
There’s another benefit to warm season knitting. There are some really good yarn sales in the spring and summer!
It’s a natural business lull for yarn and needle sellers, so they frequently offer some of their best deals during the warmer months.
Keep your eyes open for online and offline yarn store sales. Some will happen as early as late spring, others will be at the height of summer.
Don’t forget to check your local farmer’s market for super local yarns!
Knitting Without Sweating
For some, the urge to knit may evaporate in the heat of summer. For the rest of us, it’s a matter of finding a way to knit AND stay cool and comfortable.
Knitting small projects, or pieces of projects, works well because you don’t have a big, warm, heavy knitted object in your lap.
Smooth yarn is good, too. Trying to deal with a fuzzy yarn in hot, humid weather will sour you on your project very quickly!
If you were planning on working with any cotton or linen yarn, summer’s a great time for it. Just like cotton and linen clothing, these yarns feel better in the summer. They’re also infamous for being slippery, which is an advantage, if your summers are humid.
Conclusion
Make sure to keep your knitting fun. Plan ahead, pace yourself & be flexible with your knitting so it remains fun. Remember, the more you knit, the better you’ll be at it.
Isn’t that why we knit? Because it’s fun? Because it soothes our frazzled nerves and offers an escape from the pressures of daily life?
Planning, and starting, your Christmas knitting well in advance can preserve and enhance your knitting enjoyment AND help you achieve your knitting goals.