Christmas is a great chance to share some of the beautiful, hand knit items you’ve worked so hard on. Maybe you’ve been shopping since August on your Christmas gifts, or maybe you’re the type who only starts thinking about gifts after they’ve finished off the last of the Thanksgiving leftovers. Either way, hand knit gifts are special both to the gift giver and to the receiver. They’re treasured for years, and like other handmade items, also come with a story. Whoever receives your handmade gift will take pride in explaining who knit the item, how long ago, what the occasion was, and how much it means to them. It’s a very rewarding experience. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

So, what to knit? That question can be answered in a few different ways. First, there are some traditional Christmas-themed gifts. You can make ornaments for Christmas trees, there are countless varieties of patterns. You can make everything from square gifts boxes made with a mesh frame, to tiny Christmas stockings, to silver bells and shapes that look like traditional ornaments. There are especially great when you make them in large numbers and add them to other gifts, like attaching a tiny Christmas stocking ornament to a gift box using ribbon. They’re also a nice gift to go with something like a gift card or gift certificate.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You can also get more personal, depending on who the gift you have in mind is for. It’s a good idea to know what kind of gift a person might appreciate. While there’s not much more rewarding then giving handmade gifts, missing your mark and giving someone a gift they probably won’t every use is disappointing both for you and whoever you knit for.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For example, if your mother is never without a scarf, making her one might be a great idea. On the other hand, if you decide that your sister needs a hat, when she never wears hats, you may end up feeling like you made the wrong choice. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

There are also personal gifts that still have that Christmas theme. You can make a full sized Christmas stocking. There are great patterns for these, some that even have space for you to embroider a name. This is a great idea for a new baby, or for a couple’s first Christmas together. You might find requests for personal Christmas stocking for the whole family.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There’s also the Christmas tree that can use some dressing up, besides the ornaments. You can make a tree skirt for the tree and with the number of different patterns available online, you can find one to match anyone’s personal style. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

So whether you want to give a gift that has a Christmas theme, or you want to give your niece a bright purple sweater simply because you know she’ll love it, the choice is yours. You may find that soon enough all you’ll be giving are homemade gifts and in that case all you’ll have to worry about is starting early enough so everything will be ready by Christmas morning.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

by Sarah Carbone<\/p>\n\n\n\n