If you still have people on your list and want to make something for them in the next few days, I have some small project ideas for you as well as some tips on holding yarn double to get the weight you need from your stash.
I also have some ideas for gifts FOR you, so feel free to print this out or forward it to your favorite fiber enabler.
Gifts for You
Let’s start with gifts for you. First of all, I have gift cards for my shop right here. These allow you to take your time and pick exactly what you want.
Second of all, you could ask your fiber enabler to sign you up for the yarn or art batt club, which is inspired by a famous work of art each month. We’ve just moved into the Renaissance, and I’m very excited about the coming months!
Here are the different yarn and fiber options to choose from:
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Gifts from You
If you need ideas for a last minute gift or two to make, I have some ideas for you ranging from cowls to coasters to ear warmers and hats. I came up with seven crochet patterns and seven knit patterns. They all call for one skein of yarn or less (sometimes a lot less), so now is the perfect time to use that beautiful skein from your stash. I’m also including a chart below for holding yarn double in case you don’t have the right yarn weight in your stash.
Last Minute Crochet Patterns
- One Hour Cowl by Fiber Flux – This calls for one skein of super bulky yarn.
- Holden Cowl by Heidi May – This is a kerchief style cowl with different size options.
- Gift Coaster by Tatsiana – These coasters look like a great gift option because you can make as many as you have time for!
- Snow Ripples by Sonya Otto – This lovely twisted earwarmer uses worsted-weight yarn.
- Easy Soap Cozy by KAME Crochet – If you have some cotton yarn in your stash, this looks like a great gift idea, especially if you include a lovely bar of handmade soap as well.
- Spread the Dishcloth Joy by Catherine Richardson – Here’s a great way to remind your loved one that you love them every time they do dishes!
- Slouchy Crochet Beanie by Jennifer Renaud – This worsted-weight beanie just looks like the perfect amount of slouch to me!
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Last-Minute Knitting Patterns
- Sophie Scarf by Petite Knit – This very popular pattern only uses about half a skein of DK-weight yarn.
- Weekend Headband by Petite Knit – Also by Petite Knit is this quick ribbed headband/earwarmer that uses about half a skein of worsted-weight yarn.
- My Baker’s Hat by Emily Russell – If you’re a quick knitter, a hat may be within the realm of possibilities, and this unisex hat uses most of a skein of worsted-weight yarn.
- Headband with a Twist by Morella Moments – This cute twisted headband/earwarmer uses about 1/3rd of a skein of DK-weight yarn.
- Snowchaser Hat by Lena Mathisson – This fun super bulky hat by one of my favorite designers should knit up very quickly.
- Joyeux Cowl by Helen Stewart – Here’s another quick project by another one of my favorite designers!
- Mitred Square Dishcloth by Sheila Ralston – I’ve mentioned before how much fun mitered squares are, and you could make several of these two-color dishcloths for a practical present.
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Holding Yarn Double
If you find you don’t have the right yarn weight for these quick patterns in your stash, you can always consider holding a lighter yarn weight double or combining two different yarn weights to get what you need. You’ll want to test it, but here’s a handy chart to get you started:
Yarn Held Double Weight Chart
- Lace Weight + Lace Weight = Sock Weight (19-24 wpi)
- Sock Weight + Lace Weight = Sport Weight (15-18 wpi)
- Sock Weight + Sock Weight = DK Weight (12-14 wpi)
- Sport Weight + Sport Weight = Worsted Weight (9 to 11 wpi)
- DK Weight + Lace Weight = Worsted Weight (9 to 11 wpi)
- DK Weight + DK Weight = Bulky Weight (6 to 8 wpi)
- Worsted Weight + Lace Weight = Bulky Weight (6 to 8 wpi)
- Worsted Weight + Worsted Weight = Super Bulky Weight (less than 6 wpi)
Most mohair and suri comes in lace-weight skeins, so I included lace weight in the chart above in case you want to make something soft and fuzzy.
Measuring Wraps Per Inch
One way of determining the weight of a yarn is to use wraps per inch, which is abbreviated wpi. That’s something spinners and weavers do a lot, but it doesn’t come up as often with knitting or crochet. To measure the wraps per inch with a single skein of yarn, you wrap the yarn around a ruler or a wraps per inch tool to see how many times the yarn goes around in one inch.
Since we’re testing whether the two skeins together equal the right weight, hold them together and wrap them around a ruler for one inch. You want each strand of yarn right next to the next one with no space between them, but you don’t want to pull hard on the yarn because that will make it look thinner than it really is.
Next count each strand of yarn on one side of your ruler and then divide by two to account for the fact that you’ll be holding the two strands together. That’s referred to as wraps per inch or wpi. Compare that to the range listed next to each combination above, and that will tell you if you are in the right range for the yarn weight you need.
Here’s an example. I’m holding two skeins of Stained Glass Sock together here, and I got 24 wraps per inch. When I divide by 2 to account for the fact that I’ll be holding the 2 strands together, I get 12 wraps per inch, which is DK weight. So now I know that I can hold this yarn double for a pattern that calls for a DK-weight yarn.
If you are using yarn with variation in thickness like handspun or like my Squiggle Sock, it’s a good idea to measure 2 inches and then use the average.
There is definitely some variation in how different organizations list wraps per inch for a given yarn weight, but I have found these to be accurate in all my years as a weaver and spinner. If you’re making something where gauge matters like a hat, you’ll definitely want to swatch to be on the safe side.
If you find this helpful, feel free to save the chart for future reference.
I think that’s everything for this week. I have something special planned for next week, but in the meantime I hope you and yours have a joy-filled Christmas holiday!