4 Quick Knit I-Cord Holiday Gift Projects

The Interweave Knits staff has gone crazy for knit I-cord projects! It all started earlier this year, with Interweave Knits  Summer 2015 and the introduction of the Embellish-Knit. The Embellish-Knit machine makes it incredibly easy to create yards and yards of knit I-cord. Why would you want yards and yards of knit i-cord? For starters, you can make quick knit I-cord gifts such as Martha Lazar’s Sock Yarn Braided Trivets.

And then, if you just keep making the braided trivets even bigger, you can end up with a show-stopping knit I-cord braided rug! 

Knitting all the I-cord by hand would take a very long time, which is why an I-cord knitting tool such as the Embellish-knit is so great. Here’s a quick tutorial on how it works, written by Martha Lazar for Interweave Knits Summer 2015.

STEP 1 To set up the Embellish Knit!, bring the yarn through the small opening on the side  of the machine and feed it down the center opening until it pokes out of the bottom. Clip the weight (provided with the machine) to the yarn on the bottom. Turn the handle in the direction of the arrow until the yarn catches under the first hook. Skip the second hook and catch the yarn under the subsequent hooks. You’re now making I-cord!
STEP 2 Keep a little bit of tension as you feed the yarn through the hand that is holding the machine. If the yarn feeds in too loosely, it can skip a hook, which is the equivalent of dropping a stitch.
STEP 3 The I-cord coming out of the bottom of the machine needs to spin freely, so you’ll need to gather and fasten the ends to prevent it from dragging on the floor. Always make sure you replace the weight.
STEP 4 When you’re measuring your piece, make sure you measure from the top of the machine, where the hooks are.

Hannah filmed a quick video to demonstrate these steps as well.

Not only would those Sock Yarn Braided Trivets make great gifts, but we had even more gift ideas using knit I-cord in Interweave Knits Gifts 2015.

The easiest idea is a custom-made jump rope. Make the I-cord twice as long as the height of the person fro whom you are making the jump rope. As you are making the cord, drop a fishing-lure weight through the I-cord machine at the halfway point to weigh down the cord. Purchase two wooden dowels with the center drilled out. Thread the ends of the I-cord through the center of the dowels. Knot on both sides to keep the handles in place.

A simple braided bracelet is a really fast project you can whip up in no time. Create three pieces of I-cord that are a little longer than the wearer’s wrist. Tie one end of the pieces together, braid until you come to the end of the strands, and tie off. Tie the braid around the wrist to wear; cut off any excess cord. 

One more idea is to create a macramé plant hanger. Make four pieces of I-cord 12 feet long. Fold each one in half. Take the four pieces and thread the folded end of each through a metal ring and loop the loose ends through the folded end to secure them on the ring. Measure 18 inches down and tie an overhand knot in each of the paired cords. Measure 12 inches down and knot one piece of the cord to another cord beside it until you’ve knotted all the pieces. Measure 6 inches down and gather all the cords. Overhand knot them together. Place two bowls inside and hang from a hook.

Want more I-cord ideas? Get a copy of Interweave Knits Gifts 2015 for more ideas on ways to use knit I-cord. And get your own Embellish-knit to make knitting I-cord easier than ever!