Panic! Last Minute Knitting

We’ve all been there. It’s two weeks before the holidays. Or one week. Or … the night before. And all your grand plans for beautiful, intricate knitted gifts have exploded in your face.

Before you start ugly crying into your holiday baking, though, we here at Interweave have some suggestions. My first suggestion, in all honesty, is to buy them something quick and easy. Gift cards and magazine subscriptions are great for this, and no one will judge you (especially in the tumultuous period that has been the past two years) if you were not able to finish a knitted gift.

However, if you’re still hoping to do some last-minute knitting, then don’t despair! There are some easy and fast accessories and home décor items out there that will easily use up extra stash yarn. Below are some suggestions for your holiday panic knitting.

Option 1: Hats

In my honest opinion, you can never go wrong with a hat. Hats can often be one-skein projects, and they go quickly if you opt for a worsted-weight or heavier yarn. The Daybreak Beanie by designer Emily Kintigh, for example, uses bulky-weight yarn and a simple colorwork motif for a quick but beautiful hat. If you don’t have multiple colors, try Sarah Solomon’s Thyme Hat. A beautiful cable pattern in a worsted-weight yarn could be knit up in a weekend.

Option 2: Hand Towels

In a year where we’ve all been washing our hands vigorously, hand towels are the perfect gift. The on-the-nose Wash Your Hands Towel by Quayln Stark (it was named that before the pandemic, we swear) is knit in worsted-weight yarn using mosaic garter stitch, making it quick to knit up. Or try the Chamomile Tea Towels by Fiona Munro. These are easy stash-busters for stray skeins of DK-weight yarn, and, honestly, you could probably use worsted without anyone noticing!

Option 3: Bits and Bobs

If you are panic knitting at the very last minute—as in, it’s 7 PM the day before the holiday—there are still some options for you. The Strata Scrunchy by Quayln Stark is an extremely quick knit and is sure to be appreciated in a year where many folks didn’t make it to the hairdresser. Or knit up one of Uma Padu’s Comfy Cozies, which come sized for both smartphones and tablets. Or, if you have a smidge more time, you could knit up a member of the Snowman Family from designer Jesie Ostermiller as a charming ornament for a Christmas tree.

Hopefully, though, you won’t find yourself knitting at 9 PM the night before a holiday. And if you do, just remember that a subscription to an excellent magazine is also a perfectly wonderful gift.

Happy Knitting,
Julia

Originally published December 16, 2020. Updated December 2, 2021.

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