Ready, set, knit: Quick projects for holiday gifts

There's nothing like a handmade gift. And one that is knit will last longer and have fewer calories than one from the oven.

The recent do-it-yourself trend has given a boost to knitting, and many new knitters may be ready this holiday season to apply their skills to the holiday gift list. With the season approaching, however, how can you select a project that will be ready in time?

In general, when time is an issue, experts advise selecting patterns that are done in bulky yarn and on big needles. Avoid complicated patterns or anything that requires a precise fit; instead, think scarves, hats, leg warmers and gifts for the home.

Knitting guru Joelle Hoverson, owner of the knitting supply store Purl in New York City and author of "Last-Minute Knitting Gifts" (STC Craft), says the number of yards of yarn a project requires is a good gauge of how long it will take to complete it. Chapters in her book range from "Less-Than-Two-Hour Gifts" to "More-than-Eight-Hour Gifts."

The under-two-hour category contains patterns for such quickie gifts as angora baby booties and a kerchief scarf. With two to four hours, you can knit a pair of leg warmers, a popular gift for teens and tweens, or a cashmere tea cozy, which Hoverson recommends for the people on your list who have everything. Her shop's online journal, purlbee.com, has free patterns for knitting and other needlecrafts.

Sharon Kelly, owner with her sister Kathy of Arcadia Yarns in Chicago, says she has found the time categories in Hoverson's books to be on target. For friends and family living in cold climes, Kelly recommends fingerless mitts. They're handy, she says, when working on a computer in a chilly room, or even worn over other gloves when it is really icy outside.

At Arcadiaknitting.com, she has pictures and free patterns for several quick projects, including the Carlina Cowl, a simple cabled neck warmer.

Most knitters pick up speed with practice, Kelly says, so consider making the same pattern for several people on your gift list, personalizing the knit with different yarn colors and textures.

According to Natasha Hopkins, owner of Wildfiber Yarn Store and Knitting Studio in Santa Monica, Calif., bulky yarns are popular even in sunny Southern California. She points out, however, that there also are quick patterns that are not necessarily done in bulky yarn; she suggests taking a look at "One Skein" (Interweave Press, 2006) by Leigh Radford, and Judith Durant's "One-Skein Wonders" (Storey Publishing, 2006), "101 Designer One-Skein Wonders" (Storey, 2007) and "Luxury Yarn One-Skein Wonders" (Storey, 2008).

For scarves, there are many kits that come with yarn plus patterns. Hopkins says the Jade Sapphire Cashmere Knitting Scarf kit for men is popular in her shop. It contains two-ply cashmere yarn available in seven colors, and a choice of seven patterns. The kit sells for about $100.

If cashmere is beyond your budget, check out the merino Chocolate Bar Scarf knit kit from Morehouse farms, available in a variety of colors for $36.80. Morehouse farms raises merino sheep in the Hudson River Valley. The Web site, Morehousefarm.com, offers a "free pattern du jour" and options for kits to make quick and easy gifts.

For children, Morehouse has "Critter Knit Kits," including an Alligator Scarf with bumps, a wide jaw and black eyes. The pattern is written in detail for beginning knitters.

Morehouse also offers whimsical kits for hats, mittens and sweaters. Pin-on flowers are quick to knit and can also be used to top a wrapped package.

Margrit Lohrer, owner of Morehouse Farms and designer of the kits, estimates that most of the projects take less than four hours to complete, with the gator scarf taking a little more and the flowers a lot less.

In his book "Hat Heads" (Random House, 2009), Trond Anfinnsen offers 50 variations on a single hat pattern. For more inspiration on quick knit gifts for men, check out the "accessories" section of "Men's Knits" (Random House, 2009), by Erika Knight.

And for the furry friends on your list, see "Pet Projects: The Animal Knits Bible" (Taunton, 2009), by Sally Muir. Projects include a Mouse Mat for a cat, quick-to-knit Party Dog Collars, and even Water Lilies knit from plastic for goldfish.

During the hectic holiday season, taking a little time to knit can also be a gift to yourself.