Knits for Men

Hello, and welcome back for another edition of "Jess's Holiday Knit Suggestions" here at Storied Yarns Central!

This week I've been thinking about what I want to make for the men in my life this year for the holidays, and I confess I've been a bit stuck at times. Most of the women in my life are happy to own a variety of scarves, hats, mittens and gloves. My husband, on the other hand, has only ever let me knit him ONE scarf and he only ever wears that ONE scarf and he doesn't see the point of owning two (or, heaven forbid, several). Ugh, what's a knitter to do?

In case you're in my boat, here are some pattern suggestions for the men on your knitted gift list. These patterns are all free, and they all work with 150 yards (or less than that) of worsted or bulky weight yarn. Maybe, just maybe, your guys will love these so much they won't mind finding room for them in their wardrobes! ;)

The scarf my husband let me knit for him was solid black, and very basic; it was, essentially, the same as this Basket Weave Scarf pattern. It wasn't the world's most exciting knit, but it was fairly simple to follow the pattern without having to refer back to it all the time, and if my picky husband likes it then I'm fairly sure yours will, too! Here's a picture of the one I made:

This year, the husband says he wants a hat. I'll have to get the yarn for it (I know; weird, right? I'm an indie dyer who has to buy yarn to make her husband a hat, but he only wants solid black and it's easier for me to buy plain black yarn as it is to dye it), but I'm already perusing the patterns. I really love this Antler Hat; it's got nice cables (which I've never quite tackled but I'm willing to try) and it's part of the Pacific Knits collection which I LOVE. (Please note: the hat pattern is free, the whole collection is not.) I also like that the Antler hat comes with a fold-up brim so in case it's not quite the right length when I finish it, it will still probably work out.

I might also just go with the Brother-in-Law Basketweave Hat so it will match his scarf. :)

If you prefer to warm their hands (you know, warm hands = warm heart, right?), fingerless gloves are always a nice gift. I made a fairly boring pair for my dad a few holidays back when I was still a newbie knitter, see?

He likes them because he can wear them when he goes shooting. If I were to make them over again I'd probably go with these Manly Mitts, because they have a little bit more style while still being understated. I really like them, actually - I wonder if I can get hubby to wear them? ;) If you're looking for a nice, basic pattern, it seems like the Fingerless Mittens with a Flap would be great for shoveling snow, driving around town or whatever else your man of choice might be doing outside at this time of the year

This year, I'm giving my dad a cowl, which should also come in handy while he's shooting. I just finished spinning a luxury merino/yak/silk blend for him - it's still hanging to dry on my yarn shelf:

When it's totally dry I'm going to knit it into the Wonky Cowl pattern, designed by my friend Brittany. My dad doesn't mind a little color in his knitwear so I think he will really like it.

In case you've been wanting to tackle your first pair of socks, this Easy Peasy Socks for First-Timers pattern works up quickly in worsted weight yarn to help you understand the basics of sock construction. Worsted weight socks might be a bit thick but they'd be great under a pair of boots this winter!

In case you have a man who's a little more adventurous and whimsical than my darling hubster, how about Invading Your Earspace? You can't go wrong with a hat full of space invaders, right? My husband has been joking around for years that he wants me to knit him a Beard Hat, and I'm telling you he'd better be careful what he wishes for because this might just be the year for it! ;)

Anyway, I hope you've enjoyed my list of manly knitted gift ideas. In case you need some yarn, the Storied Yarns Shop is fully stocked and ready to serve. ;)

Happy Holidays!!

XOXO,
Jess

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Handmade for the Holidays

So, some of my husband's co-workers wanted to know what types of things I can make. Rather than try to send all that in an e-mail I thought I would make it into a blog post. For the rest of you readers who are also crafty, maybe it will help you get ideas for your own handmade holiday gifts as well!

Let's start with knitted/crocheted items.

For gifts, I love hats, cowls and fingerless gloves. They're fast, almost anyone can use them, and you can drastically alter the cost of the project by careful selection of the yarn you use. Here are some of the items I've made in the past:

These are the Lovisa Armwarmers, made in one color instead of doing the colorwork suggested in the pattern. I used handspun I received in a swap, and I wear these things ALLLLLLL the time!

For another simple armwarmer pattern that looks great in handspun, I love Toast and Toasty!

For a budget-friendly, masculine option, I made these mitts for my dad out of a wool/acrylic blend chunky yarn:

The pattern for these is Scrummy mitts. I also made a hat for him that matches:

Another super simple pattern, the Brangelina hat!

A few more hats I've made recently -

This one I made out of handspun 2ply Polwarth. It was a real dream to knit!

This pattern is the Lotus Hat and it's probably better suited for solid colored yarns but I still like how the texture shows through the colors I used.

I also crocheted this lacy beret for a swap partner using my own hand dyed sock yarn:

The pattern for that one is The Columbia Beret and I like how it's lightweight and feminine, which works well down here in the South where we don't always need a super warm, bulky hat.

How about those cowls? I love cowls because you can make them long and loopy or short and close-fitting. Either way they look great and they're a fabulous addition to any winter wardrobe. Here are a few of my favorites:

I made this one for my sister last Christmas from some silvery handspun. I love how you can loop it up to three times and it's lacy but also warm:

The pattern is my own design - the Infinitely Simple Lace Infinity Scarf pattern.

Here is one I knit up using some handspun that I got in a swap. I just did a garter stitch border and stockinette for the middle section, so there's no real pattern. For extra warmth you can wrap it up around your head or loop it twice around your neck and head area.

I can also make baby items! Baby items are great for any time of the year; they're always being born, after all!

Here are a few baby items I have knit - I especially love hats and blankets because every baby needs plenty of those.

This one is the Big Wool, Little Hat that I knit for my son a little over a year ago. I love the pointy top and the braided tassels!

I made one of these Beth's Little Star Afghan blankets for each of my children -

I also made one for a friend's baby using the colors of her family's favorite football team. That one was a hit!

In addition to hand-knits, I also like to sew gifts for people. I made this blanket for my sister to give to her friend (the baby's last name is Martini, so you don't have to be too disturbed by the fabric choice, ha!):

I also love to sew toys. I made this pink dinosaur (with a bad boy's heart, LOL!) for my son, whose favorite color is pink!

And I made these patchwork pillows to match the futon in my kids' play room:

There's really no limit to handmade gifts if you just use a little creative thought and put in the time. I'm happy to take custom order requests for any handmade (knit, crochet, sew, quilt) gifts for your loved ones this holiday season or any time! Just leave me a comment on this post and I'll get back to you!