A good many of us may feel that with Halloween not yet over it is far too early for the trappings of Christmas to appear in stores and homes. Anyone handy with a crochet hook or a pair of knitting needles will tell you, though, that time's "a'pressin" if one is making Christmas gifts. Whether it be an afghan, a cable knit sweater, soft warm mittens and cap, or an easy to create scarf, now is the time to set the needles clicking. Women used to scour the pages of magazines and newspapers for patterns, save labels off skeins of yarn, and trade handwritten patterns with friends. These days, while those sources are still widely used, there can also be found a wealth of free patterns and instructions online.
Knitting Pattern Central is a directory site. It has lots of links to lots of other sites that provide free patterns. It also has a directory for sites that have illustrated knitting instructions so that if you are less than skilled in this craft, you can teach yourself how to complete lovely projects. There is a stitch guide that explains how to work most of the stitches one is liable to find in instructions. Some of the categories of patterns found here are afghans; bags, totes, and purses; bookmarks; doilies; felted items; scarves; shawls and stoles; socks; and teddy bears. There is also a companion site called Crochet Pattern Central that has the same features, only for crochet. Some of the categories of projects listed on the crochet site are various size squares; afghans; angels; animals; Barbie clothes; baskets; broomstick lace; filet crochet; hairpin lace; rugs; scrunchies; tablecloths; and towel toppers. The links to these two sites are:
http://www.knittingpatterncentral.com/
http://www.crochetpatterncentral.com/
Lionbrand is a manufacturer of yarns and threads. Their web site offers a number of lovely patterns for both knitting and crocheting. I saw a picture of a lovely Taos rug pattern. If your household contains furry family members, this site also includes projects to knit or crochet for pets. There are baby items and toys. One project that a friend had found and shared with me is ideal for a beginning knitter. It is a Plush Pocket Wrap, which just means that it is a long shawl or shoulder wrap that has pockets on the ends so the wearer can warm her hands. The first link I have included is to the Lionbrand site, and the second link is for the Pocket Wrap.
http://www.lionbrand.com/content-crochetPatternIndex.html
http://cache.lionbrand.com/printablePatterns/1180AD.pdf
If you have a daughter or a granddaughter who loves her Barbie doll, then the Barbie Basics site is ideal for you. This is a pdf file that includes pictures and patterns for a number of Barbie doll clothes including a baseball cap, a beret, summer dresses, bell bottom slacks, a jumpsuit, overalls, and knit underwear and socks. This site can be found at:
http://barbiebasics.tripod.com/barbiebasicsfreeknits.pdf
On Saturday mornings at 7:00 A. M. AETN, Channel 2 carries a show called Knitting Daily that discusses and demonstrates knitting stitches and projects. The show's companion web site has patterns and instructions, but also includes blogs and forums for the knitter. The link to this site is:
These sites will furnish you lots of ideas for homemade Christmas gifts, and then once Christmas is past us, you can select projects for other purposes. Until next time, happy rummaging.
