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As the holiday season approaches, I'm beginning to ponder the inevitable Christmas Gift List. Despite my best efforts to avoid it, I always feel the pull of handknitting gifts for my very dearests. The trickiest people on that list are also the smallest.I have two, sweet little brothers, ages 8 and 9. Although adorable and irresistible they have one ginormous flaw: they have extremely specific ideas of what constitutes "cool" handknits. They love knowing I knit something for them, but they are very particular about what they'll wear.Here are just a few things I know they'd love:Stegosaurus Hat 
Ok, this one is a cheat: I designed it two years ago as a Christmas gift. Actually, D helped me design it: he drew a picture of his ideal hat and this is how it turned out!Fingerless gloves 
Both the boys want a set of fingerless gloves for recess. Leafy would be perfect for a pair (shortened for the shorter hands, of course!)The Batman Logo chart and the Transformers Logo chart can be added to a basic hat or made into a simple patch for their backpack. They'd look great on a full-fledged sweater, but these boys grow to fast for a handknit of that size!Although, at 8 & 9, they're a little too young for it, the Jayne Cobb Hat 
would be a great gift for your Firefly fan.For the extremely particular amongst your boys, this is Ribbed Beanie 
is probably plain enough. Not so plain knit in a bright color, like Festival:What do you knit for the boys in your life?
And if you're afraid of what your boys might buy you, may I suggest pointing them towards a Blonde Chicken Boutique Gift Certificate?
Last night, I gave up on a sweater. My beautiful handspun sweater just isn't working out. After completing the body and 1 sleeve, I realized I need more yarn. And the yoke isn't right (too much fabric at the shoulders). And the whole thing is too stiff, not drapey enough. Most of these issues could have been solved by following a pattern (well, except for the drape, I just needed to use a bigger needle and knit it at a different gauge), but because I'm designing it myself, all these little things have to be figured out. If I had chosen a pattern suited for handspun, many of these mistakes might have been avoided.But that's only if I choose the right pattern! Here's a few things to keep in mind when choosing a pattern for handspun yarn- Gauge with handspun is variable. One skein might be heavy worsted, while the next is bulky. Knit for the bigger yarn, or else your work will be stiff in areas. Of course, it maybe be a little thin in some areas, but that's usually preferable.
- Handspun yarn usually has a lot of texture. Play this up with a simple textured stitch or St st.
- Along with texture, handspun yarn can be quite colorful. Cables and pictoral lace are easilyobscured by all the color going on, so avoid "overkill".
I had a time of mourning as I folded the sweater and put it away (I'm not ready to rip it out yet). But I'll come back to it. I'll probably cast on for a sweater using that same handspun in a few weeks. If I use a pattern next time, these are a few I'd consider:- Cathode (Rav link) - top downs are the easiest to adjust for gauge & Cathode is excellent since you can use just a bit of handspun for the body and trimm it in commercial yarn.
- Cavern (Rav Link) - Tingel's Cavern really won me over to this simple top down cardigan.
- February Lady Sweater (Rav link) - this uber-popular sweater (over 2000 projects in Ravelry) is simple to adjust, especially if you want it big and roomy.
- Incredible, Custom Fit Raglan - this is first customizable pattern I ever found. Not really a pattern, as much as a Choose-Your-Own-Adventure.
- Top-Down Calculator (Rav link)- Not even a pattern. Plug in your gauge and your measurements and out pops customized directions! Amazing!
"I just realized that I have developed kind of a collector style in my yarn buying. I don’t buy yarn for specific projects any more but more like “oh-how-beautiful-must-have-that”. This of course results me having several single skeins of this and that (and they are all soooo pretty). So what can I make with your yarn?"That's an actual email I got from a customer and it expresses how many of us buy yarn. We see something pretty and we snatch it up. But what to DO with it as it starts to overtake our living space?Well, after answering this question for myself, I've started collecting patterns that will show off handspun. These patterns work with the special properties of handspun yarn, not requiring an exact guage (since handspun has natural inconsistencies).
Below are 5 free patterns that (can) use a single skein of handspun - the name links directly to the pattern (sometimes a pdf), followed by the Ravelry link. I've included a suggested yarn which is the right weight and length to make the pattern (click the name of the yarn to purchase it).- Sherbrooke (Ravelry) - a lovely textured cowl
- Lace Ribbon Scarf (Ravelry) - a very pretty, lacey scarf
- One Skein Scarf (Ravelry) - a, uh, scarf!
- Foliage (Ravelry) - a pretty leaf-y hat
- Caliometry (Ravelry) - a headband
I'm still working on my handspun sweater. What have you made with handspun yarn?
