I've already talked about how taking some names off your holiday knitting list makes things a bit easier, but even if you halved your list of recipients you'll still have a bit of work ahead of you. So here are some thoughts on how to make your holiday knitting a little more pleasant and efficient. Pick and choose (or ignore!) as you see fit:
Be realistic. Now is not the time for afghans. You could probably whip out a shawl or two if you have magical powers but you'd still lose a lot of sleep, which is going to make your breakdown all the more painful when you realize you misread the chart in a sleep-deprived stupor--20 rows back. Not that I'm speaking from experience. Look at your life, look at your choices. Try to figure out how much time per day you can spend on knitting and try to plan your projects accordingly.
Stick with what you know. Most of us have some favorite patterns, or go-to items for making a quick and simple gift. Mine is an old-fashioned toboggan pattern that I've made at least 10 hats from in the past 2 years, and I have plans to make 2 or 3 more before the month is over. Haul out your favorite books or pamphlets! Enjoy those familiar patterns and save yourself some confusion and frustration.
Check your stash. No, really check it. Take a good hard look at what you have before you get started on a project. Do you think you have 3 skeins of that yarn you need, or are you just mostly sure you saw it around somewhere? I was convinced I had two skeins of red yarn, but didn't. I forgot to update my stash page on Ravelry, and I saw it so many times on my page that I thought I'd seen it somewhere in my home. But it was already crocheted up into a little sweater for my baby. Oops. There are few things worse than interrupting your precious knitting time to run out and buy yarn. Unless we're talking about buying yarn from a different dye lot, or that the store may not carry anymore. During Christmas. I went to my local Michael's last weekend. I'm not going back (for a while). Dig in. Dump out. Burrow.
Ravelry. Ravelry is my solution to just about everything. It's just awesome. If you do knit something new because someone asked for something specific, use the advanced pattern search to narrow down your options. And always click the "Has photo" box. There's no way you can try to knit your friend that hat she saw in the ad if you can't see a picture of it online.
This is one of my favorite parts about the pattern search options on Ravelry. You can check a box for how much or how little yarn a pattern requires, and see the little arrow? That's where you can select patterns that use yarn you have in your stash (assuming you keep your stash more current than mine). It takes a lot of guesswork out of things when you're searching through patterns and trying to figure out if you can wiggle around the gauge guidelines by using what you already have. Check your other stash. My stash is just a small collection of baby hats and a couple of scarves, but maybe you have a little more foresight than me. You probably do. Is there something you made for someone who is no longer on your list? Assign it to someone who is. What about something you've had just hanging around? This morning I made a cowl from......a disaster. I knitted a short scarf a couple of years ago out of some beautiful multicolored mohair yarn. I can't unravel it and re-work it, though, because after a natural disaster damaged some of my things my parents washed some of my wool items.....and then dried them. (I might have told them it was okay to do so. I was pretty distracted at the time.) My dad even mentioned ironing some things. So I took this very dense and very clean little scarf, sewed the ends together, and bundled it up for a friend's birthday. It's not the best thing ever, but I'd tried and failed 4 times to make this person a cowl and it just wasn't working and was really setting me back on my knitting schedule. Try re-working what you have into a gift or two.
WIP it. WIP it good. I'm really sorry about that pun. Wait, no. I'm not sorry at all. What do you have on your needles that you could finish up for someone? Was there a scarf you started for yourself and then ignored because it just wasn't your style? Would your sister like it instead? Then pick up that work in progress!
Gift cards. I know, I know. This is about holiday knitting. But if you're taking care of a baby who won't sleep, a spouse or parent who's sick, or your own injuries or illness, then just tuck some money into a thoughtful card and start planning your birthday knitting. You may as well enjoy the season, and I hope that you do!
Happy crafting!
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