last-minute knitting ideas
We all know there are times when we need some small knits that work up quickly, and the end of the year is certainly one of them! Here we've picked nine 1-2 skein projects for last-minute, beautiful, satisfying knits, and we hope this selection helps to take a little of the guess work out of finding just the perfect thing.
hats
Hats are always needed, and who can have too many? When we launched our chunky merino/mohair Ibis in winter 2016, our own Dawn Catanzaro designed two one-skein hats that are super warm and quick to whip up: the Folded Brim (shown here in Coldspring) and Broken Rib hats. The patterns are free, so…all you have to do is bring Ibis, your needles, and your fast knitting game to the party.
Pam Allen designed two hats for the launch of our soft and pretty superfine merino, Phoebe in spring 2016: Hadfield, pictured here in Mars, and its sister hat, Kepler. Fisherman's rib is so simple and fun to work, and this hat can be worn slouchy or folded up at the brim for extra warmth.
In late summer 2015, we published the Comfort Hats trio by Mari Lynn Patrick. We love all of them, but City, using just one skein of our cushy Aran-weight Osprey (shown in Storm), is a great candidate for quick knitting.
left to right: Folded Brim Hat by Dawn Catanzaro, Hadfield by Pam Allen, City by Mari Lynn Patrick
mitts
We published Leila Raven's Nalu mitts just this October, to accompany the launch of our stunning Chickadee Organic Heathers. They take just one skein, and the twisted cable and seed stitch panel is a striking motif for these brief mitts. Shown in pretty light blue Larimar.
Pam designed the Sherwood Mitts in our beloved alpaca/wool Owl (shown here in Cilantro), which we published in spring 2013. The simple leaf pattern worked on the top of the hand looks sweet with the slight halo present in this pretty yarn. Using just one skein of Owl, if mitts are your thing, this is a good pick.
Published at the tail end of August for our Core Wool 2018 collection, Dawn Catanzaro's Dune mittens are warm and fun to knit. The long cuffs are perfect for tucking into coats to keep the wind out. This project takes 2 skeins of our workhorse light worsted weight Lark (shown in Petal).
left to right: Nalu by Leila Raven, Sherwood Mitts by Pam Allen, Dune by Dawn Catanzaro
neckwear
An open, skinny linen scarf with fringe is meant to be worn as jewelry, and that's what Perimeter is—a one-skein, pretty, and sophisticated little lariat that can add an extra dressy element to an outfit. Norah designed this piece for us—knitted in Sparrow and shown in Paprika—as part of her book Framework, published in April 2017.
Pam's Cullin Cowl was part of our inaugural collection, Prima, published in summer 2010. Worked in one skein of chunky Puffin (shown here in Frost) and featuring a simple lace motif, this is off the needles very quickly.
Angela Tong designed Clinton Hill for Scarves, etc 6, published in early 2017. Shown here in Osprey Fjord, this project takes 2 skeins and features a simple slip stitch motif that is easily memorized.
left to right: Perimeter by Norah Gaughan, Cullin Cowl by Pam Allen, Clinton Hill by Angela Tong
Looking for even more inspiration? Check out some of our patterns by type here and here.
