One-Skein Projects for Winter Wonder!
Every crafter’s dream is to present everyone they love with a beautiful handmade gift for the holidays. Picking out colours and patterns that you just know those dearest to you will adore and imagining the joy on their faces becomes one of the most enjoyable parts of the festive season.
The reality? Few of us have enough time to kit out everyone on our gift list. (Anyone else guilty of wrapping up something that still has needles in it and promising to finish by New Year? Us too.) This is where one-skein projects really come into their own. They’re quicker to make, super portable (so you can be making progress even when you’re on the go), and perfect for adding that extra little bit of warmth to a winter wardrobe.
Hats
You can really do some wonderful things with a one-skein hat. These knit up super quickly and always bring joy! One of our favourites is our free Sophie’s Hat pattern by Sophie Scott. This classic hat looks brilliant in a solid color or a stripe (in which case you can get two hats out of two skeins) and it’s topped off with a lovely bobble that brings a bit of playful fun. Any of our worsted weight yarns would be brilliant for this pattern!
Another beauty that’s sure to be a crowd pleaser is our Spruce Hat designed by Ella Austin. Knit in stranded colourwork, this timeless hat suits people of all ages and genders. As it’s knit in two colours you’ll technically need two skeins, but you’ll end up with two hats, with the main colour and contrast colour flipped on the second one. We think this would be an adorable gift for siblings or cousins. Or make one for yourself and one for your best friend as a “friendship hat”! Knit in budget-friendly BC Garn Semilla DK, this one is a great candidate for repeat knitting.
The charming Mrs Moon Swirl Hat is maybe the quickest knit on this list as it uses super bulky Mrs Moon Plump. If your gift exchange is tomorrow and you haven’t cast on yet, this is the pattern to choose! One skein is plenty to make the hat and the bobble, but you can also buy two skeins to get two hats with contrasting bobbles.
Scarves, Kerchiefs, and Cowls
You can never have enough scarves, right? It’s always satisfying to have just the right one for your outfit, and warmth-wise they make a huge difference. The Beginner Friendly Triangle Scarf by SarahForrestKnits on Etsy is what Susan has on her needles right now. This one will go with anything, and the simple shape is given a special touch with a crocheted border. Susan is knitting it in Gepard Kumula Cashmere and it’s looking just gorgeous!
My Jose Scarf by NORgardknitters is the gift that wraps itself up in its own bow. This little scarflette is so sweet, and super warm for chilly winter days. We love how the long i-cord allows you to have the best bits of a mini scarf without giving up a secure closure. Knit up in super soft Gepard Eco Cashmere Vintage, this is an accessory with a luxurious feel and a planet-conscious ethos.
When it comes to flexible knits, the Millie Kerchief by Julie Weisenberger is unparalelled. You can use anywhere from 100 to 300 yards of yarn, depending how big you want it to be, and any needle size or gauge. Plus, it’s a real stunner! The main image above shows this kerchief in Qing Veranita “Cactus” and it would be lovely in Zakami Fluffy Lace or Gepard Kumula Cashmere as well.
The Dandelion Cowl is an elegant yet simple one-skein cowl, using any sport weight yarn you like. The repeating lace pattern is easy to get the hang of, and the result is wonderfully wearable, whether you’re heading to a holiday bash in the city or out into the countryside for a walk. Best of all, this is another free Loop pattern!
Ok we’ve stretched to slightly more than a skein for this one, but we just couldn’t resist including the really wonderful Hawick Cowl (pronounced “hoyk”) by Rachel Atkinson. Three skeins of Orkney Angora are enough to make two of these cowls if you swap around the main colour, and the result is just so beautiful. Plus, by using the clever slip stitch technique this pattern makes it look like you’ve mastered complex colourwork when actually you’re only ever knitting with one strand at a time. You can read more about this design and download the free pattern here!
The beauty of a one-skein project is that you know you’ll have just the right amount of yarn, and that’s the case with our kits as well. Kits like our Soundwaves Static Cowl Kits come with exactly the yardage you’ll need, and the intuitive stranded colourwork pattern is one of those ones that eggs you on to keep knitting, so you’ll be finished in no time! We love this beauty designed by Fabienne Gassmann in John Arbon Textiles Yarnadelic.
Mittens
We’ve got a real thing for mittens. There’s something so nostalgic about them, and there’s no denying they’re one of the cosier gifts you can give. Over the years, the mitten patterns we’ve published have been among our favourites — and clearly yours too! Patterns like our Pinwheel Mitts have become classic for a reason. The pattern is now available as part of a Bundle, which also contains both the skeins of Isager Highland Wool you’ll need in any colour you like!
Our Spring Bloom Mitts are also perennial favourites. Like the Pinwheel Mitts, they leave your fingertips free for all the nimble necessities of daily life, or of course for a bit of knitting! This pattern uses Uncommon Thread Lush Worsted, which is available in a brilliant array of hues. And it doesn’t get more classic than CaMaRose’s Snow Mittens. All the children’s sizes in this pattern take just one skein of Snefnug (or Snefug Natur), Lamauld, Lama Tweed or Host. These CaMaRose yarns are so soft, so fluffy, so beautifully warm — they’ll keep Jack Frost away no matter what the weather!
Possibly the best mittens for sparkle season are our Stella Mittens. With their strand of Kremke Stellaris held together with Jamieson’s Spindrift for the cuff and Isager Silk Mohair for the main mitten, these shimmer with the best of them! The printed pattern is available on its own, and we also have Stella Mitt Kits available in the original three colourways we designed: Mustard, Vintage Rose, and Ooh La La!
Marvellous Miscellany
The Amos Balaclava was designed with leftover skeins in mind, so it’s the perfect one to combine stash yarns with some lovely new ones! Each balaclava only needs one 100g skein of DK weight yarn or one 50g skein of fingering weight yarn combined with one 25g skein of silk mohair. Isager Silk Mohair and Madelinetosh Merino Light are two of the recommended yarns, but you can also let your imagination run free in our DK, Fingering, and Silk Mohair collections.
A gift that will be treasured in the year ahead and many more to come is our Otso Bear designed by former Loopette Sophie Heathscott. We’ve cherished this snuggly bear for years, and this summer for our 20th anniversary Sophie gave the pattern a little refresh! This can be knit flat or in the round using ethically and sustainably produced De Rerum Natura Gilliatt. If ever there was a perfect way to show your love, it’s this!
Lykke Flight Tips and Sets
Of course, you’ll need some needles to make all these gorgeous one-skein projects with. That’s where Lykke‘s range of needle sets and interchangeable tips come in. These tools are really gorgeous, and it’s so handy to be able to quickly jump to the next size up or down if your swatch hasn’t come out quite like you planned. We’re thrilled to have their Flight Standard Set in both 5-inch and 3.5-inch lengths, as well as loads of Flight Interchangeable Tips in just about any size you can think of! We adore the bergundy carrier case these sets come in and the quality of the needles themselves. (Psst — if you really want to treat the knitter in your life, these sets would be a great holiday gift!)
Knitting SOS
If you need help unpicking any of the techniques in these patterns, stop by our Knitting SOS session this Sunday 16 November. Our staff will be on hand to help out with whatever has you stuck from 10:30 to noon. There’s no need to book, but if you need in-depth support or you’re working with a highly specialised technique, drop us a line at shop@loopknitting.com first. We’ll also have a special extended session for last-minute help with holiday knits on Sunday 14 December from 10:30 am to 1:30 pm. See you there!
Happy knitting!
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