Very Last Minute Knitted Gifts

I’m not talking last minute knitted gifts like, “Oh I should make something for that birthday next week.” Really last minute knitted gifts are grabbed as you run out the door. The sort that’s only possible with either a serious knitting habit, or a plan.

Okay, once you knit or crochet enough, you will have a surplus of wooly items in your life. How many shawls can you wear, realistically? Maybe four? And not all at once. That doesn’t mean you stop knitting them. It means the excess can be set aside for future gifts.

I never used to make baby things unless a baby was imminent. I had a terrible mental image of Jesse pulling open a drawer to reveal hundreds of baby booties and an awkward conversation. That’s been one nice thing about our distance year – making as many baby knits as I damn well like.

I knit up a bunch of Baby Boom Beanies because, well, there was a baby boom at work! And because the pattern I designed was a lot of fun, and because I wanted to try out several variations. Now my time in that office is drawing to a close, and I have one more hat and one more person to gift to: my boss is heading on maternity leave next week.

It was the best feeling to reach into a drawer and pull out a last minute knitted gift – it was all completed, blocked and with the button face sewed firmly on.

All I needed to do was wrap it!

It felt so good, I think I’m going to keep this up. I keep a running Christmas list of gifts to buy, and a stack of cards for all occasions. I feel like adding last minute knitted gifts to the stash can only be a good idea.

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That wasn’t the only hat I gave away today. I was unhappy with the US election results, and wanted to Do Something, however small. I gave Luke, my Big Issue seller a Baby Boom Beanie today too. Obviously, his was adult sized, had no bunny ears or face of any sort, and was in a very manly red. I knit the brim twice as deep because I wanted him to be able to pull it down over his neck. It’s getting cold in London, and Luke had been shivering.

I’m not the only one who wants to keep people warm right now. For the next few hours, Wooly Wormhead is giving away patterns with the coupon code (see her instagram for details). I picked Imagiro, a dramatic turban.

All we can do at this moment is try to be nice to each other. And remember, knitting is great for your mental health.