Tag: christmas gift knitting

Believe it or not I have wanted to post this for a couple of years now… haha…! By the time I realize I need to share a post about Christmas knitting, it’s too late to accomplish these patterns.

The perfect gift for any guy who lives in a cold climate is a hat. They will wear something warm all winter, and probably loose a few along the way.

I’m a sucker for a fold up brim on my hats. It adds warmth around the ears, but some people prefer a simple flat ribbing. Often a pattern can be knit either way.

Awesome Hat Patterns for Men and Boys

When it comes to hats, most styles are perfectly suitable for men or women, but here is a list of hat patterns created to please a man.

• Taconite, by Virginia Sattler-Reimer – Worsted weight yarn – three styles
• Dustland, by Stephen West – DK
• Botanic, by Stephen West – Worsted
• Men’s Basic Hat – FREE pattern, aran yarn- folded brim
• Bankhead – FREE pattern, worsted
• Dual Loop Beanie – worsted, ribbed beanie – folded brim (See the one I knit at the bottom of this page.)

Yarn

Most likely the men and boys in our lives would like hats that are soft and comfortable. But they also usually prefer darker colors and easy care. They will toss a dirty hat into the laundry pile and pop it into the dryer. So that is the trouble. Hand-knitting gifts for someone who will not treat is as a hand-knit.

I prefer to knit with nice organic wool, which is warm, but it always requires hand-washing. Superwash merino wool is pretty easy to find, but often it should not go into the dryer. Man-made acrylic yarn is something I never use, but might be the most perfect choice for guys.

Pairing up Hat Patterns With Easy Care Yarn

I have raised three boys so I know a bit about what they like. For all their lives (and they are all over 21 now) they wore black clothing, or colors as close to black as possible. I have one daughter as well who did bring color into my life! The boys have not changed and if I want to knit something for them, it had better be in drab, dark,”boy colors”.

Sock yarn is easy care, but a heavier weight yarn makes knitting quicker. Here are a few ideas to get you started. Remember that washable wool / super wash will tend to stretch when washed.

• Malabrigo Arroyo – link goes to Webs, it is DK / Sport weight
• Swans Island – washable wool. DK – Buy in US here.
• Sandnes Garn Double Sunday – DK – machine washable, but not Superwash treated yarn. (I love their yarn)
• Wool Addicts – (machine wash, lay flat to dry) Super bulky with lots of nice dark “boy” colors offered.
• Knit Picks, Swish worsted – link goes to their Ravelry yarn page.
• Filcolana Anina – Fingering weight, Merino wool.

It’s honestly pretty easy to find washing washable yarn, but most yarns recommend to “lay flat to dry”. Not many hand knits can go into the dryer. How often do hats need washing anyway?

Do you have any suggestions? What are you knitting this season for gift giving?

Some hats I’ve knit