A note from Kathleen: Every year I look forward to Interweave Knits Gifts. I actually use it to plan my gift-giving, and this year's issue has so many great ideas that I think I have more gift ideas than people to give them to! 
Lady Tea Towel by Courtney Kelley
There are so many beautiful patterns in this year's Gifts; I can't stop thinking about the darling pincushions (at left) and the beautiful lace cotton hand towel (at right). I love the idea of the towels in a guest bathroom; so decorative and useful! And the pincushions are so fabulous—I have several sewist friends who will absolutely love them.
Gifts has both small, quick-to-knit designs and larger, more complex designs—whatever your level of expertise and time available allows, you'll find something that suits the people on your list.
Interweave Knits Gifts is actually a gift itself; one you can give to yourself (and with so many patterns, it's truly the gift that keeps on giving). Here's Eunny Jang to preview the issue for you. Enjoy!
Interweave Knits Gifts 2010
This was the year of labors of love.
Rather, this was the year I dideverything the hard way. I handquilted every inch of a quilt for somejust-married friends. I canned a bushel each of tomatoes, peaches, and pears,and made all our own jams and jellies for the winter. I sewed dress shirts formy partner. We made croissants by hand—more than once. We built new beds forthe garden and took out hundreds of square feet of sod with shovels andtrowels.
I briefly entertained the idea of making sheets. That's whenwe knew I'd officially gone round the bend. Living a wholly handmade life isphilosophically pleasing, I suppose, but doing it without perspective doesn't workvery well with anything resembling normal human priorities.
I'm back to livinglife reasonably, making things once in a while with thought and care, ratherthan all the time just because.
I think every knitter understands the desire intimately, though—the idea that athing is worth making by hand. The reasons are never simple; sure, it might becheaper or easier to get exactly what you want if you make it yourself, but thereare also complex overlapping layers to being a maker. You're enjoying the process;you're learning something; you're rejecting disposable consumer culture; you'recommuning with generations of knitters before you; you're adding beauty to theworld with your own two hands.
Everyone's reasons are different. But we allknow that pure, elemental drive; the idea that something made with love has valueand meaning.
In this fifth issue of Interweave Knits Holiday Gifts, we'vecollected over sixty ideas for things to knit for and give to friends, family,and yourself. We've stocked the pages with everything from quick, simplebagatelles to intricate treasures for special folks—bright pops of color ("ManyHued"), knits for cozy spaces ("Handmade Home") lovelyvintage lace ("The Lacemaker") superwarm accessories ("Cozy 101"), fast knits in big yarns ("The Elements of Knitting"),mix-and-match projects to customize ("Metamorphoknit"), pretty toys("Child's Play"), and clever takes on classics ("Free-form Warm"). We've got ideas for crafting with yarn ("Knitspirations") andour annual gift roundup ("Gifts for Knitters"). Grab your needles and aspecial yarn and get inspired to knit, give, and get.
As for me and my year ofinconvenient living? It's going out in one final bang—I'm making a cyclingsweater for my partner, he of the 42-inch chest and extra-long torso.Jumperweight Shetland wool, size 3 needles, dark gray ribbing all over. It'sthe least interesting knitting imaginable. I'm very glad to be doing it.
A labor of love.
Check out the preview, get your copy of Interweave Knits Gifts, and get started on your own hand-crafted gifts for the ones you love.
Happyknitting and giving,
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