Holiday Gift Knitting - Gone Mild

Friends, I’m not sure if you’ve noticed, but the holiday season is in full swing. The season of cozy nights by the fire, festive songs, tasty treats, and, of course - it’s the season of giving.

94% Gift Knitter, 78% Procrasti-Knitter

For many of us, this also means that it’s the season of making. I don’t know about you, but I am 94% Gift Knitter. There is nothing I love more than making something beautiful for someone I care about. I am also approximately 78% Procrasti-knitter. This is due, in part, because I tend to set completely outrageous goals for myself. 

Make everyone in my family an intricate lace shawl three weeks before Christmas? Sure, why not. I’ll probably survive. 

Knit each and every single person who works at my children’s school a personalized colorwork hat? Of course! Sky’s the limit, my friends! 

That’s when it goes off the rails. I give up and everyone gets a card.  

New for 2024: Realistic Expectations

While I have occasionally succeeded in these quests to create as many mind-blowingly thoughtful, handmade gifts as possible — at the very last minute and at great expense to my sleep schedule and personal hygiene — more often than not, I fall short.

This year, I am attempting to be a little more realistic. I am setting aside the ego. I surrender! This year - I’m going small.

[Spoilers ahead! Stop reading immediately if you are a local elementary school teacher or my children’s grandparents.]

This year, the kids and I will be filling jars with homemade hot chocolate mix and tucking them into charming, winter-themed cup cozies. 

The Doodle Cup Cozy pattern by Jamie Lomax is a great base pattern that you can customize with any Doodle Deck chart you like. Some shop favorites are the Holiday 3 Doodle Deck, the Winter Theme Doodle Deck (where you can find the plaid chart I used for the cozy pictured here), and the Arctic Doodle Deck Expansion. This fall, I’ve been teaching a colorwork class here at The Goat using this very pattern with my students, with great success! (Spots available for two more upcoming sessions!)

These cozies are such quick little knits that surely we can manage to make a few without turning into demented craft producing trolls! No guarantees of course, but I’ve got a pretty good feeling about my holiday gift-knitting this year!

Homemade Hot Chocolate Mix Recipe

Makes 3 pints of mix

Ingredients

2 cups confectioners sugar

1 cup cocoa powder

2 cups dry milk

1 cup mini chocolate chips

¼ tsp salt (to make us feel like grown-ups)

Mini marshmallows (to make us feel like kids)

Step 1

Whisk all ingredients in a large bowl until combined.

Step 2

Transfer mix to airtight containers, store for up to 6 months.

To make one mug

Add ½ cup of mix to ¾ cup of hot water or milk and stir. 

Top with mini marshmallows, of course!