Quick gift patterns: texture

Today: ten twelve fabulous patterns featuring texture. Check back tomorrow for my top ten plain & simple patterns, and Friday for a few final ideas. Read the intro to the series here.

All these patterns use less than 300 yarns of yarn; most of them much less. That means you should be able to get them knitted in a week without too much trouble. All are easily available, either instantly online or in magazines currently on the newsstands. Many are free; others cost a few dollars. Some are widely known, others are unsung gems or rediscovered from past years. Enjoy!


TODAY'S TOP TEN: TEXTURE

1. Larus & Ardea fingerless mitts from Knitty (free pattern). Been wanting to try twined knitting? Be brave and knit these handsome mitts in one skein of Cascade 220 and a bit of contrast color yarn for the braided edges; two versions, one for men and one for women.
   
   
   
2. Miller's hat from Through the Loops. This great hat has a wide herringbone-stitch brim band shaped to cover the ears and a not-too-tight boldly-cabled crown. 220 yards of worsted-weight wool plus a bit for contrast trim.
   
   
   
3. Wave cowl  by Rebecca Hatcher from Knotions (free pattern). Simple but interesting pattern uses short rows to create undulating purl ridges on a stockinette ground. Less than 220 yards worsted or Aran weight. I'm tempted to try this in some Muench Touch Me I have in stash and full it a bit. Nice in yarn with long color changes, because of the short rows. Can't make the Ravelry project button work, but here's the link (56 projects).
   
   
4. Ripple beret by Wendy Bernard. Ruched beret alternates concentric rings of stockinette and garter stitch. Garter-stitch brim. Less than 220 yards worsted weight wool (there's also a fingering-weight version using about 300 yards).
   
   
   
5. Bella's mittens by Marielle Henault. As worn in Twilight: wonderful bulky-weight mittens with almost elbow-length ribbed gauntlets and a bold cable down the back. 220 yards bulky wool (Cascade 109).
   
   
   
6. Bodhi mittens or fingerless mitts from RiverPoet Designs (available on Ravelry). Unusual feminine cable patterning on back of hand, seed stitch cuff, and optional beaded accents. Three sizes, 100-200 yards worsted weight wool.
   
   
   
7. Trilobite hat from Knitty (free pattern). I love the patterning on this snug-fitting hat - four panels use cables, bobbles, and garter-stitch texture to suggest trilobite fossils. 184 yards worsted weight wool.
   
   
   
8. Helix gloves by Kira Dulaney. OK, very simple texture. Stockinette fingerless gloves with long cuffs and an elegant spiralling line wrapping around the wrist and hand, created by a decrease ridge and adjacent yarnover. 160-180 yards DK-weight yarn; two sizes.
   
   
   
9. Winding River cowl by Kathleen Cubley from Interweave Knits (free pattern). Loose moebius cabled cowl knitted lengthwise. As written, pattern calls for 325 yards DK yarn, but this version used just 220 yards of bulky alpaca. Or, use whatever you have - provisionally cast on 8" worth of stitches, work 25" in whatever cable pattern you like that looks good on both sides, give the scarf a twist before joining the ends with a three-needle bindoff.
   
   
   
10. Heritage baby booties from Interweave Knits Holiday Gifts 2009 (on newsstands now). Absolutely gorgeous cabled booties with garter-stitch soles, knitted flat. Complex but worth it. Less than 230 yards fingering-weight wool.
    
    
    
11. And one more for good measure - Chevalier socks or mittens by Mari Muinonen (free patterns). Worsted-weight socks or mittens share the same beautiful cable patterning. 250-300 yards yarn for the socks, less than 220 yards for the mittens (pattern is written for sportweight yarn used double).
    
    
    
12. Added 12/10/09: Give a Hoot mittens from Kelbourne Woolens (free pattern). Little cabled owls with button eyes are turning up everywhere - here they are on a pair of simple mittens in worsted-weight wool (200 yards). Or, you could use lighter-weight wool at a smaller gauge for a child.
    
    
    

Monday: patterns with color 
Tuesday: lacy patterns
Thursday: plain & simple patterns
Friday: miscellaneous gems