Quick Knitting Patterns

Almost any hat is a good quick knitting project, but this rolled-brim hat is particularly easy because you're just knitting straight, around and around in circles, until you get to the small amount of shaping at the top. Talk about mindless knitting!

This cute little cuff is a great way to practice making cables without a cable needle, which makes it really quick and easy to perform the twists. It's a great alternative to a chunky (and heavy) bangle bracelet.

This scarf is a great way to use up scraps from finished knitting projects, because a different yarn is used on each row as the scarf is knit horizontally. It may seem like this project would take a long time because of the sheer number of stitches in each row, but it only takes a few rows to make a useable (and very cool-looking) scarf.

I can't get enough of all things fleece, so I was really excited when I learned there was such a thing as fleece yarn. This two-color earwarmer is the perfect thing for someone who loves winter sports like skiing or hiking in the woods when it's cold outside.

This is a gift for someone where the knit item is only part of the gift. Buy the writer (or artist, or doodler) in your life a lovely Moleskine notebook, then knit an even lovelier cozy to make it easy to see and reach for in the depths of your recipient's messenger bag.

This pencil bag, which could also serve as a knitting bag for spare needles and tools or for a small project, is fun to knit in a self-striping yarn, or you could make your own stripes by using up bits of your stash. Remember to line the bag with a fun fabric so all the stuff you put inside stays in.

A super-quick gift that's easy to add to (coffee mug, selections of coffee, tea or hot chocolate, even a nice book) is a knit coffee cup cozy. This takes just a scrap of yarn and a tiny bit of time but will show someone you're thinking of them, even if the rest of the gift is storebought.

Armwarmers (or wristlets, or gauntlets) are another genre of pretty quick knits since they generally aren't very long and don't include those pesky fingers to slow you down. This is a super-fast variation on the theme because it's knit flat, then sewn up the side, leaving a hole for the thumb.

If you're giving a doll or stuffed animal to one of your younger friends, throw in a cute and quick-to-knit blanket for their new pal. This one could be knit in stripes to use up scraps from other projects, or just use one color as shown.

A soap sack is a gift that's both useful and cute. It's simply a small bag that a fine bar of soap can be placed in when it is used. The sack acts a bit like a washcloth or bath sponge to scrub and make lather, and it helps keep your soap intact down to the last sliver.

Along the same lines of the soap sack, knit washcloths are an easy project that's also useful and appreciated by almost everyone who gets them, whether accompanied by spa gifts or cleaning supplies (depending on the occasion).