You will want to knit: QUICK gifts

I have an annoying tendency to set my heart on complicated patterns when planning knitted gifts for other people. It's wrong. It's never right. Most importantly, it's not worth it if you don't know the recipient very well. If they're not a knitter, a fairly uncomplicated but effective gift is what you should go for.

Like these two - one of them off, the other one still on my needles at the moment, so the photos below belong to the designers:

Brioche Hood Hat by Valdis Vrang (FREE on Ravelry)

pattern photo - click on it and it will take you to the pattern page

Why it's fab: great introduction to brioche stitch, engaging, fast (short rows are more-ish)
The difficult bit: seaming at the end. There's not much to seam but you need to pay attention Still, a minor minus; don't let it turn you off.

Miss Marple Scarf - available under different names, by different designers

Here are two of my favorites (both FREE on Ravelry):

click on the photo

click on the photo

Why they're fab: Short scarves with a smart tie idea. Need I say more? They're pretty and could go with so many different clothes.
 The difficult bit: Haven't found it yet, so that will likely be parting with the knit.
Can you recommend some go-to quick knits?

You will want to knit: Thistle Garden Cardigan

My recent conversations with Teresa coincided with the release of her newest pattern, and that's how this post series finally came to be. There are fantastic patterns out there and while we can't knit them all (or can we? ;-)), they're always worth a mention. I'm going to try and keep up with great new patterns.

Thistle Garden by Teresa Gregorio is one of such great patterns: it has a beautiful lace motif on the front paired with seed stitch, which makes the yarn color pop. The pattern was written with Zen Yarn Garden Serenity Worsted in mind and it really makes the most of the yarn. (Check out Canary Knits for details on sweater kits!)

Photo by Teresa Gregorio, used with permission

I love lace and I'm always curious about lace in heavier yarns, and in knits other than shawls. Thistle Garden incorporates lace in a very clever way, keeping the cardigan modern-looking with a touch of the romantic. I'm not a fan of pink, but this rich shade is quite eye-catching and it's a lively color - another unexpected pairing with lace that works perfectly in this design.

You can find the design on Ravelry here.