When the weather gets cold and the ground is covered in frost, it’s hard to spend time outdoors. So, finding hobbies and activities that keep you busy in the winter months is essential. Knit and crochet are popular winter hobbies for a reason.
They are fun and creative, but the best part is that you can get lost in a project for hours and hours! What a great way to while away a few of those dark winter nights.
If you’re new to knitting or crocheting and need some inspiration, this article has the best recommendations for all skill levels.
Grab your hooks or needles, and let’s get started!
1. Slippers
Winter is not just a good time for curling up on your sofa with a book and blanket; it’s also a great time to make yourself some cozy clothing items and accessories. For example, you can make winter slippers for wearing around your home.
Depending on your style and the climate region, you can make delicate slippers with thin yarn. Or, you can create bulky, thick slippers using natural wool. This crochet pattern is a great place to start when making a pair of slippers.
2. Leg Warmers
Instead of buying a pair of leg warmers to help keep you toasty, you can make your own at home. This design is easy and quick to make if you follow the correct pattern. You can choose your favorite yarn and colors and make leg warmers in your unique style.
These are also perfect gift ideas for loved ones around the holidays or as a birthday present for friends. If you’re just starting out with crochet or knitting, you can practice your stitches by making leg warmers and wearing them on your homestead!
3. Beanie
A beanie is an ideal winter warmer, and it is a fun crochet project to do when you have some leftover yarn or want to use up a skein or two that’s been sitting in your cupboard. You can start with a simple beanie pattern which you can find here.
When you complete the basic hat, you can also upgrade the design using color blocks, tassels, pompoms, and personal embroidery if you want to. Another way to create an interesting pattern is to combine different yarn colors and switch between rows.
If you’re not confident switching rows, you can practice with these tips and make some practice gauge patches until you get it right. Once you know how to color switch, you can start incorporating it into all your crochet designs.
4. Valentine’s Gifts
Crocheters say you should plan your projects a few months in advance, giving you enough time to start and finish complicated designs. In general, you can look at big events on the calendar and schedule crochet projects two-three months in advance.
The middle of winter is when you can begin making Valentine’s day gifts and planning your spring crochet projects. The most apparent valentine’s crochet idea is hearts which you can make into bunting or keep as a single heart.
Here are some other valentine’s crochet ideas:
- Valentine’s gift bag
- Romantic candle covers
- Heart Blanket
- Love cowl
- Amigurumi valentine’s bears
You can also create your own design and make something special for a loved one!
5. Blankets
If you’re looking for a long and calming project this winter, you can’t go wrong with knitting a blanket. The repetitive motion of repeating stitches and using thick, comfortable yarn will give you some inspiration on cold winter nights.
Based on your skill level, you can arm knit a chunky blanket in under an hour, so it doesn’t need to take up too much of your time. If you’d rather work on a blanket between other tasks or at night with a movie, you can pick a thinner yarn, which takes longer to knit with.
6. Knitted Dress
Knitting or crocheting a dress is an excellent challenge for winter if you’ve already mastered the basic crochet and knitting stitches and designs. Like when you shop in a department, there are many style options for knitting.
Whether you’re searching for a flattering black knit dress or a colorful peek-a-boo pattern, there are lots to choose from. You can also find skirt patterns that are great for wearing with a beanie or a winter knitted cowl.
Start by learning the patterns and practicing in different sections, such as the main body, arms, and neckpieces. Then, you can see if the sizing is right or if you need to make alterations for your next dress.
Clothes can be hard to make if you don’t have the correct measurements for your body. Measure your bust, hips, and waist to get a good estimate of the size and amount of yarn you’ll need.
If you aren’t sure, pick a flexible pattern that will give you extra space if needed. It’s better to leave a little room than to make your knitted dress too tight.
7. Throw Pillow
The sofa is another great spot for adding some knitted decorations, but you can make more than just a chunky blanket in winter. A throw pillow is ideal in size if you’re a beginner or intermediate, and you can also add your own details to the finished design.
You can embroider snowflakes, a cottage, flowers, or sparkly stars. Start with one throw pillow, and if you enjoy making them, you can create a complete collection to place on your sofa or bed.
You can make different throw pillow designs so they can change with the seasons, and you can make something new for spring, summer, and fall. This is also a good way to get children or elderly parents involved. You can make it a family winter crochet or knit project!
8. Hot Water Bottle Cover
Hot water bottles can often be bought with lovely covers in tartan, faux fur, or cotton, but you can also make your own knitted cover if you want something extra cozy.
Before central heating was introduced, people would place hot water bottles in their beds at night to help keep them warm.
Nowadays, not as many people use hot water bottles, but they should. It’s an effective, planet and wallet-friendly option. If you’re one of the people who enjoy using this tried-and-true option, you should make a hot water bottle cover this winter!
The additional material will keep the heat contained for a little longer and feel lovely against your skin when you go to bed at night. You can pick a soft yarn and make hot water bottle covers for your whole family.
If you have anyone who has sensitive skin, you can also pick a hypoallergenic yarn, such as cotton or DK specialized yarn, which you can find online or at your local yarn store.
9. Temperature or Mood Blanket
A temperature blanket is similar to a regular blanket, but it’s when you knit or crochet a single row based on the weather each day. In other words, you assign different colors to various temperatures starting from the New Year and work on it until the end of the year the following winter.
By the end of the following year, you’ll have a whole blanket where you can observe the changing weather and keep you inspired during hard months. This is not only for recording weather, but it has great mental health benefits as well.
For people who struggle with social isolation or mental health conditions that keep them inside, a temperature blanket is an excellent project to work on from the comfort of your home.
But anyone can start a temperature blanket for the new year. It’s also just a nice winter crochet or knit project to mark the passing of the seasons.
If the temperature idea doesn’t suit you, you can also make a mood blanket that follows the same idea, but you crochet or knit a row based on your feelings that day. This is a distinct style, but you can still work in rows of different colors.
Or, you can make individual granny squares and join them together to create contrasting color blocks. In each square, you can embroider different symbols that mean something to you, motifs, or simple color designs.
These ideas will give you something creative to focus on and keep your mood positive in winter!
