Christmas in July: Duo-Tone Throw

Kristy Glass here, and welcome to Christmas in July! I know, it may seem crazy to already be thinking about Christmas. Admit it, you secretly had your holiday playlist playing on that weekend car trip the other day….oh wait, that was me.

Handmade gifts for the holidays are the BEST gifts. Not only is it meaningful for the recipient, but it makes Christmas morning that much sweeter for the maker.  Whenever I intentionally make a piece with someone in mind, I find myself thinking about them during the entire process—choosing the pattern, their favorite colors, and then putting it all together.

EVEN though it’s July, you will thank me, come December, when you have planned out your handmade gift list, and most importantly, STARTED working on these gifts!

Let’s start with the BIG gift. This project is for that special someone who always admires your handmade work and longs for the day you finally gift them with something.  It’s for the niece or nephew who will start college this year. It’s for the friend who recently moved into a new home.  It’s for the loved one who has suffered a loss or battled an illness this year.

It ends with a beautiful, on-trend, throw: the Duo-Tone Throw.  You will thank me for this pattern, because it is crocheted up in 5 strips, making it super portable for all your summer travel, and LESS HOT.  If you are a beginner and want to take your crocheting to the next level, this project is for you.  If you are experienced, this is the project you take to the family reunion because you can catch up with everyone and not worry about concentrating too hard on your pattern.

The throw calls for one of my new favorite yarns; Scarfie. The sample pictured here is crocheted in cream/taupe and taupe/charcoal.  It’s basically crocheting 5 scarves and then sewing them together to create the throw.  Each strip is a ball of Scarfie, so you can choose whichever combination suits you.  I am IN LOVE with the new Scarfie colors that were released this past spring: cream/teal is my new favorite Scarfie color. I would love to see the throw made up with all 5 strips in cream/teal.

If neutral is not your choice, try cream/black and black/hot pink together.  Whichever combination you choose, I recommend choosing a lighter and a darker, as more contrast is pleasing to the eye.

Now, for you knitters out there, never fear, if you know how to knit a scarf, guess what, you can make a duo tone throw as well. Grab your 5 balls of Scarfie, knit 5 scarves, piece them together and you’ve got yourself a throw!  It might be a fun chance to experiment with new stitches—you could even give your throw a patchwork look by changing stitches every 6-10 inches or so.  There is room for a lot of creativity here–try going pattern-less!

I would love to know what color combinations you choose for your duo tone throw.  Tweet to @kristyglass or @lionbrandyarn! I am also on ravelry and would love to see your progress photos there. Who will you be making this for?

Happy Christmas in July!