Fig and Plum: No Mom Allowed (My Mom Anyway: Stay Away Sandi)

No Mom Allowed (My Mom Anyway: Stay Away Sandi)

MOM, BACK AWAY AND DO NOT READ THIS POST. IT'S ABOUT MOTHERS DAY.

So, as you might have heard, Mother's Day is coming up. I'm trying to plot whether I want to knit something for my mom, and if so, what to make, and I'd love your suggestions.

So a little about my mom. While she's not tough to shop for, she is a little hard to knit for. She has great taste but her style is more preppy than crunchy - think penny loafers. More Coach and less French Market. She loved to dress me like a wee sailor in a frock as a child. She doesn't own a lot of knitted stuff. She also generally does not wear scarves. For other reasons I'd like to stay away from socks.

I do think she'd wear a nice cardigan, maybe the everyday cardigan, but I'm hesitant to make something like that from long-distance for fit reasons, and I doubt I could manage completion by Mothers Day.

So, Dear Readers, what do you think? Do you have any suggestions for projects or specific patterns that might fit the bill?

Posted by jess at April 12, 2005 9:21 AM

Comments

maybe Clapotis? it's got the chic French thing going on, plus it's not your regular boring knitting, and it's versatile--wear it with jeans, pair it with your Coach loafers, wrap it around your shoulders on a crisp summer night... possibilities!!!

of course, i'm suggesting this as I wear *my* Clapotis... I knit mine in supermerino, but I bet it would be fabulous in a nylon/rayon/etc blend. Or, money allowing, the silk/wool called for in the pattern. Oo-la-la!!!

Posted by: heather at April 12, 2005 9:45 AM

Have you thought about things that aren't wearable? There's a nice yoga bag and tea cozy in Last-Minute Knitted Gifts. There are also some really nice pillowcases in Weekend Knitting. Those are all small projects that should be doable between now and then.

Plus, there are lots of good pillows/chunky-yarn afghans in Hand Knits for the Home.

Last suggestion: there's a nice eye-cover satchet thing from Interweave Knits. The pattern is free on their site. You knit the eye cover and fill it with dried lavender for a nice relaxation deal; you're supposed to put it over your eyes while you're resting or napping. That might be nice in a gift basket if you throw in other relaxation things, like bubble bath, candles, massage-bar soap, etc.

Hope some of these suggestions are useful!

Posted by: Esther at April 12, 2005 10:27 AM

I think that many of the patterns on the Chicknits web site would look great with a pair of loafers and some khaki capris, and so would a plain front version of the nothin' but a t-shirt pattern in this month's magknits.

Good Luck!

Posted by: Sarah at April 12, 2005 11:18 AM

What about Sitcom Chic (in the spring '03 Knitty)? Total prepster (in a cute way), plus with the 3/4 sleeves you could totally get it done by mother's day.

Posted by: Ashley at April 12, 2005 12:01 PM

What about a bath set or a small floor rug? Or perhaps a table/dresser runner? And I am sure anyone would love to receive one of your water bottle covers! You could do a theme - like Comfort. And include a water bottle cover, a knitted bath luffa, or loofah (I found a trillion different ways to spell that) and some bubble bath and a candle everything she would need for a nice bath. Or felted monogrammed coasters for an outside table? With matching placemats?

Posted by: Kari at April 12, 2005 12:09 PM

I'll second that - there's a new free pattern on the Interweave site for a bath mitt, then there are the flower facecloths from Weekend Knitting (and last Spring's Interweave, I think.) There's also a pattern out there somewhere for a bath scrunchy-type thingy. Toss in a basket with some handmade soaps, perhaps?

Posted by: mindy at April 12, 2005 12:39 PM

I have a friend whose mom has similar tastes and lives in MD where it doesn't get too chilly, so I'm used to this question.

*Felted oven mitt [nice one in Felted Knits]
*small beaded [zippered?] cosmetic bag - use a small gauge and pretty beads
*Or a cosmetic bag bag made from Berrocco suede
*reverse-bloom washcloth [Weekend Knitting] with soap and other nice bath goodies
*Soliel from Knitty is pretty and shouldn't require exact fitting.

Hopefully, you have the sort of mother that will love whatever you make. If not, or you're not enjoying the process, flowers are always nice. : )

Posted by: Margot at April 12, 2005 1:53 PM

the pillowcase edging thingys in Weekend Knitting are so pretty. i did it modified to go on a topsheet too and it was lovely.

fall 04 interweave knits has a plain merino tshirt that would be pretty easy to modify for a diff. yarn and i bet would be easy to size too.

Posted by: Lena Parsons at April 12, 2005 2:21 PM

These are great ideas--I need a quick knit for my mom, too. My mom loves knitted dishcloths and washcloths.

Posted by: Lisa at April 12, 2005 2:46 PM

How about an iPod Sleeve?

Posted by: cassie at April 12, 2005 5:14 PM

Hi, Jessica. I found your site through crafster and I love it! What about a vest? I know it doesn't sound too fantastic, but there was a nice one in the winter issue of VK. You could substitute cotton yarn and it would be a cool and quick knit. Along those lines, there is also the Cable 8 top from Spring IK that is pretty speedy, too.

Posted by: Rebekah at April 12, 2005 7:34 PM

could anything be more preppy than a boatneck pullover - maybe in a blue and white strip - "I say - perfect for yachting, isn't it muffy!?!?"

Posted by: michellenyc at April 12, 2005 8:21 PM

so many great suggestions!

my mom will love whatever i make, which is nice. still, i want to make sure she not only loves but also uses.

a vest has real possibilities in the mom department. fewer sizing issues, etc., and perfectly in line with her preptasticness. i bed she'd love that cable 8 top. does anyone know how long that takes to do as far as cables go?

i also think she'd like a cosmetic bag, and that would certainly be quick. maybe the one in stitch 'n' bitch nation, even.

and there are lots of other good ideas to choose from. i may have to post them as an entry on the main blog, as a kind of public service announcement. thanks everyone, keep 'em coming!

Posted by: jess at April 12, 2005 9:35 PM

Thumbs up for the vest idea. I love the Boogie vest on Knitty. It has a nice big front cable and looks quick to knit. It would be great in cotton for summer with capris and that crisp white linen shirt under it. And just know that ANYTHING you make will be loved by your mom.

http://knitty.com/ISSUEspring04/PATTboogie.html

Posted by: Sara at April 12, 2005 9:57 PM

I second the Clapotis idea - I think it has great prepster potential. Or what do you think about Via Diagonale from the new Knitty? You could do it in fun preppy colors, like pink and green or such.

Posted by: Ann at April 13, 2005 9:27 AM

this infringes on your no-scarves suggestion, but i'm making my borderline preppy mom the maple leaves scarf (from HeartStrings) for mother's day. it's a pretty simple (and classic) lace pattern that goes quickly after a couple of repeats. plus you can adapt it for just about any yarn ... probably something more subdued than what's shown in the pattern photo!
good luck!

Posted by: heather at April 13, 2005 10:24 AM

Hi, I went through the same thing with my Mother-in-law (she doesn't dig the 'handmade' look)...so I decided to make her a throw like the one in Yarn Girls Guide to Simple Knits...you just take a bunch of different yarn and knit a row of each (and it's knit with the longest part on the needles...so you only knit 40 long rows)--great way to use some of my stash and still be classy (i'm doing her's all in black!)

Posted by: tara at April 13, 2005 8:26 PM

Jess,
I definitely think Margot is on the right track for your mom with the cosmetic bag (you know she'd eat it up!) and Esther's suggestion of the eye-cover sachet thing sounds wonderful as well. That way you could give your mom multiple hand crafted gifts that she will love to use over and over again.

Sorry that I'm not offering any original ideas, only my better-than-the-average-bear familiarity with your mother to help narrow the field of oh so eligible contenders.

I also thank you figandplum readers for some wonderful ideas that I have gleaned for my own mum.

Happy knitting!

Posted by: scarrie grunion at April 17, 2005 10:57 PM

Posted by: cash advance at July 8, 2005 12:01 PM

I have no clue what the symbols mean and i need to knit a yoga bag for my aunt i am an expert at knitting but i cant read the symbols. Can someone email to me what all the symbols mean i am only 13 and im addicted to knitting. I am l known as Flower Child at school because people see me sitting in my garden(i planted it)on a rock knitting, and humming a toon, or reading. (I am not like other girls). please someone, email me and tell me what the symbols mean.

Posted by: Elizabeth at March 8, 2006 4:59 PM

my email by the way is jackandmordicia@hotmail.com

Posted by: Elizabeth at March 8, 2006 5:00 PM