Loom Knitting: Make a Gift Sleeve
Last time I showed you the wonderfully easy to do flat knit stitch on your knitting loom and now I’ll show you how to use that stitch to make a gift sleeve. What is a gift sleeve? Well, it’s pretty much a gift bag, but not just any gift bag! This one is perfect for when you wish to present a bottle of wine in an unusual way.
Gift sleeve ready for a bottle of fine libations
Know what’s even better about this type of gift bag? Well, I’ll tell you. No matter what color yarn you use, it’ll be green. That is to say, it is earth-friendly and can be re-used over and over again, and not just for wine. You could also stuff these nifty loom knitted sleeves full of dog treats for your puppy, a baby blanket for the new mommy, candy and goodies for anyone, toys for tots, a loom knitted neck warmer for a friend, a loom knitted hat for a sibling or garden tools, seeds and garden gloves for your favorite gardener–Ahem, that would be me, of course!
I have a proviso for you. To make the bottom of this bag, you’ll need to know your basic crochet stitches. YIKES! If you don’t know how to make a chain, single, double and/or slip stitches, well, we’ll work around that problem. No worries!
So, let’s make a gift sleeve, shall we?
All you need:
knitting loom with 24 pegs
hooking tool
crochet hook *
worsted weight yarn
Instructions:
Making the sleeve:
1. Do an E-wrap cast on.
2. Work in the flat knit stitch until desired length. I made this gift sleeve a bit longer than the bottle so I could make a cuff over the neck. **
Measure the bottle for a perfect fit
3. Cast off, clip yarn leaving a tail about 8-10 inches long.
Making the bottom***:
Bottle bottom doesn't have to be crocheted
4. With crochet hook chain 4.
Yep, I made mine too long
This one has a drawstring top
I suggest you make several gift sleeves to keep on hand just for that special occasion which pops up unannounced. Use yarn in festive colors to match the different holidays, too. What fun!
*I used crochet hook size G, but you can use any size you have on hand.
** If making a gift sleeve for a wine bottle, measure the bottle’s height. That should be the length for the project.
*** For those of you who fear the crochet hook, do not despair. There is an alternative method for creating a bottom and boy, is it simple! Instead of binding off the regular way, use your wide eyed needle, thread it onto the yarn tail you left and pick up each loop until all of them are off the loom and threaded onto the yarn. Now, pull the yarn tightly until they gather into a small hole. Tie it off, weave in the yarn end and there is the easy to do bottom. It won’t lie as flat as the crocheted disk does, but it still works. of course, that means the bottom will be the top and the top will be the bottom, but really, that should not be a problem.
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Glory Lennon learned needle crafts like sewing, knitting and crocheting from her mother who used to spend countless hours making intricate doilies, clothing items and heirloom quality bedspreads. Visit Glory’s Garden on Craft Tuesday and see what she’s up to in the craft room.
