What men want

There’s nothing more depressing for a knitter than seeing a lovingly made gift relegated to the back of the wardrobe. Men are notoriously difficult to buy for let alone to make for, so instead of just thrusting a squidgy festively-wrapped parcel under the tree and hoping for the best, take a look at our ideas to help you make something he’ll really love. Before you start planning your gifts, have a think about what he usually wears, what colours he likes and what his favourite things are. These are all vital leads for knitting the perfect present this Christmas.

Practical magic
While a lot of women are attracted by all things pretty, men often prefer presents with a purpose. Cold winds and winter chills mean that gloves and scarves are in great demand. With chunky yarns being a hot trend this season, you can whip up a snuggly scarf in next no time at all. It doesn’t have to be fancy, if it’s soft and warm he’ll love it. Not all people suit hats but if your other half is one of the lucky few then a simple beanie is just the thing. Tips: If you knit it in the round it won’t have any uncomfortable seams. Natural fibres trap heat better than synthetic yarns and have waterproofing abilities. Known as ‘wicking’, this has two benefits – it keeps rain out and also draws perspiration away from the skin so he won’t get too hot.

Favourite things
While a large slogan or motif may look a bit out-dated on a garment, it’s well suited to accessories, especially if he has a favourite film, computer game or TV series that you could use for inspiration. Tips: making your own chart is really straightforward, all you need is some knitters’ graph paper (available from www.theknittingsite.com) and a pencil. More technical knitters could use charting software or a spreadsheet programme – just adjust the size of the squares so they are wider than they are tall as this reflects the shape of the stitches in stocking stitch patterns. Solid shapes are easiest as they use the intarsia method for knitting blocks of colour. Lettering is simple to draw but you will have to use Fair Isle stranding techniques due to the frequent colour changes on each row. Both slogans and motifs would work well on the end of scarves, on gadget cosies or as cushion panels.

Go Go Gadgets
Whether it’s his latest laptop, mobile phone or games console, boys are very protective of their favourite gizmos. While this can prove very frustrating for most of the year, it actually makes things much easier when Christmas comes around. Cosies for all of these gadgets are both quick and easy to knit and are sure to be gratefully received. The only tricky thing is getting a chance to measure the device when he’s not looking! Simple pouches are ideal for smaller items such as iPods, digital cameras and touch phones – just knit a wide rectangle, fold it in half and sew up the sides. Larger bags with flaps and fasteners are great for computers. You don’t have to stick to plain stocking stitch either. Mario and Luigi (below), designed for LK by Lucinda Ganderton, are fabulous covers for laptops and games consoles and use a slip stitch pattern to create a great waffle-like texture. They are available for free here.

Best foot forward
Here at LK we just can’t fathom why anyone would persist in wearing holey socks, especially when there are so many great patterns and yarns intended just for the creation of fabulous footwear. Tips: if you’re knitting up a fetching pair of toe-warmers for the man in your life, then try to look for hardwearing wool/nylon blends to make them more durable. Another good tip is to change down a needle size for the heel and toe sections. This will produce a thicker, tighter and stronger fabric. Remember though, men do often have larger feet so you may want to start knitting them early!

Yarn suggestion
Schoppel-Wolle’s Zauberball comprises 75% superwash wool and 25% nylon, and has a gradiating self-striping pattern. It’s available in a selection of shades including several that would be ideal for men. It costs £9.80 per 100g (420m) ball from Brownberry Yarns, 01257 471349, www.brownberryyarns.co.uk

Crazy for colour?
In all honesty, unless he’s called Joseph, a technicoloured dreamcoat is not going to be his favourite item of clothing. But that doesn’t mean you have to stick to black, blue and brown for men’s knits. For garments and wearable accessories, colour is really important. Really dark shades can make people look too pale, but they also don’t show off stitch patterns very well either. Natural, undyed shades have very subtle variations in tone so aren’t one solid block colour. Deep reds and forest greens are lovely warming shades, while smokey greys and blues are bang on trend this winter. Don’t just discard lighter coloured yarns as being too feminine - depending on the style of the garment and the shade in question, they can still look stylish and manly when used in the right combination.

Whilst your chap might not be an expert knitter, at least he can share your passion by putting your lovingly-made gifts to use - whether he likes it or not!