knitshop.co.uk: Valentine's Day inspiration

Romance is in the air with Valentine’s Day on the horizon. Depending on which account you read, Valentine was either a priest who secretly married Christian couples against the Roman emperor Claudius’ commands or a figure for courtly love promoted in the Middle Ages, particularly by Geoffrey Chaucer.

Whatever the truth of the St Valentine’s legend, his commitment in romantic love continues to inspire couples. And what better way to show you care than with a hand-knitted gift?

knitshop.co.uk offers plenty of inspiration. We’ve got yarn and patterns to create hats, gloves and scarves that you can gift-wrap and present to your sweetheart.

Sports fanatics are sure to fall for the Football Scarf made from Thick And Easy yarn. This knits up quickly on 7 or 8mm needles. Just match the colours to that of their favourite team.

For a more delicate choice try the Mohair Silk Yarn. From just two skeins you can easily make a snug scarf. You don’t even need to use a fancy pattern as the yarn is striking enough. Use 4mm needles and simple garter stitch and knit to the desired length.

For a lighter-weight scarf, the Ladder Stitch scarf pattern is a great option. This open-stitch design is knitted using 6mm needles and uses Cotton-Linen Blend yarn. This yarn comes in eight striking variegated shades including carnation red, violet and cherry blossom.

Another pattern that uses ladder stitch is our dainty Lacet Wrist Warmer design. Knitted in the round using Mulberry Silk Merino Wool yarn and 4mm double-pointed needles.

If you’d like your beloved to hold you close to their heart, why not knit a pretty hot water bottle cover. knitshop.co.uk’s Simply Wool is an ideal yarn here and comes in a choice of 15 colours.

Alternatively, make your own roses using our free Flower Corsage pattern. A single flower would look pretty adorning a dress or jacket. An even more romantic gesture would be to knit a dozen roses and attach them to wire stems so you can present them as a bouquet. The flowers look particularly good when knitted in knitshop.co.uk Mulberry Silk yarn. This knits up on 2.5mm needles and has a luxurious sheen.

For something a bit different, why not felt a flower? Knitshop.co.uk offers complete needle felting kits as well as merino wool tops so you can felt your own designs.

Nature lovers, meanwhile, will be charmed by the thoughtfulness of a handmade Felted Butterfly – another striking accessory that will look wonderful adorning a jacket or bag. The complete kit costs just £5 and has easy-to-follow instructions.

If you’re really keen to impress, how about crocheting a box of chocolates? You’ll find the free pattern on our Ravelry page. We recommend Mercerised Cotton 4ply yarn for this fun but romantic project.

Visit knitshop.co.uk’s Lee Green boutique outlet and you’ll find even more Valentine’s Day inspiration. We’ve got patterns so you can crochet your own chocolates, as well as an extensive selection of all-natural yarns – the ideal gift with which to surprise the knitter in your life.

We also sell gift vouchers in £20 and £40 denominations.

Links to this blog:

Flower Corsage pattern: http://www.knitshop.co.uk/knitshop-pattern/2145-knitted-roses.html

Mulberry Silk Yarn: http://www.knitshop.co.uk/31-mulberry-silk-twist

2.5mm needles: http://www.knitshop.co.uk/bamboo-needles/1603-2mm-sp-bamboo5.html

Football Scarf pattern: http://www.knitshop.co.uk/knitshop-pattern/1669-world-cup-scarf.html

Thick And Easy Yarn: http://www.knitshop.co.uk/106-thick-easy-yarn

7mm bamboo needles: http://www.knitshop.co.uk/knitting-accessories/1605-bamboo-knitting-needles-7mm.html

8mm bamboo needles: http://www.knitshop.co.uk/knitting-accessories/1351-8mm-sp-bamboo.html

Mohair Silk Yarn: http://knitshop.co.uk/57-mohair-wool-yarn

All knitting and crochet accessories - http://knitshop.co.uk/knitting-accessories/1696-bamboo-knitting-needles-4mm.html

Simply Wool yarn: http://www.knitshop.co.uk/126-simply-wool-yarn