The Knitter's Year: 52 Make-in-a-Week Projects-Quick Gifts and Seasonal Knits

by Debbie Bliss

Knitters seeking instant gratification will quickly be able to view the results of their handiwork with these projects from one of the foremost creators of hand knits. Designed to be made in less than a week at a time—or in some cases as little as an afternoon or a couple of evenings—these items are ideal for small amounts of yarn left over from previous projects. The fun-to-make, quick-to-finish, portable designs are organized by the season of the year.  From springtime fingerless gloves and a floral corsage to a summery string bag and a lacy scarf, and including a back-to-school iPod cover, a simple beret, and ideas for Christmas gifts and tree decorations, knitters will find ideas to occupy themselves throughout the year.

Genres: Knitting, Nonfiction, Crafts, Christmas

160 pages, Hardcover

First published July 20, 2010

Reviews

[Gale Penton]

Good information and patterns. Good knitting reference.

[Ligaya]

I love Debbie Bliss knitting patterns and yarn. The patterns are well designed and written and the yarn is beautiful, but expensive but finding yarn substitutions is easy. That said, I found this collection to be boring. Nothing at all jumped out at me to flag with a post-it note, nothing sent me immediately to a photocopier to copy a pattern to start up! Most are small projects with pattern instructions of two pages or less. Nice photography with a relaxing, neutral (again, boring) overall palette. This would be great for a newer knitter, but not for me.

[Michelle]

A few cute and quick knits but lots that you can find on Ravelry for free already or seem less than useful (loose-knit garden gloves out of cotton with no fingers are not something that I look for when I'm seeking to purchase a new pair).

[Christine]

This book is well-organized and the patterns clear. However, after I got it home I realized that there is nothing that I want to make. And it's more a showcase Debbie Bliss brand yarn book, than a pattern book.

[Marina]

Not for me. I liked 3-4 of these projects, and the level was way too hard for me as a beginner with little or no explanations. Maybe good if you're familiar with knitting terms and like knitted interior details.

[Caitlin]

It was interesting that most of these projects are home goods. Unfortunately, most of them just weren't for me. I did really like the door stop though. Also, the clothing was all strange in its sizing (Who only makes socks that fit a woman's 6-8???).

[Alexandria]

It's a cute idea and well done, I just wasn't interested in most of the patterns provided by the book.

[Tilden]

Some nice patterns but her color pallet is boring, mostly whites and beiges.

[Abbey]

Annother nice pattern book from Debbie Bliss, filled with "interesting" small projects, presented well, in a beautifully produced book. The items shown are all cutesy "making a sweet home" sorts of things, and thus not all that interesting to me. But if you're into crafting lots of nice little things to have around your house, then this is a wonderful book.

Arranged in one of my favorite methods for knitting pattern books (seasonal), the patterns offered include:

SPRING:
basket, lace pillow, flowerpot covers, floral corsage, washcloth, bunny egg cozies, bead necklace, bookmarks, bow belt, sewing needle case, baby cardigan, lace shelf edging, gardener's gloves

SUMMER:
clothespin bag, chair cushion, string bag, baby sandals, pencil case, lacy scarf, votive candle holder covers, lavender bags, striped baby hat, striped pillow, clothes hanger, beach bag, flags

FALL:
leftover yarns knitting bag, cabled socks, potholder, pompom handwarmers, cabled seed stitch beret, teapot cozy, mug cozy, door draft stopper, striped gloves, pumpkin pincushion, gadget covers, slippers, cabled bag

WINTER:
chunky scarf, tartan pillow, Christmas napkin rings, bootie trio, pompom garland, doorstop, noel letters, hot-water bottle cover, Christmas tree decorations, Christmas stocking, lace-edged pillow, collared scarf, Christmas baby hat

[Lee Lee]

The Knitters Year, 52 Simple seasonal Knits - Debbie Bliss

In 2023 - I made 2 projects from this book and found them fairly easy to do.

In 2024 - Re-read this one and I can’t recommend it enough! I have added another 23 projects to my to-do list as I have progressed I have learnt enough skills to make more items and this book is a great reference for all kinds of things.

A lot of the other projects which I am not ready for yet contain cabling in some way or another. I haven’t even attempted cables yet! - Although, my New Year’s resolution is to learn to use different types of needles and therefore it’s appropriate to add cable needles to my list.

In 2025 - Re-read AGAIN. I’m glad I read this one again today as I have progressed even further with my knitting skills, I haven’t made any more projects from it yet, but I have added more to my list to make. My list of want to makes from this book just went from 23 to 35 in about an hour. If only I could make them as fast. lol (edit: made a double moss stitch washcloth, June 2025)

Overall I love this book so much and I recommend it highly. 😍

[Cristy Emmnm]

This is a 3.5-4 book depending on your knitting needs. It's got a great variety of projects and I love that it's broken down into seasons. I guess my singular complaint is that there's a lot of for kids wearables but not very many for adults wearables. That said, it's got great accessories and DIY decorations (I currently have a pompom garland up as my "falling snow" for the winter time that we don't really get in South Florida). This is one book that - after I return to the library - I will consider buying and permanently owning. Good for reference.

[Rachel Smalter Hall]

Sometimes Debbie Bliss leans slightly too "Martha Stewart" for my personal tastes, but I really liked nearly all of the patterns in this book. They seemed really modern, cute, and tasteful to me, and the seasonal arrangement is really nice.

The only thing that bummed me out was the incorporation of too much sewing -- fabric bag linings, contrasting pillow fabric, etc. I knit because I don't like to sew :-)

[Linda]

Interesting idea and apparently Debbie Bliss is a British yarn designer and knitting artist. She makes it clear that all the projects should only use her brand of yarn. So that makes me a little less likely to try them since I'm thinking the yarn isn't in my budget.

Some cute items and some that are just for fill, I really can't see a use for a hot water bottle cover and bunny egg covers but it's a way to pass a year.

[Carole Thompson]

The Knitter's Year has some projects to knit for all experience levels. There are 52 make-in-a-week projects by Debbie Bliss, well known knitter and knit designer. She has divided her projects by the 4 seasons. Now that I reading back through this book, there are projects I would like to knit such as the washcloth/dishcloth, the striped pillow, the leftover yarns knitting bag, a potholder, and the chunky scarf. Happy knitting!!

[Kristine]

this is a pretty book on thick paper. the pattern ideas weren't for me, not much that stood out in a style i would enjoy. there is a snazzy cabled bag, but it's giant! but it is pretty. as silly as it sounds, the construction of the floral corsage was interesting because of the picot turning row in the center.

[Rachel]

So many projects, so little time! Great inspiration for knitting into 2012. I bought this book for the scarf pattern on the cover but am excited for a number of the patterns inside. However, unlike Debbie Bliss, knitting is not my job so I will take the "Make-in-a-week" note lightly. Some of the smaller projects that use "scrap" yarn may make up for that though.

[Tonileg]

52 different knitting patterns for gifts and little household decorations.
I'm not going to make most of these items so that is why I gave it only a 2 star rating, but lots of the ideas are good for the pile of left over yarn bits and pieces that are floating around my craft corner.
158 pages and hardcover squarish format book
2 stars

[Kristy]

This book had about 50 projects I wouldn't make, and two that looked interesting. One being a baby hat. Then I realized I was in no position for anymore new projects. I like her line of yarn, and maybe someday I'll come back to this book and attempt a few of her projects.

[Laurie]

There were some pretty things in here. I made a copy of the pattern for the votive candle holder covers, I think I could actually make those! Most of the other stuff seemed too difficult for my skill level.

[Judi]

Enough variety to make any knitter happy, this has more than 52 patterns for a variety of knits including clothing, gifts and Christmas ornaments. Debbie Bliss puts the emphasis on stitches and pattern.

[Dionne]

Fairly good quick knitting projects. I actually knitted several of them and have a few bookmarked for future reference. Yes they knit up quickly and I will use some as gifts. I must be a slow knitter because the ones I knit took me longer than a week to complete.

[Cassidy]

Lots of small gift ideas. Simple instructions with accompanying pictures.

[Jan]

Lot's of really cute projects, not likely I could make any of them in a week but I'm going to give the gardener's gloves a try.

[Mary]

the white pillow, the Christmas tree ornaments, noel, the mug cozy, the striped pillow, lacy scarf

[Kathleen]

Some very cute ideas - most would take me longer than a week to complete... but I am a slowpoke. Will be making some Christmas gifts from here this year.

[Sarah]

There are some really cute projects. Seed stitch never looked so good.

[Heaether]

well i am a beginner knitter and these projects are a bit advanced for me...evidence of this is that i couldn't read any of the project instructions and make sense of them. cute idea though!

[Carolyn McBride]

Meh.
It's okay, but just not my cup of tea...or yarn...you know what I mean...

[Gabriella]

I liked that there is a pattern for knitted beads, since I've seen so many for crochet, but the patterns in this book didn't do anything for me beyond that.

[Mckinley]

Like the idea of a project a week to learn and improve knitting while completing a pattern. Variety; nothing I want to make.