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I need ideas for a knitted gift for my mother for her cruise vacation in 3 months time!!?

I have been a knitter for years but have only recently "picked up my pins" again so to speak. Having done several large projects in the last couple of months ranging from beginner to intermediate/advanced, I've got the confidence now to try something as a REAL gift! My mother is going away on her 2nd cruise in July. She'll be doing a tour around the Greek islands for 1 week, then staying in a hotel for a further week before returning home. (Just to give you an idea of temperature/location!) I was going to make her a shrug/bolero for Mothers day (March in the UK) but it turned out a little less than adequate for a wearable garment! Hence me waiting til now to try something else for her. I have recently taken a huge liking to Cat Bhordi's mobius knitting designs and was thinking of making a wrap/shawl/capelet to cover her shoulders in the evenings on the cruise liner. But apart from that one idea, I'm at a total loss!! She is in her mid forties and in an understated way, quite glamourous. During the day she's a very "linen trousers and pretty tops" kinda person, and also loves to dress up in the evenings. I'm a member of Ravelry so have lots of pattern ideas to hand, but I think this may be a case of having TOO MUCH to choose from. Any ideas would be greatly appreciated!!

Public Comments

1. There are many ideas, but it all depends on your skill level. Since the bolero wasn't quite to your liking, I would suggest a wrap or shawl. Those warm countries do get cool in the evenings, or even a sea breeze can be chilly. Something that she can wrap around her shoulders would be the perfect gift, and can be used in many ways. Knit something in a rectangular shape. Use a nice wool, or wool/silk blend, or even a blend with alpaca or cashmere. Do not use acrylic or any synthetics since they are not really warm like wool. Wool also can absorb a lot of moisture and still does not feel wet. Choose a nice colour, but avoid variegated as much as you can, since they can look quite messy when knit up. A solid, or something with very slight differences in colour may be acceptable. A plain basic colour would be easier to coordinate with whatever she is wearing. Choose a simple knit pattern, such as garter or rib pattern so it lays flat. A moss stitch is simple to do, or basket-weave so you get the same number of knit and purl stitches in a row. It lays flat (won't curl) and looks good on both sides (you need to remember that the back side is visible too). If you are confident in doing the mobius, that is a fun thing to do. Again, choose a simple pattern since both sides are visible. Try a few to be sure the size is correct, as you can't do much in the way of adjustments once you start the knitting. And then you can also try your hand at some lace, but that does require a few practice pieces to get going on it. After this, the options are endless!
2. as hairbender says, a simple shawl would be great for her cruise! they don't have to be exact like a shrug or sweater thing would! Any neutral color would go with most of her evening clothes. I would pick a white kid mohair myself for this. It is amazingly warm even when lacy. I have sold several to girls for their weddings in cooler weather: cast on 250 on jumbo needles, the kind used for broomstick crochet. do garter for about 10 rows for the rolled edge and nice bottom border. change to stockinette: Then decrease at each edge until you have about 50 stitches left on the needles. do a couple of rows of garter. bind off and finish in any loose ends. this hits just about waist length in the back and the ends are long enough for simple tie if needed in front.
3. I would say something like a bathing suit skirt. Those are cute and knitting something like that may be simple or complex depending. I would recommend using a larger needle and make a larger design for it. I'm not sure her style but you could make it to her liking.
4. The Greek islands are supposed to be wonderful places for shopping. Why not a nice linen shopping bag, similar to a string bag for her to carry with her. A nice lace shawl (no, lace isn't hard, it just takes patience and concentration) would be nice. You could find Elizabeth Zimmerman's Pi R Square shawl that sits on her shoulders and doesn't slide off a good choice for that, since you can work it in almost any grist yarn. A DK or worsted wool or alpaca would be elegant and work up fairly quickly.
5. I did that same cruise three years ago, also in July. It was hot as the hinges of Hades with the exception that on the boat, there was a wind blowing that kept things at a tolerable temperature. Warmth will likely *not* be an issue--and I should mention that I'm *from* an area rated either "Mediterranean" or "humid subtropical," depending on the terminology used, and I'm used to heat. Dehydration was more of an issue with us than being chilly, which we were not. What kinds of knitted goodies would have come in handy? Let's see: 1. Shopping bags. Every where we went, there were opportunities to assist the local economy, and most places had opportunities for owning nice crafts. I bought a lot of jewelry, most of which the seller boxed, so lightweight small-mesh shopping bags would be appropriate, even for other things such as tablecloths, terra cotta plates, and so on. 2. A mobius scarf to keep hair in place would have been *awesome*. 3. A small handbag for room key and lipstick would be nice for evening. 4. Socks. Cushiony ankle socks made of a nice sock wool would also have been awesome (although the two young Asian-heritage women on our tour went up mountains wearing flip-flops, most tourists wear trainers or plimsoles or hiking boots). 5. Water bottle caddy that attaches to a belt or to the daypack. We each carried 2 one-liter bottles or one big (2-liter?) bottle of water every time we left the boat or went on tour on the mainland. 6. While I didn't partake of the swimming pool on the boat, many people did. If your mom will, cover-ups are nice for getting back and forth. Hope this list gave you some ideas, and wish your mom bon voyage for me. I'd go back to Greece in a heartbeat, if I had the opportunity.
6. What a wonderful daughter you are!!. I would adore a lacy swimsuit cover-up for lounging around the pool. You know a short one with a face framing hoodie. Way cool! Good luck.