Gift Card Cozies: aka I feel bad that I couldn't think of something better to give you

So I had to quickly think up some gifts for some of the in-laws-to-be. We went down to visit them for Thanksgiving, and will be up with my family for Christmas this year. So we decided we would bring down everyone's Christmas gifts while we were in town.

Sister-in-law-to-be and her fiance are tough to buy for, so we got them a couple gift cards.  I felt really guilty about it, since it's not the first time and it always just feels like a cop-out.  So I decided to use some scrap yarn lying around to make something to put the card in - a gift card cozy.

Shout out to my friends at Hudson Trail Outfitters, regional chain in the DC area, and their promotional gift card rebate deal that gave me one to use for demonstration purposes!

 It's cute, takes very little time to knit up, and makes it feel less like a cop-out to give someone a gift card.  I made 2 of them on the 2 hour flight there, so definitely very quick!

I used these supplies:

Scrap yarn (doesn't need anywhere near a full skein)

3 size 6 double-pointed needles (dpns)

and a gift card on hand to check the fit.

Instructions for beginners with picture tutorials:

(Pros who read abbrevs. can read fast instructions @ bottom)

• Cast on 40 stitches using slingshot/long-tail cast on.
• Distribute stitches onto two other dpns like in these photos. Alternate left-right (my habit is to start with the first stitch on the left needle) until all the stitches are on the 2 new needles.

• Now, you have the bottom of your cozy.  With the stitches like this, you'll be able to work it in the round. Find the place where at the right side of the needle (stitches facing up like photo directly above) you have both your cast-on tail and your yarn.  Gather up both of them and use them to Knit the first row around.  It's going to be a little awkward - but starting with this cast-on it'll be awkward anyway, so we might as well get rid of the tail now!
• First row will be knit all stitches on each needle.

• Row 2: After the first row of Knit, you'll start to work in the lace pattern on the front.
• Knit 3, yarn over (before the next stitch, wrap the yarn around your needle once in the same motion as if you were going to knit a stitch), knit the next 2 stitches together.
• You'll use the yarn over-knit 2 together pattern a total of 7 times in a row, then knit the last 3 stitches.
• The back side, you'll just knit across.
•  It may look a little funny at first, but go with it.  Here's a bottom view.

•  It's a good time to also check the width of the cozy against the gift card you are using.  If it's way too small or way too big, you may need to frog what you have so far and start-over.  You can add an extra yarn-over-knit-2-tog on the front with 2 knit stitches on the back (cast-on an extra 4 stitches) or you can reduce 2 on each side from the knit portions (cast-on only 36 stitches).

• 3rd row is a straight knit all the way around
• 4th row is like the 2nd, but reversing the yarn over and the knit 2 together, so knit 3, knit next 2 together, yarn over, and repeat. Remember to add in the yarn over before the final 3 stitches, then knit the last 3.
• 5th row is a straight knit all the way around.
• You'll repeat the 2nd through 5th rows another 2 times, then do the 2nd and 3rd rows again.
• You'll see the lace pattern work up like a mesh on one side.  It'll let you still see the shiny surface of the gift card through the mesh.  
• Keep an eye on how it's knitting up and it should just about reach the top of the gift card when you've finished the instructions to this point. If you need a bit more height, add in another row 4 and 5 after the last 2 and 3 (so a full 3 repeats of the pattern).

•  Once you have the gift card almost covered, time to make a rib top and close it up. Just knit 1, then purl 1 all the way around.  It's an even number of stitches, so it'll all line up and create a handy rib that finishes the top nicely.
• Using a chain bind off, bind off top loosely.  Knit 1, purl 1, slip knit stitch over purl stitch, knit 1, slip purl stitch over knit stitch, and so on all the way around. Make a good knot with the last stitch and sew in the ends.  
• If you used wool, you may want to block it, but since it should fit snugly around the gift card, it shouldn't be very necessary.
• Slip in that gift card for your difficult-to-shop-for friend or family member, and watch for smiles.

Fast instructions for the pros:

• CO 40 stitches with long-tail
• Divide stitches alternating onto 2 new dpns
• K 1 round, taking up the tail with the yarn
• Row A: K3, [YO, k2tog]*Rep 6 times, K3, knit back
• Row B: knit around
• Row C: K3, [k2otg, YO]*Rep 6 times, K3, knit back
• Row D: knit around
• Repeat A-D twice more, repeat Rows A and B once more
• Next 5 rows: [K1, P1] around
• Cast-off loosely, maintaining K1P1 rib pattern.