We live at a time of heightened public awareness concerning the health of our planet. Questions concerning the very existence of life on Earth are being raised by scientists. We are told much of the problem is a result of human over-consumption and waste of our world’s resources. We have been encouraged to take note of, and shrink, the size of our carbon footprint, both as individuals and as a global society. Rather than live in fear of the predicted consequences of our frivolous, careless wastefulness, we endeavor to change Earth’s ecological trajectory, one person at a time, and one small step at a time. We recycle. We conserve. We look for ways to be less wasteful.

It is in this spirit that I wrote Hand Knitted Gift Wraps. I have created patterns for gift wraps that use left-over yarns from other projects, reclaimed yarns from old garments, and yarns we have in our stashes. Readers are encouraged to think of creative ways to wrap their gifts, to use materials on hand that would otherwise not have a use. For knitters, this means using yarn we already have—even yarns we have already used!

Who among us has cleaned up all that expensive wrapping paper after a holiday celebration and not thought about the wastefulness? Hand knitting gift wraps is an attractive option over using disposable wrapping paper. And the best part is that the gift wraps you make from the patterns in this book are not thrown away! I have designed them so that they can be repurposed as useful and attractive items once they no longer serve as gift wraps.

In Hand Knitted Gift Wraps, I have included ten unique patterns, and when you consider the multiple charts and design variations I’ve added, there are 20 possibilities for gift wraps instructed within these pages. But don’t feel constrained! Let your creative juices flow, and work your own ideas and embellishing touches to make your gift completely your own.

Paperback published in November 2015 by CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform