So, it’s getting late and you’ve decided to go with a gift card for that last minute gift. Great idea! Want to personalize it? No problem, Resourceful Knitter – just break out the worsted scraps and button tin. In just about an hour, you’ve got a knit gift card holder!
Materials
Small Amount Worsted Weight Yarn
Size US 6 (4 mm) needles
Button
Darning Needle
Crochet Hook
Abbreviations:
C4L: Put 1 stitch on cable needle and hold to front. Knit next 3 stitches. Knit stitch on cable needle
C4R: Put 3 stitches on cable needle and hold to back. Knit next stitch. Knit 3 stitches on cable needle
Instructions:
Cast On 15 stitches using long tail cast on
Knit 3 rows
Begin Pattern:
Row 1: K2, P1, K9, P1, K2
Row 2: K3, P9, K3
Row 3: K2, P1, C4L, K1, C4R, P1, K2
Row 4: K3, P9, K3
Row 5: K2, P1, K9, P1, K2
Row 6: K3, P9, K3
Repeat Rows 3 through 6, 11 more times
Repeat Rows 3 and 4
Knit 3 rows.
Cast off knitwise.
Finishing:
Seam together at sides with wrong sides together.
Make Loop Closure: At middle back, attach yarn by pulling a loop from inside to outside, leaving free end of yarn inside. Chain 8. Attach to center back with a slip stitch. Tie free ends together in a knot at inside inner edge. Weave in ends.
Sew button to center of front garter stitch band.
Download Gift Card-igans PDF Pattern
© Copyright 2011 Simply Notable
Check out our newest Christmas Tree GIFT CARD-igan pattern for a variation on the cable pattern!
Click here for more free knitting patterns.
Those are so cute! And they almost look big enough to be used for an iPod touch cozy after the gift card is extracted… very clever 🙂
Thank you Triona. They’re actually a bit short to work as an ipod touch cozy, but if you knit them a couple of inches longer, it looks like they’d work quite well! Appreciate your kind comment. 🙂
I wanted to do this pattern a little bigger and I am having a hard time figuring out the correct count of stitches for the cable part. I wanted to do it with 25 stitches. Could you help me with this. Thanks and I love the pattern.
Hi Chastity, That cable is just worked over the middle nine stitches. There are cables that are worked over more stitches that you could substitute. You can find these in many stitch dictionaries. Or, I suppose you could just purl the extra stitches on each side of the cable pattern to make the entire thing larger. Happy Knitting! 🙂
Adorable! What a great intro to cables too! I can’t believe I’m looking forward to giving a gift card now! 😀
Absolutely Tonya. The lobster claw cable is an easy one since you’re working with only 4 stitches. Happy Holidays to you! 🙂
oh, how clever!
Thanks Melissa! 🙂
Your website is gorgeous! I can’t believe I am just discovering it. Bless you for posting such a terrific pattern! I love the cozies. I will be knitting several of these this week as teacher gifts (I know…last minute). This is just what I needed!
Oh my gosh, Thank you Myra for the wonderful compliment! So glad to have you reading along, and pleased that the Gift Card covers work for you too. I’m still knitting them myself, so you’re in good company. 🙂
Thank you for this! My nephew and nieces are at the stage where they are iffy about hand-knits, but they all have iDevices of one sort or another …. They’ll be very happy with gift cards and the card holder will add a little personality to what is usually a fairly impersonal gift.
That’s what made me come up with the pattern, Janis. Gift cards always seem so blah to me, even though I know they’re really appreciated. So, I don’t know if I want to package them up in fun ways more for myself or the recipient – but either way, it makes me happy! Glad you’re enjoying the pattern – and thanks so much for saying so!
how sweet! these look just the right size to carry a driver license and a bit of cash. an ipod holder would be a nice “after” use gift as well.
thanks for the pattern
You bet, Tree! I love the ipod idea. You’d probably just have to knit it about 2 inches longer to make that work. Fun all the diverse ideas people have come up with for these simple little card holders. Knitters are such creative people! 🙂
Man, I wish y’all had posted this last week.. then my folks would have gotten cute cadi-gans instead of a simple envelope. Oh well, there is always birthdays… lol. They are super cute though – I love them.
I REALLY love these… Came across your blob on Pinterest and SO glad I did! Is there any chance that you’d have a crochet version of these? 🙂
Thanks Leslie! No crochet version just yet, but I’ll see if I can’t come up with something when I have some time. 🙂 (I like to crochet too!)
These are really cute! I know they’re nothing to do with tea but we might have to feature them sometime in the future!
Ooh, I think they could have something to do with tea! You could make a tea bag wallet… to play on your own screen name, a tea (bag) cosy. I have a little fabric tea wallet that I use when traveling; you wouldn’t believe how handy it is!
I’m sure mom would love this! She’s been away at a nursing conference for a little over a week but I’m betting she’ll contact you when she returns home. 😉
Hi Genius Knitter/Designer ~ Had To Leave You a Quicky Note To Tell You How Much I Adore these Little Card Wallets!!! Usually for a Small Item I Want..I Just Whip Up My Own Pattern (like a”Wrist Roving Cuff”)but These Are Just ADORABLE!!! And Not to Forget All the Cute Ideas All Your Commenting Knitters Left..iPod iPhone Covers..Teacher or BDaY Gifts..The List Goes On :))) Many Congrats for being SO Clever!!! This Is 1 Pattern I’m Sure I’ll Use Repeatedly!!! HuGGs In Knitting,Tara
Thanks Tara! Hugs back at ya. 🙂
Love them!!! On my to do list.
Great pattern! Thanks so much for sharing it. 🙂
Absolutely! Enjoy Tamara!
I just found this site and it is amazing! I wanted to share an idea I had after seeing this. If you put an eyelet row up the outsides and weave it shut – rather than sewing – it may be just the right size to use as a coffee cozy after the gift card has been used up. Just remove the ribbon used to weave the cozy into a card shape and close it with the button loop around your coffee cup/mug etc. (Sorry, I’m always trying to think up multiple uses for things, I’m just that way!)
Cute idea, Nattie! Let us know if you try it and we’ll feature your idea on the blog. Really glad to have you reading along. Very clever! 🙂
I found these a while ago on Pinterest and since the holidays are fast approaching, I plan on making some. Just wanted to let you know that I blogged about them.
Thanks for sharing the pattern!
Sorry, I didn’t know how to add the trackback feature on your blog!
Thanks so much for featuring our pattern, Diana! Hope you enjoy. Happy Holidays! <3
I love your desings, Thanks a lot for sharring
Best regards from Spain
Susana
Thank you Susana! I just left from a visit to your beautiful country. 🙂 You are so welcome. Thanks for your kind words!
Am I allowed to make these and sell them?
Hi Katie,
You can find information for selling handmade items made out of our patterns on our free pattern page here: https://www.simplynotable.com/our-free-patterns/
We get daily emails asking if we sell items made from our free patterns. In the near future we hope to add a page of stores that do make items from our patterns. If you think you might be interested in being included in that page, send me your store URL.
Thanks for asking!
Carli
great pattern and a great way of using up small amounts of wool, I shall be knitting a few of these in between larger projects. Thanks for sharing this pattern. x
You’re so welcome, Margaret! Glad you’re enjoying it. 🙂
I was just wondering if there is a crochet version of this. I love how it looks but I don’t know how to knit.
Hi Lindsey, we haven’t put out a crocheted version but if there is one available, I’m betting you’d probably find it on Ravelry.com
Good luck!
-Carli
As we say here, many tanked ewes (picture ewes having too much eggnog) for sharing this lovely pattern with those of us who are a bit knittingly challenged, but try anyway! (My mother and now my daughter were/are beautiful knitters. It must skip generations in my family, so, alas, I raise the sheep and spin the wool for family projects. But I get a lot of good “Sheep Therapy” instead!)
Have a wonder-filled Holiday Season!
I’m having some trouble with this pattern I was wondering if maybe you could help real quick. I’m attempting to adjust it to fit a smaller cell phone and adding the cast on rows to be 20 from 15, I’m hoping this adjustment is enough and it its not I will have to rip out try at 25 make the adjustments and go from there. I’m thinking I made the adjustments wrong though as the knitting is not looking like the pictures shown. This is what I have adjusted to:
cast on 20
knit 3 rows
start pattern:
1. k4 p1 k10 p1 k4
2. k5 p10 k5
3. k4 p1 c4l k2 c4r p1 k4
4. k5 p10 k5
5. k4 p1 k10 p1 k4
6. k 5 p10 k5
follow rest of pattern
Why are you sometimes doing k4 and sometimes k5 on the edges? Also I think it is best with an uneven number of cast on stitches. But I could be wrong…. Maybe someone else might post in reply and give some more expert advice. I am just a beginner.
It does have an uneven number of cast on stitches, Raghnall. The pattern calls for a cast on of 15 stitches. The edges call for K2 or K3, not K4 or 5. These stitches create the edging on either side of the cables.
I just linked here from Pinterest. These are absolutely adorable!! I would love to use them for Christmas gifts. Sadly, I don’t knit. But I do crochet! Would you happen to have a similar pattern to crochet??
Love this pattern, but I have made a slight adjustment for the closure row. I join the yarn at the right hand side (right side facing) then slip stitch to the centre back, make the 8 chain loop in the centre stitch, then slip stich to the end. I find it more secure and easier to weave the ends in. 🙂
Sounds good, Tracey. I’ll have to give that a try. Thanks for sharing!
Thank you for the pattern they are adorable!!!
You’re so welcome, Sarah! 🙂
I love this pattern! But I cannot figure out why, if I followed the pattern exactly, did it not look like the ones in the pictures? Help.
Really? What was different with yours?
The pattern going up the centre of mine is not nearly as defined as the ones in the picture. Did I do something wrong? I would post a picture but I am not sure how on this site.
I think the amount of definition in the cable depends on the yarn you use. If you use a smooth, round yarn you tend to get crisp definition – a fuzzy yarn tends to give much less definition when it comes to cables.
Oh my! These are absolutely stunningly adorable! I love the unique ribbing! I’m going to have to try this. Perhaps I’ll go a tad bigger though, so it can be used for larger items (I’m thinking maybe a Kindle sleeve would be purr-fect!). Love the colors you chose too.
This one is by far the cutest “sleeve” I’ve yet to see, and that includes the Kindle and phone ones! Very nice job designing this.
Thanks a million for being kind enough to share your pattern. That’s so nice of you! I also thought it was commendable that you allow folks to sell their finished product as long as they give SN credit. Awesome! 🙂
Thanks again and warm wishes,
Kendra
Wrapping you up in Warm Wishes too, Kendra! Thanks so much for your kind regard. There’s a new variation on the GIFT CARD-igan pattern that I’ll post tomorrow. Hope you enjoy that one too! 🙂
Is there a video for this aborable card holder …I am a video watching learner . Thank You !
Sorry Keri, we don’t have videos. I think you’ll find that it’s a very easy pattern to read and follow – there are currently over 350 successful Gift Cardigan projects on Ravelry. 🙂 Happy Knitting!
Hello,
Could I ask what is the length of these? How long and wide are they?
Did you block yours?
I wrote to you a few times but never got a response.
Thanks.
Hi Rita! These are the size of a giftcard – about 2″ wide by 3 1/2″ tall. Gauge isn’t super important on these because knitting is stretchy. Once you put the gift card into the holder it stretches it into the perfect shape without any blocking. Sorry I couldn’t see your questions on our facebook page on my mobile device because I’ve been out of town enjoying my new Grandbaby. 🙂 Hope this answers your questions!
I made a cardigan out of some yarn I spun from merino wool/silk. It was adorable and showed off the yarn well. It was such a hit to my sister (the recipient). Thank you so much for this pattern!
My yarn was much finer but I just added a few more plain stitches on each side comparing to the gift card until I got the width correctly. I’ve never knitted this type of cable before and your directions were easy to follow.
Thank you so much for sharing this pattern. It was wonderful to give my sister a gift she could really use but to still be able to put my heart and soul into it too.
Yay Mary! so glad to hear that you and your sister enjoyed the pattern. Small items like these are so perfect for our precious handspun! Happy Knitting! <3
I’m a beginner knitter. Your pattern is so cute and your directions clear! Thank you! Mine, however, does not look like yours – yours looks like the cable pattern is much closer to the top. Am I doing something wrong?
Hi Sheila, can you describe the problem a little bit more? I’m not sure what you mean by the cable pattern being closer to the top. You can also send us a picture at carli@fluffymail.com
Thank you,
-Carli