Four Last-Minute Finger-Knit Costumes

by Caitlin Harpin, editor and Junior Mints enthusiast

I take Halloween seriously. So seriously in fact, that if a party guest shows up without a costume, I’ll insist on providing one from my stash of goofy accessories and ordinary household items. (If you show up fashionably late, there’s a not-bad chance that you may end up being a toilet paper mummy.)

This year, I decided to get a little craftier. Finger knitting is a super-quick craft that even younger kids can do—and it takes a lot less time than traditional knitting. Here are several ideas you can throw together before you head out to your Halloween festivities.

Crafty Cat

You’ll need: one skein of black yarn, a smidge of face paint, and an extra ball of yarn to use as your cat’s toy.

Both the cat headband and the fringe scarf are step-by-step projects you can find in Finger Knitting. Make them in matching colors for a costume you can assemble in an afternoon.

Princess Leia

You’ll need: one skein of brown yarn, a white cowl-neck top or dress, two hair bands, and lots of bobby pins!

Simply finger-knit two chains of yarn, about 48 inches (122 cm) long. Part your hair down the center, and tie it into two pigtails or little buns, depending on how long your hair is. Then spiral a finger-knit chain around each pigtail or bun, securing the chain with bobby pins as needed. 

Jacques Cousteau

You’ll need: one skein of red yarn, a chambray or light blue shirt, and a French accent.

Another project from Finger Knitting, the spiral hat is a bit more ambitious. Roll up the brim and stretch the top out a bit to make a Cousteau Society-approved accessory.

Swamp Thing

You’ll need: multiple skeins of yarn in different shades of green . . . green hair is optional.

What to do with all of your leftover finger-knit chains? Drape them around you in a haphazard fashion, and you’re the creature from the Knit Lagoon. If you want to be truly terrifying you can grab green face paint from Klutz’s Face Painting book and scare just about anyone out of their stash of candy on Halloween. 

I hope these ideas inspire you to make your own craft costume this year! And remember, if all else fails, you can always be a toilet-paper mummy.

Stay Warm for Winter with Klutz Knitting

When I was younger, I used to hate getting bundled up to go outside. My parents would send me to school in a hat, scarf, mitts, and snow pants. I was safe from the chill, but feeling pretty darn uncool because the cool girls would strut around the playground unbundled, in  only a jacket and jeans. Even though they probably lived on the edge of catching pneumonia, all I saw were rosy cheeks and a streamlined silhouette, next to my snowman-like proportions.

So one day, I screwed up my courage and shed my winter wear for lunch. I was feeling pretty cool and free to move as we played around in the snow, but soon I felt a chill creeping in. I was officially over it by math class, doing multiplication with soggy jeans and wet hair.

Later that week, I paid the price even more dearly when I came down with a pretty wicked cold. Since then, I’ve stopped caring about looking cool, and I have embraced cold-weather accessories with style.

So, you can imagine my delight when I discovered that Klutz had a kit that would help me save my hard earned money by making my own winter wear. Knitting is the easiest how-to-knit kit ever and comes with everything you’ll need, from needles, yarn, and buttons to instructions for making scarves, hats, a sunglasses case, a cell phone sock, and more!

I've knit so much winter wear that I’ll never be cold again!