I think most of us have the best of intentions when we decide to knit a gift for someone. It probably usually occurs to us to do so months in advance of the gift-giving occasion, but it's a rarity to actually get the knitting done until the deadline is bearing down on us.

Speed Knitting by Kris Percival. Chronicle Books.

Thus the popularity of gift knitting books, often combined with the notion of gifts that you can knit really quickly (as in the Last-Minute Knitted Gifts books). Another book in this genre is Speed Knitting by Kris Percival. While this is not strictly a gift knitting book, or at least not exclusively, the idea behind it is that we all lack time to knit really complicated projects, but that doesn't mean we don't want to make something nice for ourselves or someone else.

The book includes 24 projects, mostly worked with bulky yarn and big needles, for everyone ranging from new babies to guys to dogs and cats. There are projects you can knit for yourself, your couch and your kids (as long as they're girls), and most of them can be completed in a weekend or two of knitting.

The patterns are pretty basic, but I think if you consider them as great backdrops for embellishment they could be turned into some really standout pieces. And even if you don't embellish, they're nice basics for yourself or to give as a gift.

The Grace Note Shawl during blocking. © Sarah E. White.

One of my favorite knitting patterns here at About.com Knitting is the Grace Note Shawl. I knit this little scarf for my mother-in-law a few years ago, and I don't know if she ever uses it, but that's almost OK because it was such a joy to knit.

This was a great combination of pattern and yarn, and having the leisure time to work on something just a little complex (a luxury I haven't had in a long time!). It's a great gift for a mom you know who needs  a little luxury, or for someone graduating with a big fancy degree -- a degree in music, maybe? -- or for any other celebration you might want to commemorate with knitting.

I said when I posted the pattern for the Child's Cotton Shrug that I had my girl in it so much I wanted to knit another one using Peaches & Creme, and I have, as you can see.

My second cotton shrug is getting a crocheted border. © Sarah E. White.

This one was worked on size 6 and 7 US knitting needles, and with the crocheted border it's going to have take most of the ball in my girl's size (which required 29 stitches at that gauge). I did the actual knitting in one day, sewed the sleeves the next and on the first wearing realized that this yarn curls a lot more than the Manos I used in the original version.

One way to combat Stockinette curl is to weigh the edge down with a border, so I pulled out my trusty copy of Nicky Epstein's Crocheting on the Edge, which includes some patterns specifically for crocheting onto knitting. I chose an edge she calls scallop, and while mine isn't coming out exactly the same as the picture, I like it and it's plenty heavy to keep that bottom edge flat.

I'm not sure I care that the top edge curls; if I have enough yarn I might throw a couple of rows of single crochet up there, too.

So, what's on your needles, or hook?

There are lots of reasons you might need to knit for a woman this spring -- birthdays, graduation, weddings and the like -- but of course one of the most popular gift-giving holidays involving women that's coming up soon is Mother's Day. If you're still casting about for a gift for a mom in your life and you'd like to knit them something special, don't worry, you've still got time for a quick and memorable gift like this Mom Tattoo Bag.

Mom Tattoo Bag. © Sarah E. White.

This is a really basic bag worked mostly in one piece in Stockinette Stitch. The heart motif is a relatively easy introduction to intarsia knitting for those who haven't tried it before; if you've used this colorwork method in the past this bag will be a breeze.

If you want to make the bag a little sturdier, you can always line it with a funky fabric and add in a zipper to make sure mom's necessities don't fall out. I mostly use mine as decoration and a plaything in my daughter's room, but it makes me smile every time I see it!