What about amigurumi? They knit up *so fast* and are really cute. A lot of the patterns call for sock yarn, but since if you knit in a larger yarn you basically just end up with a larger knit animal...win? Also - no swatching necessary. The only real rule of thumb is that you should knit at a slightly tighter gauge than you normally would, so that the stuffing doesn't show through.
Rebecca Danger has a ton of awesome patterns, some of which are free (I recommend "bunny nuggets").
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softies/amigurumi!
Date: 2012-08-19 05:53 pm (UTC)Rebecca Danger has a ton of awesome patterns, some of which are free (I recommend "bunny nuggets").
Owl Puffs
Chibi Totoro if you're into anime
Chu Totoro if you're into anime and colorwork
You can also just sort of knit a ball and dress it up with fun fur, eyes, etc.
ETA: bonus: great stashbuster