An Array of Knit Christmas Ornaments

I was sure this was going to be the year I was going to knit a bunch of Christmas ornaments. And I guess it still could be, but at the time of this writing I’ve only done one, a cute little snowman with a knit scarf.

But one of the things that’s fun about knitting your own Christmas ornaments is that most of them are really fast projects, so we all still have time to make some. They’re also great to use as gifts, or to decorate gift bags, or make a garland to hang somewhere that isn’t a tree. Go wild!

One of my favorite kinds of knit Christmas ornaments (though really I like them all) is the genre of knit balls. They’re so fun because you can make the same basic pattern look a bunch of different ways. I did this last year with knitting machine balls, but if you want to hand knit some check out this pattern from Bizzy Bee Patterns that includes a reindeer, snowman, bird, Santa and Christmas pudding design. They use DK weight yarn and would be a great way to use up some leftovers.

You can also use a simple textured stitch to make really lovely Christmas balls, like in this pattern from Gnomes All the Way. These use worsted weight yarn and simple stitch patterns to make really pretty knit Christmas ornaments perfect for the most traditional tree.

Another favored genre of knit ornaments is clothing, and Chatty Cathy Knitting has a great set of mini sweater Christmas tree ornaments with duplicate stitch charts to add designs to the fronts of the sweaters (you can also draw your own). These call for fingering weight yarn and just use a tiny bit so they’re a great stash buster.

Stockings are sort of clothing-adjacent, and this set of mini stocking ornaments from Warm And KnittedS also gives you options for colorwork and finishing. They can use any yarn you want but it sounds like the originals were made with sock yarn.

And if you want to add extra woodland cuteness to your tree, check out Amy Gaines’ winter animals amigurumi pattern set. This pattern includes a rabbit, deer, bear, fox and mouse, and each of them also has a little garter stitch scarf. So cute! They call for worsted weight yarn.

If your family is the sort to do a turkey trot for Thanksgiving, or even just to take family pictures, you’ll want to get started knitting up some Turkey Sack Hats with this pattern from Underground Crafter.

The pattern uses super bulky yarn and is rated easy. It’s knit flat but there are a few skills in here around the shaping of the eyes, which includes changing colors, working bobbles and doing a wicked purl 3 together decrease. Twice.

But that’s all in one row, and the rest of it is pretty simple. The beak is worked separately and sewn on, and the side of the hat is stitched up to make it into a hat.

What’s great about this one is that it comes in 10 sizes, ranging from newborn to adult large, so you really can make one for everyone in the family. And because it uses super bulky yarn you can knit a bunch pretty quickly if that’s a thing you’d like to do.

It’s also fun because you could use this base pattern to make different animals or for different holidays. Make it all in orange and stitch on a jack o’lantern face for Halloween, or make a white one that’s a snowman, for example.

In any style this would also be a fun gag gift for that person in your life who has everything or doesn’t want gifts, or if you do a secret Santa or white elephant gift exchange at work or elsewhere.

And make sure whether you’re making it a turkey or some other character that you include the pom poms at the top! They’re just so cure and a great way to add a bit more color to the project, and they’re easy to make. (See also: ways to make a pompom with yarn.)

You can grab the free pattern at the Underground Crafter website.

[Photo: Underground Crafter]

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