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.

When I first saw Orofino, a cute summer top from Berroco, I thought it was crocheted. Something about those shifting blocks of eyelets made me think of crochet but on closer inspection it is knit, so let’s take a closer look.

This project alternates blocks of simple eyelet lace and garter stitch to make a boxy tee with a bit of air flow and a lot of texture.

The project is worked from the bottom up mostly in rounds (which does mean a fair bit of purling to do that garter stitch in the round, but the effect is worth it). When you divide for the armholes, the back and front are worked separately and flat to the end of the project.

That leaves you a little seam at the top of the shoulder, and there’s a tiny bit of finishing (literally picking up stitches, purling a round and binding off) at the neckline and armholes.

It calls for a worsted weight cotton yarn, but this would also be nice worked in linen or a blend.

The pattern includes both written and charted instructions, but the key on the charts is a little confusing in how it describes working flat versus in the round, so you can always double check with the written instructions if you need help.

There are six sizes available, ranging from a finished bust circumference of 38 to 71.5 inches, or 95 to 179 cm. It’s meant to be worn with 6 to 12 inches (or 15 to 30 cm) of positive ease.

It is rated as an intermediate knitting project, but if you have a little experience with lace knitting and potentially reading a chart if you want to use them, it shouldn’t be difficult for you.

The pattern is available to download for free on the Berroco website. You can also learn more about it on Ravelry.

[Photo: Berroco]

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