Patterns, projects and techniques
This lovely, super bulky hat evokes feelings of fall and harvest time.
The Fields of Gold Beanie is an adult sized hat with wheat motifs worked in stranded colorwork. You can work the wheat in gold or light brown, or work the hat in a darker color and the wheat in white if you like.
You can get the pattern from Crafts by Sarah Liz on Etsy.
[Photo: Crafts by Sarah Liz.]
One of the fun things about the holidays is that you can make all sorts of decorations that make the season just that much more cozy. I love the idea of a knit tree skirt (we only have a tiny tree but I’m thinking of knitting one for it this year) that you can make in holiday colors, in winter white or using whatever colors you like to decorate your tree with. There are options for all skill levels, so let’s take a look at a few that caught my eye.
The Under the Tree Skirt from CJ Design Blog is a great one for a beginner who is comfortable with increasing stitches. It’s worked flat in bulky yarn, and while it’s shown in a single color it would be easy to add stripes after each increase round if you want.
Another nice one for newer knitters would be this one from KSKnits48. I think it uses super bulky yarn as it calls for size 19 US knitting needles, and it comes in two sizes so you can use it for small or larger Christmas trees.
This little round skirt from Pacific Pepper is 13 inches across, but if you use bulkier yarn you could make it bigger (or add a round of increases or two). As shown it’s worked in three colors using worsted weight yarn.
If you like a lot of color in your holiday decor or want to get in one more stash busting project before the end of the year, try the Merry & Bright tree skirt from YellowBlueDesign by Olya Mikesh on Ravelry. This one uses worsted weight yarn and is shown worked in six colors, but you could always add more as you run out of yarn or if you want to make it even scrappier. It’s also worked in the round with a steek for the opening, so it’s a great way to practice steeking in a lower-pressure way than on a sweater.
Tree skirts are typically circular but it’s fun to throw in some different shapes, too. The Rockin around the Christmas Tree Skirt from Jennifer Bayley | KnittedDayDreams is a pentagon, with some cables and twisted stitches to add even more interest. It uses aran/worsted weight yarn and you can find the pattern on Ravelry.
Or how about a star shape? Jo Em’s star shaped tree skirt is a free pattern on Ravelry, and it’s meant to be used with a small tree. The designer has a two foot tall pink tree, so of course this skirt is pink, but you can use whatever color you like to go with your decor.
Looking for something super fancy? Why not add a Celtic cable to your tree skirt with this knitting pattern from Knitting in the Park. This pattern is designed for artificial trees as it covers up the stand as well as the floor. It includes a pattern for knitting flat and in the round, and you can make it bigger by making the stockinette stitch section longer if you need to.
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