Knitting

Free Patterns, Tutorials and Project Ideas

Get Ready for Holiday Knitting with This Fun Book

by

25 knitted accessories book

Patricia is the winner.

I know, if you’re doing any serious holiday knitting you probably should have started already (I’m starting to feel a bit of a panic and I’m only planning to knit a couple of things), but if you’d like to knit gifts for just a few people, there’s still time to plan it out and get started.

25 Knitted Accessories to Wear and Share is a collection from Interweave that includes previously published projects for hats, scarves, shawls, socks, bags, mitts and more. These project are pretty, mostly pretty small, and very giftable. (Check out all the projects on Ravelry.)

One lucky winner is going to get this book to kickstart or reinforce their gift knitting for any season. If you want it to be you, leave a comment on this post before the end of the day Sunday, Oct. 29.

I’d love to know if you have a plan for holiday knitting yet and if you’ve started on yours. I always knit something for the girl’s teachers, and I have a plan to make some mitts or something for a few co-workers.

Thanks for visiting, commenting and sharing, and good luck!

 

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Looking for more amazing shawl patterns? Check out these Knitting patterns we found on Etsy.

Comments

  1. I’ve already started on my gift knitting. Hats and finger-less mitts for my friends at knit n natter.

  3. I do not have any projects in line this year due to the stress from last minute knitting last year!! However, our knitting group is looking for a group project and this book looks like it would help us find a great one!

  4. One of our darling grand daughters wants a sweater, but before I start on that I have a bunch of fingerless mittes to knit. So, last night I began knitting leg warmers for a friend’s daughter. I have start itis. I would like very much to win as I need some new ideas.

  6. I would love to win this book! I see several items on the cover that I would like to make. Of course this year, as is always the case with me, I’ve gotten fired up to make gifts for friends, but it is too late to make everything I want to. I’ll just have to start with one item and see how far I can get. There are always birthdays…

  7. I don’t have any big plans for holiday knitting this year, but I love some of the projects in this book. Thanks for this great giveaway!!

  8. It’s always nice to have a lot of small project on hand for when you need an extra gift

  9. I don’t have any knitting plans for this year. I just finished a baby afghan so there is not enough time now. This book has some awesome designs in it and would be great to win. Thank you for the chance.

  10. Definitely started but already feeling behind. Last year I was on a plane trying to hurry and finish a project before meeting clan. Flight attendant teased me that they’d circle a bit to give me time to finish.

  11. I find myself with insufficient time to attempt knitting gifts for anyone this year. Still, I wouldn’t want anyone to feel neglected. Therefor I am enacting Plan NoKnits4U2017. I will spend the next several weeks carefully arranging arguments and fights which will effectively distance me from friends or relatives who might otherwise expect me to knit for them.

    Now, this may seem like it would reduce the number of gifts I myself receive. Worry not, dear reader. Nothing they would have given me will match the sweater I’m knitting for myself.

    And of course, the 25 Knitted Accessories to Wear and Share I will be knitting, for my inconsolably lonely self, when I win this book. Thanks for the giveaway!

  13. I really don’t have any gift projects started this year, I would love some inspiration to start!

  14. I have not started but I need to start – this book would be perfect to get me started. I would like to make a pair of mitts and at least slippers for a few people on my list! tks

  15. I’ve started! I’m knitting hats in bulky or chunky weight so I’m sure that will be finished quickly.

  16. oh, what a wonderful looking book! Yes, knitted a couple hats already. Want to get some fingerless gloves completed, too. Maybe chunky, maybe sport weight – undecided. Thanks for the opportunity to participate.

Have you read?

10 Knitted Christmas Bauble Patterns for a Tree Full of Handmade Charm

There’s always room for one more Christmas decoration, especially when it uses yarn you already own. That’s my reasoning, anyway. Those little leftover balls that aren’t quite enough for a hat suddenly look much more promising when you start thinking about knitted baubles.

I love the idea of adding a few handmade ornaments to the tree each year. They don’t all have to match, either. A traditional colourwork ball beside a slightly cheeky Christmas pudding feels far more interesting than a tree where everything arrived in the same box.

These knitted Christmas bauble patterns include flat-knit designs, festive characters and detailed colourwork ornaments. Most are free, with a paid collection included for anyone who wants plenty of designs to work through. Some suit newer knitters; others are small projects for practising skills you already know.

Christmas Baubles Knitted Flat

The free Christmas Baubles—Knit Flat pattern from Tat’sgrans Treasures is worth a look if knitting tiny rounds doesn’t appeal. It includes three sizes and charted words such as Peace, Hope, Love and Joy, worked using intarsia. The flat construction is approachable, although the lettering adds a challenge beyond basic stocking stitch. I’d choose this for meaningful gift ornaments, particularly when one of those words suits the person receiving it.

Christmas Pudding Bauble

The free Christmas Pudding Bauble by Amanda Berry has all the appeal of a festive pudding without anyone debating whether they actually like eating it. Knitted flat in DK yarn, it combines shaping, colourwork and seaming, with a little holly topper to finish. It’s best for confident beginners with some experience rather than someone learning their first knit stitch. At approximately 6 cm tall, it would make a lovely tree decoration or an extra treat tied onto a wrapped present.

Rudolf & Friends Character Baubles

The free Rudolf & Friends Ornaments by Claire Fairall bring a playful touch to a handmade Christmas tree. These character baubles are knitted flat, and the instructions include illustrations for assembly and embroidery. Hobbii lists the pattern as suitable for beginners, making it a useful option for knitters who would rather practise finishing details than stranded colourwork. The finished ornaments measure approximately 8 × 6 cm and would also look cheerful tucked into a handmade wreath.

Cute Christmas Baubles With Little Faces

The free Cute Christmas Baubles from Marianna’s Lazy Daisy Days turn small amounts of DK yarn into cheerful character decorations. Worked flat and seamed, they use simple shaping, stuffing and added facial details to create their personality. They suit knitters comfortable with knit, purl, increases and decreases who enjoy a little assembly afterwards. I rather like Marianna’s idea of using them on the Christmas dinner table before adding hanging loops for the tree.

Rudolph’s Nose Christmas Bauble

The free Rudolph’s Nose Bauble from DROPS Design is a useful choice when you want a traditional ball-shaped ornament. Designed in DROPS Flora, it uses knitting in the round with increases and decreases to create the shape. Choose this if you’re comfortable handling a small circumference and want a project focused on construction. I’d make a few in coordinating colours to bring a little consistency to an otherwise wonderfully mismatched handmade tree.

Merry Mints Bauble

The free Merry Mints Bauble from DROPS Design offers another festive option, this time designed in DROPS Cotton Merino. The instructions include working back-and-forth rows and shaping, so it’s worth considering if you prefer that approach to tiny rounds. Read through the construction before starting and pay attention to the instructions for working yarn overs to avoid unwanted holes. This would be a nice project for a knitter who enjoys seeing a shaped decoration emerge from a small piece of knitting.

Caorann Fair Isle Christmas Bauble

The free Caorann Christmas Bauble by Sarah Berry brings delicate Fair Isle detail to a small ornament. It uses fingering-weight yarn and 2.5 mm needles, with instructions sized for an approximately 60 mm bauble insert. Worked in the round, the design includes both written and charted directions for its repeated segments. I’d save this one for knitters with some colourwork experience who want to make a particularly special keepsake.

A Dated 2026 Christmas Bauble

The free 2026 Christmas Bauble by Smaatterier combines the year with two traditional Selbu rose motifs. It’s knitted in the round using stranded colourwork across the middle, with either fibre filling or a suitably sized plastic bauble inside. The charted design is listed as intermediate and finishes at approximately 6.5 cm tall. This is a lovely choice for marking a first Christmas in a new home, a family milestone or simply another year of making things by hand.

Colourful Christmas Balls From Two Strands

The free Christmas Balls by Mary Ann Stephens are full of colourwork detail, with optional touches such as duplicate stitch and nupps. The designer also discusses I-cord hanging loops, which give the ornaments a pleasingly substantial finish. These are better suited to knitters comfortable following charts and managing several colours than complete beginners. Follow the updated download directions in the post to find the patterns on the designer’s current website.

ARNE & CARLOS Christmas Ball Collection

The paid Twenty-four Christmas Balls 2024 collection by ARNE & CARLOS includes a basic ball pattern and 24 different motif charts. The ornaments are worked in the round using stranded colourwork, with a linked tutorial to help you follow the process. Although the designer lists the collection as beginner level, I’d be comfortable knitting in the round and making increases and decreases before starting. This is the pick for someone who wants a whole collection of coordinated ornaments rather than just one small project.

Choosing Yarn for Knitted Baubles

Small decorations are tempting stash projects, but check the yarn weight before diving into that leftover basket. A thicker yarn can make a much larger bauble, while changing the yarn in a fitted cover may stop it fitting the recommended insert.

For colourwork, choose shades with enough contrast for the motif to show. Two lovely colours can look surprisingly similar once they’re knitted together, especially on something this small.

Smooth yarn also makes it easier to see your stitches. Save the fluffy, sparkly and slightly mysterious leftovers for a pattern where you’re confident they’ll work.

Getting a Nicely Rounded Finish

If your pattern uses stuffing, add it gradually and spread it evenly. You’re aiming for a rounded ornament without stretching the stitches so far apart that the filling shows through. For designs worked over an insert, check the diameter and follow the instructions for when to put it inside.

Give the finishing a little time, too. A neat seam, securely woven ends and a tidy hanging loop help a small decoration feel properly finished.

I’d start with a pair for the tree and one to give away. Of course, once you’ve laid out all those yarn colours, “just three” may become a rather flexible arrangement.