Knitting

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Giveaway: Pop Knitting

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win a copy of pop knitting

The winner is Trish!

Pop Knitting by Britt-Marie Christoffersson is not a new book (it was published in 2012), but it is one of those books that I just love and that I wouldn’t be giving away if I hadn’t been sent an extra copy (thanks, Interweave/F+W!)

This book is so much fun, chock full of colorful inspiration and a multitude of ways to add pop to your knitting.

In this case pop oven means color, but also fun textures, like those cool circles with a different color inside you see on the cover.

Flip this book open to any page and you’ll see something interesting; more often than not it will probably be something you’ll want to play with.

Some random examples: using slipped stitches and intarsia to for a welted fabric with contrast color circles, making waves of contrasting color and texture across a fabric by picking up stitches 7 rows below the working row, knitting in different directions and different colors in garter stitch to make a woven openwork fabric and playing with shortened and lengthened rows to make a hodgepodge, stash-busting fabric that looks like a work of modern art.

This is a book for a swatcher, for the adventuresome knitter who isn’t afraid to add a motif to a knitting pattern or strike out on their own to create something amazing. Or just use it as a coffee table book that, if nothing else, will inspire you to play with color and stretch your idea of what knitting can do.

If you’d like to win a copy of this one, leave a comment on this post before the end of the day Sunday, Dec. 21. Why don’t you tell me your favorite color combinations for knitting? I’m really loving gray with anything bright right now.

Thanks for visiting, commenting and sharing and good luck!

Comments

  2. I have a few knitting books in my collection, but I would love to have Pop Knitting. I’ve been knitting sweaters & vests for myself for over 20 years. I now have a 23 year old daughter who has 2 kids. So now I knit for the grannies. Maybe, I’ll be lucky and no one else will comment. (-)
    My website is not really published yet and it’s school related rather than about crafts.

  4. I also love grey with bright colors. I just finished a muffler with grey and a Christmassy Red. I am rather new to mixing colors, so this book would be most helpful!

  8. knitting a cobblestone baby vest at the moment that is cream and this gorgeous soft bluey green I just want to eat it up, so delish.

  12. I love to see pink’s and greys together, but I don’t believe they suit me. I’m usually in different greens and yellows. But I still would love to own the book.

  13. I’ve been in a teal phase for a while and have decorated for Christmas with teal, purple, and gold. Love the idea of this book. Thanks for another wonderful giveaway!!

  20. Purple’s always been my go-to, but lately it’s been orange and yellow (sometimes with purple thrown in for good measure). But it really boils down to “for whom is this being made with love?”…

  23. I think I’ve covered the full spectrum of colours through my years of knitting, but always customizing patterns, or trying different things just to see if they turn out and suit the person they are being made for…

  24. I need a new afghan for my living room. I’d love to do one in shades of burgundy and green using techniques from this book!

  25. I really love any color combo. I just try to tailor it to the person I’m giving the handmade gift too so they like navy and yellow, I use navy and yellow.

  26. I like cream, black ,pea green ,mustard, and red im just starting a modified version of Antler by Tincanknits with this color combo.! Book looks awesome !

  28. Purple and bright green are my favorite colors – I want to make a “Pop” scarf with these two colors!

  29. I
    I like working with blues and greens to represent the sky and grass or with blues and beige to represent water and sand.

  31. I love bright color combinations like purple and hot pink, turquoise and lime green and orange and pink just to name a few. I would love this book, anything different is fun for me!

  33. I am also mostly a green/blue/purple person but one colour combo I keep thinking about is dark gold or burnt orange with creamy white. Would sure love to see/have this book!

  35. I like purple and green together, especially if they are of the same intensity and brightness. A warm ochre color with a deep purple is also very nice.

  39. Blue and yellow – my current favorite combination. They look so bright and balanced together.

  41. I am knitting a sweater right now that is black and gray but has turquoise and green to contrast. It is going to be gorgeous when it is done.

  42. I love blue and brown together, red and gold, and burnt orange and navy.
    Looks like an awesome book! I’d love to try it out!

  43. I love the colors I’ve been seeing in the sky lately- that dark blue/grey steel (clouds) with scattering of the dried gold (leaves) against it! Would be fun to use the techniques in the book to try to capture the color combinations.

  46. Looks like a beautiful book – the kind you savor over and over again, trying out new techniques and color combinations, getting ideas…
    One of my favorite color combinations (for now) is any shade of aqua, from light to dark, with colors like coral, lime green, peach. I am definitely a fool for color!

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.