Super Sweet Christmas Ornaments to Knit

I know it always feels like the clock is ticking by the time we hit December, and most of us have that moment where we think, “Right, no more new projects, I’m done, the needles are going away.” But trust me, this adorable ornament pattern set from Amy Gaines is exactly the sort of quick, heart-warming knit that sneaks into your holiday lineup without adding stress. In fact, it might even bring back a bit of the joy we tend to lose somewhere between wrapping the umpteenth present and hunting for the good scissors.

These sweet little characters — a cheerful snowman, a nostalgic snow globe, the cutest wide-eyed mouse, a cosy forest owl, and a classic Christmas pudding — are all worked in worsted weight yarn, which means two things: they knit up fast, and you probably already have everything you need in your stash. At just 3 to 4 inches tall, each one is the perfect “one cuppa tea and a sitcom episode” project. They’re the kind of small, satisfying makes that remind you why you love knitting in the first place.

What I really love about Amy Gaines’ style is the personality she packs into such tiny stitches. A few little shaping details, a clever colour change, and suddenly you’ve got an ornament with real character — the sort of thing your kids or grandkids pluck off the tree and claim as theirs. They also make brilliant last-minute gifts. Tie one onto a bottle of wine, tuck one into a teacher’s gift, or hang a handful on a festive branch display. Instant charm, handmade warmth, and no frantic late-night crafting required.

If your holiday decor needs a little extra handmade magic, or you’re simply craving a bite-sized knitting project between bigger commitments, these ornaments are a lovely way to keep your needles busy without overcommitting. Sometimes the smallest projects end up being the most memorable.

That’s a good thing, because you’ll probably want to stitch all of them once you get your hands on these patterns from Ravelry.

[Photo: Amy Gaines]

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Fall will be here before we know it, and that means there are holidays coming right behind where we might be entertaining at home. It’s always fun to have a hand knit touch in your home for other people to see, and if you’re going to be in the kitchen all day you might as well have some nice knit dish cloths to use.

I love this little plaid hand towel from Darling Jadore. Use a little bit of leftover cotton yarn from another project for the plaid portion. It looks like the horizontal stripes are worked as you knit and the vertical stripes are done with duplicate stitch, making this a quick and easy project even newer knitters can make.

Combine garter stitch and an easy eyelet pattern worked sideways to make the Annette Dish Towel from Cluck Cluck Boots, which is meant to be reminiscent of flour sack towels. It calls for DK weight yarn and you can work it in one color or two (or even three!).

Add a little more texture with this set of kitchen towels from Whileberry Creative. They’re mostly worked in garter stitch with borders in easy knit/purl patterns, and you can work them in sport or worsted weight yarn.

Two of Wands Shop has another cute allover knit and purl pattern they call the Seersucker Textured Tea Towel. It’s an easy repeating pattern worked in worsted weight yarn, and there’s a chart in the pattern you can use, but don’t have to, if you want to practice knitting from a chart.

The Classic Cloth dish towel from Handmade Home by Connie is another one that can use a little leftover yarn in a contrasting color, or you could color block it our use stripes throughout the pattern. This one uses worsted weight yarn and another easy repeating knit purl stitch pattern.

If you like to hang your towel on the oven handle or elsewhere but it’s always falling off, try the Stay Put kitchen towel from Fancy Step Knits. This project is worked in garter stitch and includes a hole partway through so you can pull the towel through itself over a rod or handle. Stripes are optional but a nice addition.

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