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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Over the years I have shared a lot of pumpkin knitting patterns, and I’ve knit and crocheted a lot of pumpkins myself. But it feels like there are always more fun things to try with knit pumpkins, so this year I wanted to look a little more beyond basic stockinette or ribbed pumpkins and share some pumpkin patterns with cables, bobbles and colorwork.

In the cable collection we’ve got these cute little basic cable and ribbed pumpkins from Elly Bear Knits. There are two sizes that make a wide, flat pumpkin and a taller round pumpkin. Both are worked in the round as a tube that’s cinched top and bottom when you’re done, and they use bulky weight yarn.

Another cute cable pumpkin knitting pattern comes from Gray Bear Akswokrat. This one is knit flat and it looks like a chunky yarn but you could use other weights to make pumpkins of different sizes. This one also has an I-cord stem and uses yarn to cinch up the sections of the pumpkin, giving it a more natural look.

Add some bobbles to your pumpkins with this design from Autumn Shelter Makes. Also worked in the round in a tube, it features a repeating pattern of bobbles and uses yarn wrapped around the outside to make segments. This one looks like worsted weight yarn to me.

Of course there’s nothing that says your pumpkin has to be a single color, so let’s throw in some colorwork. I love the look of the Cozy Fall Pumpkin knitting pattern from South Stitch Girls. The little leather loop adds a rustic touch but you could also just add a stick. These pumpkins have five colorwork options and are worked in worsted weight yarn in the round.

There’s also the Autumn Fair Isle Trio pumpkins pattern from Equestriann Style, which has three different sizes of pumpkins with four colorwork designs. They are worked in super bulky yarn in the round and look good with high contrast or more muted color combinations.

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