Deck the Halls 2009

I started these last January (I see I had 8 small ones then) but clearly didn’t make a ton of progress this year – now I only have 11!  Still, they do look nice – and I will certainly make more.  I should cut a deal with myself to make a ball as soon as I finish each pair of socks – that would help my numbers!  Pattern: Deck the Balls by Kalamazoo Knits – leftover sock yarn of various types

And, I whipped up a couple of those Kristin Nicholas ornaments I linked to the other day.  The crochet was fun – I might do more of these sometime!

Pattern: Snowflake Ornaments by Kristin Nicholas Designs

More ornaments (Kristin Nicholas-style)

Now we’re getting serious.  Kristin Nicholas has posted a free ornament pattern on her blog – there is a crochet version and a knit version:

This reminds me that I still haven’t gotten around to making Kristin’s 2008 ornaments, which I liked very much:

The 2008 version is felted.  Looks like the 2009 version is just knitted (or crocheted) and then glued to cardstock to make it stiffer.

Boy 1 is home sick today with a fever.  I wonder if I could convince him to try some embroidery on an ornament if I knit the base part?

In case YOU get the fever (Christmas ornament fever, that is!), here is more to take off the edge (just previous posts, all collected in one place):

• http://tt820.blogspot.com/2009/11/more-knitted-christmas-ornaments.html
• http://tt820.blogspot.com/2008/12/christmas-ornaments.html
• http://tt820.blogspot.com/2008/12/ornaments-again.html
• http://tt820.blogspot.com/2009/01/deck-balls.html
• http://tt820.blogspot.com/2008/09/only-107-days-until-christmas.html

More knitted Christmas ornaments!

Ahhh, ‘tis the season to begin knitting Christmas ornaments again.  I got such a good start last winter knitting those Christmas balls (Deck the Balls pattern from Kalamazoo Knits).My plan was to work on these throughout the year so that I would have a big basket full by Christmas 2009.  So far my basket only has 11 balls in it, but that’s a start, eh?

The appearance of this year’s Minutia patterns (free from Berroco) reminds me that it’s time to accelerate the Christmas knitting.

There are some cute ones here!

Previous posts about Christmas ornament knitting:

• http://tt820.blogspot.com/2008/12/christmas-ornaments.html
• http://tt820.blogspot.com/2008/12/ornaments-again.html
• http://tt820.blogspot.com/2009/01/deck-balls.html

Deck the Balls

Deck the Balls
Originally uploaded by JLW in PA

My first batch of Christmas balls for 2009. These are so fun to make and addictive like potato chips - you can't make just one! I'm about ready to start trying the textured pattern by KalamazooKnits (which I received for Christmas).

Ornaments again

I gave my sister and brother-in-law gift certificates this year, and I wanted to add something handmade to the gift. Quick, stocking hat ornaments to the rescue! I used yarn left over from my dad's wine cozy ("wine koozie," he calls it, being from Texas) and they turned out pretty cute. I wrote up the pattern in Ravelry notes last year, if you're interested.
I've still been thinking about those Christmas ball ornaments knit with leftover sock yarn, designed by kalamazooknits. I figure that now is the time to obtain the balls, as they aren't available year round. After perusing the Ravelry project notes, I decided that I wanted plastic balls (aka "shatterproof" or "nonbreakable") rather than glass balls. The first few places I looked, I couldn't find anything but glass. So I put a couple of friends on the hunt, too, and ended up with a LOT of balls (I bought some myself, too) - 75 balls, to be exact! These ought to keep me knitting ornaments for many months. I envision these as perfect gifts for teachers, coworkers, and hosts/hostesses.
I took both of the above photos in my house with no special lighting AND NO FLASH. I used this nifty little portable tripod that my mom got me for Christmas. I didn't even ask her for it, but it was something I was thinking about getting. How fortuitous! I can't believe how well it works, even with my inexpensive point-and-shoot camera. I'll post about the felted bag tomorrow. I finished the knitting last Sunday and felted it straightaway. It turned out almost exactly like I wanted it to - except for the strap. I guess because it's so skinny (11 stitches wide), it didn't behave like my swatches did. It's too long. I'm still musing on whether I can continue felting it without touching the rest of the bag (they're already sewn together). If you have any insight about this, please speak up. I want to fix this before Christmas, if possible!

The sewing of the lining will probably happen after Christmas, though.

'Tis the season

'Tis the season
Originally uploaded by JLW in PA

We spent some time this weekend decorating for the holidays. I love our hearth!

• The stockings hung by the chimney with care were knit by Kristina last year. Gorgeous!
• Those are the lower branches of our Christmas tree on the hearth. They conveniently hide the lamp cords, which normally lie behind some leaning picture frames.
• We took down the leaning artwork for Christmas and hung this cool paper snowflake that Boy 1 made at afterschool (pattern here). Doesn't it look nice against the red wall?
• I think the Ladybug spinning wheel looks pretty good there, too.

This hearth makes me smile.

I have quite a few fiber-related Christmas tree ornaments, too. Last year my mom gave me some clear glass balls, and I stuffed them with yarn scraps from current projects. They look nice, and they can be switched out anytime!

Christmas Ornaments

'Tis the season ... to knit! It may be too late to embark on large knitted gifts, but you can work up these ornaments in much less time. Perhaps you'll even bust some stash, too.

Lately I've run across several ornament patterns that are irresistible (in addition to the 12 tiny sweaters by Berroco Minutia '08 - you've already heard me blather about them).

Yesterday I developed a minor obsession with knitted Christmas ornaments designed by KalamazooKnits. I ran across one pattern at The Loopy Ewe site but found more in Ravelry and the designer's etsy site. There are four in all, three of which are basically fancy ball cozies:

1. Basic knitted ball, perfect for using leftover bits of sock yarn. Pattern includes instructions for 4 ball sizes. Pictured in A in the collage above.


2. Lacy balls. 4 lacy patterns to cover a standard Christmas ball. Pictured in B in the collage above.


3. Textured balls. 4 textured patterns that would look great in solid or semi-solid yarn. Pictured in C in the collage above.


4. Holiday lights ornament. This ornament does not go over a ball. It is knit and stuffed with polyfill. Looks just like the old, big, classic tree lights from your childhood (if you're my age!). Pictured in E in the collage above.

Then today I ran across a pattern by Little Cotton Rabbits for a knitted teddy bear ornament (pictured in F in the collage above). Normally a teddy bear would not float my boat, but this one is so cleverly constructed that it intrigues me. I might have to try one. See what blogger So Much Yarn, So Little Time has to say about knitting this project.

Little Cotton Rabbits has another pattern for knitted mini Christmas stocking ornaments, and these are adorable (pictured in D in the collage above). There are lots of examples to peruse in Ravelry, as well.

Still not enough?

• Here is a large directory of Christmas patterns.


• Teeny tiny stocking ornament


• Little stocking hats


• Mini mittens


• Christmas sweater by brooklyntweed

Has there been knitting?

Sweater Ornament
Originally uploaded by JLW in PA

I've been quiet for a while... Yes, there has been knitting, but not too much. I've been fighting a low-to-medium grade sinus infection for about 6 weeks and haven't had much energy for complicated knitting. After 2 rounds of oral antibiotics and some antibiotic shots, though, I think I'm back on the mend.

Look, I finished a sweater! Okay, it's only a tiny sweater that is 4" tall, but it's a sweater. This is a Christmas tree ornament intended for my mother. I used pattern #3 in the (free) Berroco Minutia '08 patterns. I still need to decide how to hang this. Maybe I will make a small i-cord loop and put an ornament hook on it. I used Julia yarn on this, left over from the Habitat hat. This yarn is luscious.

Who else is knitting Berroco Minutia ornaments? Brenda is. Frenchette is. And some Ravelers are. Why not whip one out today?

I've also been working on some felting projects, with mixed results. I knit and felted a wine bottle cozy for a Christmas gift, but I wasn't happy with the colors I used (all from stash, bright felted fish colors). They don't really suit my dad. So I ordered more yarn!

I knit and felted a couple of swatches for Sharon's Christmas bag but am still not happy with the outcome. More on that later. I finally ordered yarn for it because I didn't want to wait too long. I may have overordered, but any extra can go back into the felting stash.

And more exciting... I won a contest over on The Knitting Scholar blog! Check it out. A copy of Teach Yourself Visually: Knitting Design will be coming to live with me. This book contains lots of standard patterns and I think it will be a good starting place to customize garments to my own yarn and recipient. Thanks, Knitting Scholar!

Only 107 days until Christmas...

Are you planning any holiday knitting this year? Last Christmas, I knit these little stocking hat ornaments for some coworkers. The yarn was left over from the Tulip baby cardigan (what a great pattern).

I don't currently have any major Christmas knitting plans, but these sweater ornaments from Berroco are mighty cute. There are 12 different sweaters, each more adorable than the one before. Free patterns! Download!