Red and White Knitted Ornaments for Christmas
Last Updated on December 1, 2017 by lydiaf1963
I have a red and white theme going on for the holidays this year and I’m excited to share these knitted patterns with you, plus a few more projects in the coming weeks. All of the projects are free to download from the generous community at Ravelry. None of these projects are out of reach for the beginning or intermediate knitter, although some of the techniques may be unfamiliar. Small projects like these are great for learning something new as there’s no big commitment to time or materials. Plus they help use up the little bits of yarn leftover from other projects. (Is it just me? I seem to have a lot of yarn I don’t remember buying…)
This cute little star from DROPS Design is knit in two pieces, then crocheted together and stuffed. Each point is worked separately and shaped using simple increases and decreases. When you open the pattern you’ll find a video at the bottom to help explain the instructions. There’s no sound to the video so have the pattern nearby when you watch it and it will make sense.
The next two patterns are ornament covers which means you more or less make a lacy pouch, slip the ornament into the opening and cinch it tight around the top. This is the link for the top ornament cover. And this link is for the one below.
I’ve only scratched the surface of the knitted ornaments available on Ravelry. By far the majority of them are free to download. I have plans to work on the next set of ornaments this week. (Just to be clear, the photos below are not mine, but were uploaded to Ravelry by the designers.)
These Fair Isle balls from Paton’s Yarnspirations are knit in the round and stuffed before closing up. Don’t let the charts intimidate you! They look like a map because they’re trying to show a pattern in the round. Look for the pattern repeat and if necessary rewrite the charts so you can follow them. After a little practice you’ll find reading a chart is often easier than following a written pattern.
Mini santa hats will get you used to working with fine yarns on small needles (good practice for sock knitting). Not only would they be cute on the tree, but they’d also make great decorations for gifts or maybe even hanging from your purse. If you come across a pack of Christmas-y bonbons (similar to these from Lion Brand Yarn) you could make a garland. Fun, huh?
I love these knitted hearts from Linmary Knits. There’s a Fair Isle heart and a striped one, with two different ways to finish them, crocheted or stitched. There’s also a cabled heart that can be seen on the pattern page. It will be worth revisiting the pattern for Valentine’s Day. Like the Santa Hats, these hearts are candidates for gift tags and garlands and can be made is any color you like.
If you knit or crochet and don’t belong to Ravelry you should check it out. It’s an amazing resource. There are so many patterns your head will spin. Not all of them are free, of course, but if one catches your eye it’s easy enough to buy it right then and there. Many of the top designers, bloggers and yarn companies post their designs and hold Knit and Crochet Alongs. There’s a message board and discussion groups about yarns and various techniques and you can see what others are working on. A search on Christmas returned over 350 pages of projects of all kinds, all sortable.
Hmmm…I might use up my stash after all…
This post is part of a blogging challenge hosted by the Creative Craft Bloggers Group.
Be sure to drop by and visit the other projects that have been created this month…
Ann from Al Things Beautiful shares a gorgeous DIY inspired by holiday motifs.
Janet of Try It – Like It – Create It shows how to make these pretty origami gift boxes.
Two Dishing Divas have a Rustic DIY that looks fab! You probably already have everything you need.
