Cable Knit Throw

A few months ago you may remember I got some bargain priced yarn (post here), I was unsure what I would end up making with it, but decided on the throw. However when I read the throw pattern on the back of the label, you had to knit several separate strips of cables then sew them together. I had a look through some of the other patterns on the Knitwise Website and found this pattern.

It took me about a month to finish because I had a few other things I was working on at the same time. The pattern was actually really simple and it was quick to work up although towards the end it was quite heavy to whilst knitting.

Some of my progress photos:

The way the pattern describes adding the tassels is not clear and doesn't turn out quite like the picture so I made it up a little. I found it really hard to make them all hang at the same length, especially because the edge doesn't sit completely straight.

Once I had finished I decided I wasn't completely happy with the uneven tassels, so I took them off and added a few rows of garter stitch to match the long edged border, then reattached the tassels and trimmed them all to an equal length.

Although it was a time consuming fix, I am so much happier with the way it looks now. It is so snuggly and warm, now all I have to do now is wait for winter so I can use it as a blanket!

Christmas Decorations

As it's that special time of year, I wanted to make a collection of small Christmassy decorations to make as gifts. There are so many out there but I chose my favourites and now want to share with you the results:

Santa Hat

 I loved this idea of making a little wooly hat for your bottles, but being Christmas, I had to use white and red to make it a santa hat! It's a bit 'fiddly' to make because it's such a small size to knit in the round, but it's pretty straight forward.

Find the pattern here.

I decreased the stitches a lot quicker than the pattern suggests because I wanted it to look more Santa-ry.

Snowman

This cute little crochet snowman was pretty easy to make and the pattern was simple to follow.

I added a tiny pom-pom on the top of the snowmans hat and sewed on his eyes rather than using beads.

Find the pattern here.

Rudolph

I wasn't sure how well this one would turn out as I have never tried amigurumi before, and although it isn't perfect, I am pretty please with the results!

Find the pattern here.

The only alteration I made was sewing the eyes on rather than using beads.

Jandal

Ok so a Jandal isn't traditionally Christmas related, but it is definitely part of a Kiwi Christmas, so it made my list!

Find the pattern here.

The pattern suggests putting a keyring on the loop, but I left it open so it can be hung on the tree.

Stocking

I found a Christmas Wreath design which had present boxes, stockings and santas on, so I decided to knit just the stockings. I used a cute red/hot pink with a shiny thread running through it. I found the instructions a little confusing, but it turned out generally ok!

Pattern found here.

The only change I made was to add a loop to hang the stocking on the tree.

Owl

This one isn't really Christmas related, and wasn't a part of the above set, but it is my personal favourite! You can chose whatever colour you want. It was a really simple pattern to follow and came together really quick.

Pattern found here.

The only thing I changed was using buttons instead of beads for the eyes. I also did the entire back piece in dark brown.

Crochet Wrap

A little while a go I posted about untwisting a sequinned skein of yarn, you may have noticed in the photo that there was a picture of a crochet wrap on the label:

The pattern was really simple and used a series of squares created using triple crochet, this meant it could be done while sitting in front of the TV. To finish the piece you have to attach a buckle of some kind, and I found this beautiful clasp that looks like a bow.

I liked how quickly this piece came together, and the sparkly sequins are so Christmassy. I made this with someone special in mind, so have given it as a festive present.

Find this on my Ralvery Project page.

Yarn Wreath

Ok so this isn't exactly knitting or crochet, but it is crafty and Christmassy! I was inspired by this pin on Pintrest, unfortunately it just links to an image, so I have no idea where it came from or who made it. Anyway, I decided to create my own. 

It was quite simple to do, but very time consuming; I got a few packs of styrofoam balls, fixed them in a circle using toothpicks and a glue gun, then covered them with yarn. To finish I slipped in a cheap pair of needles; I didn't glue these in place just incase I ever want to use them.

In hindsight it would have been a lot easier to cover them before securing them in a circle. The time consuming part is wrapping the yarn around enough times to cover the white underneath.

I really love the simple arrangement and neutral colours, and I will keep this up all year round as 'craft room decor'. However, if you did want to make more festive looking wreath, or a more layered look, here are a few other home made yarn wreaths I found online for inspiration: