Giant Christmas Mittens to stash Christmas treats

By now you’ve probably got most of your Christmas shopping out the way, but have you considered how to present your gifts? The latest addition to knitshop.co.uk’s pattern range is a Giant Christmas Mitten that can be used to hold all kinds of goodies. It’s a great alternative to a Christmas stocking and if you hang it up next to the tree it’s bound to be a fun talking point. Just use some of the leftover yarn and make an i-cord. An i-cord is basically knitted rope. There are instructions on how to make it here. 

Giant Christmas Mitten by Julieta Brandao
knitted in Merino Wool Yarn/Roving

 

The Giant Christmas Mitten is really quick to make and the stripes look great. You can make it on 12mm circular needles using Merino Wool Roving Yarn, as we’ve done here, in which case you’ll end up with a mitten 41cm tall and with 32cm wide!

To make the Giant Christmas Mitten you need either double-pointed needles or long circular needles. A 40 or 60cm circular needle is ideal. We’ve used Red Merino Wool Roving Yarn and White Merino Wool Roving Yarn, but the Giant Christmas Mitten would also look fantastic if you used the Silver Merino Wool Roving Yarn rather than the white. 

 

Giant Christmas Mitten
knitted in Red and White Merino Wool Yarn/Roving

If you don’t to make want quite such a large mitten, you could use knitshop.co.uk Thick And Easy Yarn instead. For this you’d need 8mm or 9mm circular or double-pointed needles. As well as the Red and White shades in this range, Thick And Easy Yarn comes in Forest Green, which would also look festive.

Because the pattern uses circular or double-pointed needles, most of the Giant Christmas Mitten is made using knit stitch. The pattern is easy to follow, with line by line instructions explaining where you need to make or decrease stitches and photos to show what it should look like. The thumb and fingers are grafted together at the end, but you could easily cast off the stitches and then sew up the sides using mattress stitch. 

The Giant Christmas Mitten taken out
to Chinbrook Meadows.

 

We’re sure the Giant Christmas Mitten will be a big hit this Christmas, especially if it comes filled with lots of tasty treats.

Merry Christmas from the knitshop.co.uk Team
Julieta, Marcia, Mec, Rosie, Vladimir and Felix!

Links to this blog:

Giant Christmas Mitten pattern: http://webmail.knitshop.co.uk/knitshop-pattern/2919-giant-mitten.html

knitshop.co.uk Patterns: http://www.knitshop.co.uk/161-knitshop-pattern

Merino Wool Roving Yarn: http://www.knitshop.co.uk/105-wool-roving-yarn

Thick And Easy Yarn: http://www.knitshop.co.uk/106-thick-easy-yarn

12mm circular needles (80cm): http://www.knitshop.co.uk/knitting-accessories/1899-12mm-80cm-bamboo-circulars.html

9mm circular needles (80cm): http://www.knitshop.co.uk/knitting-accessories/1894-9mm-80cm-bamboo-circulars.html

How to make i-cord: http://knitting.about.com/od/knittingskills/qt/icord.htm

How to graft edges together: http://knitting.about.com/od/knittingskills/ss/toe-grafting.htm

Knit Christmas mini stockings for your tree

Decorating the Christmas tree is a wonderful tradition. Take a look at Facebook or Twitter anytime in December and you’ll see photo after photo of friends’ Christmas trees duly trimmed. A well-decorated tree with unique elements is a point of pride for many of us.

Handmade items mark out your tree from everyone else’s – and often tells a tale in itself. The glitter-adorned cardboard angel your kids made at school; the snowflakes you made by folding a piece of paper on itself and snipping out tiny segments; the trinkets you got at the Christmas market. 

 

Christmas Mini Stockings by Julieta I. Brandao
using Susan Crawford's Coquette Vintage Cotton Yarn

 

Knitted decorations are another wonderful way to make your tree unmistakably yours. knitshop.co.uk’s Christmas Mini Stockings are a great example. The tiny stockings are quick to knit and give your tree a cosy homemade feel. They’d also look great strung up above a fireplace as bunting.

The Christmas Mini Stocking pattern contains five variations, so once you’ve got the hang of the basic pattern you can make plain and patterned versions. We’ve used yarns from knitshop.co.uk’s Coquette Vintage Cotton range for our versions. The stockings knit up on 2.75mm needles, but because they’re small they really won’t take long to make. 

 

The green stocking is version two on the pattern.

 

The pattern is knitted in the round, with some shaping for the toe and heel. However, the instructions are very clear, so you should be able to follow them even if you’ve never tried shaping using the short row technique before. 

 

Zig-Zag stocking is version four on the
Christmas Mini Stocking Pattern

 

Once you’ve made stockings with a zigzag pattern, you can challenge yourself with the Christmas tree and holly designs. The pattern includes a chart for each design as well as written instructions. 

Christmas Tree Stocking is version three and is the first to use
all three colours of Coquette: Flame, Highland and Snow.

 

You can make several stockings in each of the five designs – or lots of stockings using one or two of the designs – using one ball of each colour of Coquette Vintage Cotton Yarn. We’ve used Flame, Snow and Highland shades. There’s a 15 percent discount voucher on the downloadable pattern. Just scan this to get the discount code for your Coquette Vintage Cotton Yarn. 

 

Holly Berries Stocking, this is Julieta's favourite!
It is version five on the pattern.
It is using all three colours of Coquette: Flame, Highland and Snow

 

If you prefer, you can use knitshop.co.uk’s Sock Yarn instead. Using the Green, Bordeaux Red and Natural shades of Sock Yarn, you’ll get a more muted effect. If you use this yarn with 3.25mm needles the tension will be very similar. The designer Julieta Brandao also recommends to use knitshop.co.uk's Alpaca Fino Yarn in red, grass green and natural white using 3 - 3.25mm needles. 

And please share your photos of your finished stockings or anything else you have made using knitshop.co.uk yarns with us on our Facebook page! 

Green Stocking, Christmas Tree Stocking and Zig-Zag Stocking.

Green Stocking using Highland and Snow.

Red Stocking using Flame and Snow.

Links to this blog:

Knitted Christmas Stockings pattern: http://knitshop.co.uk/knitshop-pattern/2918-mini-stocking.html

Coquette Vintage Cotton Yarn Flame: http://knitshop.co.uk/323-coquette-vintage-cotton

Coquette Vintage Cotton Yarn Highland: http://knitshop.co.uk/coquette-vintage-cotton/2763-highland-coquette.html

Coquette Vintage Cotton Yarn Snow: http://knitshop.co.uk/coquette-vintage-cotton/2801-snow-coquette.html

Knitshop.co.uk Sock Yarn: http://knitshop.co.uk/165-socks-yarn

2.75mm double-pointed needles: http://knitshop.co.uk/275-bamboo-dpn

3.25mm double-pointed needles: http://knitshop.co.uk/knitting-accessories/1564-325mm-dp-13cm.html

Knitting the round video instructions: http://www.stitchdiva.com/tutorials/knitting/on-double-pointed-needles

Short row shaping instructions: http://www.vogueknitting.com/pattern_help/how-to/beyond_the_basics/short_row_shaping.aspx

Knitshop Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Knitshop/82318014483

December Workshops & Christmas Party

There’s no ignoring the fact that Christmas is just around the corner, so this month’s workshops focus on all things festive.

We start with Crochet a Snowflake on Friday 13 December on how to create a Christmas snowflake. The delicate crochet decorations are made using a combination of double, treble and slip stitches.

We recommend this class for anyone who knows the basics of crocheting and who is looking for a small project they can work on while learning new crochet skills. We’ll show you how to work each crochet stitch and how to read the chart needed to complete your snowflake. Once you’ve mastered how to Crochet a Snowflake, you’ll be able to make more at home and decorate your window, Christmas tree or even embellish gifts with them. They’re made using knitshop.co.uk’s 4ply Cotton Yarn or Coquette Vintage Cotton Yarn in Snow. 

Let It Snow - Snowflake crochet in Coquette Vintage Cotton
by Julieta Brandao

On Saturday 14 December we continue with Knit A Christmas Tree Decoration. Here, you’ll learn how to knit tiny two-colour Christmas stocking that you can hang on the tree, with or without a hidden chocolate-y treat.

You’ll need to know how to knit and purl, but the class will show you other techniques including knitting in the round, working with two or more colours at once and reading a pattern.

Depending on your level of experience and confidence, you can make either striped Christmas stockings or more complex stranded Fairisle ones. Of course, once you know how to make tiny Christmas stockings, you’ll be all set to explore the addictive world of sock knitting. 

Mini Stockings knitted in Coquette Vintage Cotton Yarn
colours: Snow, Flame and Highland by Julieta Brandao

Our second December workshop, also on Saturday 14 December, shows you how to knit Fairisle Christmas gifts. With Nordic Christmas patterns being all the rage at the moment, we show you how to use this impressive colourwork technique to make either a pair of wristwarmers or a small bag. Either will make lovely handmade Christmas gifts.

As with the Knit A Christmas Tree Decoration workshop, you’ll need to know how to knit and purl, but we’ll show you how to do everything else. You’ll learn how to work in colour changes in the same row in order to build up your Fairisle pattern and how to read a chart showing where the colour changes need to be made. We’ll also show you how to knit in the round so your wristwarmers are seam-free.

On Saturday 14 December we’ll be showing knitters how to make a Christmas corsage to pin on a jacket or bag. As well as knitting and purling, we’ll look at how to use continental knitting techniques to create a slightly different knitted effect. The corsage flower also involves increasing stitches within a row, so we’ll also show you how to do this. 

Christmas Tree Tea Cosy knitted in
Alpaca Fino Yarn

Everyone loves to get cosy knitwear as a Christmas gift and on Friday 20 December we’ll be showing you how to Crochet a cowl. The workshop introduces you to crocheting in the round and also explains how to give your cowl a twist by adding a Mobius loop. Using the technique we demonstrate, you’ll go on to be able to crochet wristwarmers and hats using your crochet-in-the-round skills.

If you like the idea of making a cowl but you knit rather than crochet, our final pre-Christmas workshop is for you. On Saturday 21 December in our Last-minute Christmas Gifts workshop we’ll be knitting in the round and making a cowl. We’ll show you how to knit this way if you’ve never done so before.

Once you’ve joined the round you just knit, knit, knit and your cowl will grow really quickly. If you like the technique, there’s a gorgeous next project for you to try too: our brand-new Kolibri wristwarmer pattern is also knitted in the round. 

Purple Velvet Wrist Warmer knitted in
Kolibri Wool Yarn by Julieta Brandao

All knitshop.co.uk workshops take place at our Boutique at 326 Lee High Road from 11am to 1pm. Full instructions, patterns and materials are provided, along with post-class support to help you complete your project. To book a workshop, add it to your shopping basket and then choose self-pickup at the checkout. Workshops cost £15 to attend. 

AND our CHRISTMAS PARTY with MINCED PIES and MULLED WINE on Friday 20 December from 11am onwards. 

Links to this blog:

December workshops at knitshop.co.uk: http://www.knitshop.co.uk/252-december

Crochet a Snowflake workshop, 13 December: http://www.knitshop.co.uk/workshops/2882-crochet-snowflake.html

Knit a Christmas Corsage workshop, 14 December: http://www.knitshop.co.uk/workshops/2900-christmas-corsage.html

Crochet a Cowl workshop, 20 December: http://www.knitshop.co.uk/workshops/2901-knit-a-cowl.html

Last-minute Christmas Gifts workshop, 21 December: http://www.knitshop.co.uk/workshops/2902-knit-a-cowl.html

Coquette Vintage Cotton Yarn: http://www.knitshop.co.uk/323-coquette-vintage-cotton

Coquette Vintage Cotton Yarn Snow: http://www.knitshop.co.uk/coquette-vintage-cotton/2801-snow-coquette.html

Kolibri Wristwarmers pattern: http://www.knitshop.co.uk/knitshop-pattern/2896-purple-velvet.html

Snowflake crochet pattern: http://www.knitshop.co.uk/knitshop-pattern/1972-free-pattern-let-it-snow-snowflake.html