The Lindsey Newns Christmas Collection

Tension

10cm x 10cm (4in x 4in) square: 6 stitches x 6 rows, worked in dc in the round, using Knitcraft Hug it Out and a 10mm hook

Abbreviations

ch chain

blo back loop only

dc double crochet

invdec invisible decrease

inc increase (work 2 stitches in one)

ML magic loop

ss slip stitch

tc treble crochet

Special stitches

Invisible decrease: insert hook into next stitch in the front loop only, and then without yarning over, insert hook into next stitch along in front loop only (3 loops on hook). Yarn over, and pull through 2 front loops on hook (2 loops on hook). Yarn over and draw through remaining loops on hook. Invisible decrease complete.

{insert images 6-8}

Measurements

Approx 55cm (H), 115cm (Dia).

Construction

The baubles are made in the round in a continuous Amigurumi-style spiral, and not joined at the end of each round. Use a stitch marker to mark the first stitch of each round to help you keep track. The bauble cap is constructed in the same way.

Round 32: Dc blo in each stitch around. (12)

Round 33: Dc in each stitch around. (12)

Round 34-35: Repeat round 33. (12)

Stuff the top of the bauble, or inflate your beach ball to full capacity before closing the top of the bauble.

Round 36: 6 invdec in blo. Fasten off leaving a long tail and sew up any gap in the top of the bauble using a large yarn needle. Weave in any ends. (6)

Work the bauble cap:

Using a 5mm hook and Knitcraft Shiny Dancer in cobalt, create a ML

Round 1: 6dc in ML

Round 2: 2dc in each stitch around. (12)

Round 3: *1dc, inc. Repeat from * until end. (18)

Round 4: *2dc, inc. Repeat from * until end. (24)

Round 5: *3dc, inc. Repeat from * until end. (30)

Round 6: *4dc, inc. Repeat from * until end. (36)

At this stage, the bauble cap should match up with the flat top of your bauble, or be slightly larger.

Round 7: Dc blo in each stitch around. (36)

Round 8: Dc in each stitch around. (36)

Rounds 9-14: Repeat round 8. (36) Check the cap fits the bauble top.

Round 15: *Dc, skip 2dc, 5tc in one stitch, skip 2. Repeat from * 5 more times. Fasten off leaving a long tail. Place the bauble cap in the top of the bauble and sew securely on at the top and bottom points – be careful not to pull too tightly or you may distort the shape of the bauble cap.

Work the bauble wire:

Using a 5mm hook and Knitcraft Shiny Dancer, ch21 leaving a long tail at start.

Row 1: Starting in 2nd ch from hook, 20dc along chain, turn. (20)

Row 2: ch1 (does not count as a stitch), 20dc. Fasten off leaving long tail. (20)

Attach the bauble wire to the top of the bauble cap, sewing the ends very securely across the ends of rows 1-2.

Using a sheet of A3 yellow card held landscape, draw out a holly leaf from the bottom to the top of the paper. Make sure you holly leaf has a long tab or stalk on the bottom, as you will need to fold this over the garland to attach at the end. The Leaf should not be wider than A4 (or half the width of the paper).

Cut the holly leaf out. Fold it in half lengthways, then cut again and choose one half. This will form your template.

Take one sheet of A3 red card and fold in half lengthways. Repeat three more times and then unfold. Your paper should now have 7 fold lines running the length of the card.

Take 15 wooden beads and 15 white tissue paper circles.

Place a bead into the centre of a paper circle and, holding the bead and paper, gently twist the paper.

Using a length of florist's wire approx. 15cm long, wrap the tissue just underneath the bead to secure, leave a long tail of the wire to help attach to garland later on

Using the offcuts of the holly leaves, make 15 card mistletoe leaves, each around 7cm tall. Make sure each leaf has a long thin tab or 'stalk' on the end, as this will help attach to the garland later.

To make a large card Poinsettia, take an orange sheet of A3 card and lay out landscape. Create a square by folding the bottom left corner up until it meets the top edge of the paper, making sure there is a neat diagonal line running from the top left of the paper to the bottom edge. Trim the excess strip along the right-hand side to turn your rectangle into a square.

Take 5-6 sheets of pink tissue circle stacked on top of each other and fold in half then half again.

Trim the folded circle into a flying bird shape.

You should now have: 9 holly leaves, 1 large holly berry, 8 small holly berries, 1 card poinsettia, 3 tissue paper poinsettias, 9 mistletoe groups.

Lay out your bell garland on a long table and place your paper parts to get a feel for the layout you would like.

Attach your holly leaves first, folding the stalk over the wire and securing behind with tape or glue. Attach the berries to the bottom of the leaves using wire.

Tension

10cm x 10cm (4in x 4in) square: 16 stitches x 18 rows, worked in waistcoat stitch in the round with a second yarn carried inside the stitches using In the Zone yarn and a 6mm hook

Abbreviations

3trcl 3 treble cluster

blo back loop only

ch chain

dc double crochet

htc half treble crochet

inc increase (work 2 stitches in one)

ML magic loop

ss slip stitch

ws waistcoat stitch

Yarn A – mint

Yarn B – white

Yarn C – pink

Yarn D – blue

Yarn E – yellow

Special stitches

Waistcoat stitch: worked as double crochet, but your stitches are formed by working into the front V of the stich in the row below, rather than in the top of the stitch as normal.

3 treble cluster: yarn over and insert into stitch, yarn over and pull up a loop, yarn over again and pull though two loops on hook, leaving other loops unworked. Repeat from the beginning two more times until you have 4 loops on hook, yarn over and pull through all loops.

Measurements

When finished: H: (toe to top of cuff) approx. 55cm (21.5in). W: 20cm (7.5in)

Cuff (unfolded and unjoined): H: 43cm (17in). W: 22cm (8.5in)

Construction

Toe up construction.

Toe, foot and leg are worked in rounds.

The heel is worked in rows.

The cuff is worked in rows and joined to the stocking.

When working in the round, rounds are worked continuously in an Amigurumi-style sprial, and not joined at the end of each round. Use a stitch marker to mark the first stitch of each round to help you keep track.

In Yarn A with 6mm hook, create ML

Round 1: 6dc in ML

Round 2: 2dc in each stitch around. (12)

Round 3: *1dc, inc. Repeat from * until end. (18)

Round 4: *2dc, inc. Repeat from * until end. (24)

Round 5: *3dc, inc. Repeat from * until end. (30)

Round 6: *4dc, inc. Repeat from * until end. (36)

Round 7: Dc around. (36)

Round 8: *5dc, inc. Repeat from * until end. (42)

Round 9: Dc around. (42)

Round 10: *6dc, inc. Repeat from * until end. (48)

Round 11: Dc around. (48)

Round 12: *7dc, inc. Repeat from * until end. (54)

Round 13: Dc around. (54)

Round 14: *8dc, inc. Repeat from * until end. (60)

Round 15: Dc around. (60)

Round 16: Ws in each stitch around. (60)

Round 17: Join in white yarn, and ws in each stitch around, working over the top of the white. (60)

Round 18: *5ws in Yarn A, 1ws in Yarn B. Repeat from * to end. (60)

(See tips section for changing colour, always work over the top of non-dominant yarn.)

Round 19: Ws in each stich around in Yarn A. (60)

Round 20: Ws in each stich around in Yarn A. (60)

Round 21: *2ws in Yarn A, 1ws in Yarn B, 3ws in Yarn A. Repeat from * to end. (60)

Round 22: Ws in each stich around in Yarn A. (60)

Round 23: Ws in each stich around in Yarn A. (60)

Rounds 24-41: Repeat Rounds 18-23. (60)

Round 42: Repeat round 18. (60)

Round 43: Repeat round 19. Fasten off both colours. (60)

Round 1: In Yarn A working over the top of Yarn B, 30ws in each unworked ws of round 43, 30ws in each dc of heel row 30. Use a stitch marker to mark first stitch of new round. (60)

Round 2: Round 18: *5ws in Yarn A, 1ws in Yarn B. Repeat from * to end. Colour changes should match up with pattern of the colour changes in the toe. (60)

Round 3: Ws in each stich around in Yarn A. (60)

Round 4: Ws in each stich around in Yarn A .(60)

Round 5: *2ws in Yarn A, 1ws in Yarn B, 3ws in Yarn A. Repeat from * to end. (60)

Round 6: Ws in each stich around in Yarn A. (60)

Round 7: Ws in each stich around in Yarn A. (60)

Rounds 8-37: Repeat Rounds 2-7. (60)

Round 38: Repeat round 2. (60)

Round 39-43: Repeat round 3. Fasten off both yarns. (60)

In Yarn C, ch35

Row 1: Htc in 3rd ch from hook and in each ch along, turn. (33)

Row 2: Ch2 (does not count as a stitch now or throughout), htc in BLO in each stitch along, turn. (33)

Rows 3-40: Repeat row 2. (33)

Join Row 40 to starting chain with a row of dc in the blo. Fasten off, the turn the cuff you have created inside out.

Slide the cuff over the top of the stocking until the top of the stocking matches the height of the cuff opening. In Yarn A, dc around, working into the sides of the rows of the cuff and the tops of the ws round 43. The cuff will be slightly larger and so you may need to ease it round to ensure it is attached evenly.

Work one of each in Yarn A, Yarn D and Yarn E, leaving a long yarn tail at the start and end.

Row 1: *Ch 8, 3trcl in third ch from hook, ch3, 3trcl in top of previous 3trcl, ss into the same chain you started the first cluster, pompom formed. Repeat from * until you have 19 pompoms. Chain 5, fasten off.

The pompom chain is worked on the wrong side, flip over before you attach to the stocking.

To attach the trim to the stocking, cut off a long length of Yarn C and thread yarn needle. Working from the wrong side of the stocking, hold the pompom trim to the front side, and sew trim to inside of stocking every two rows, leaving a pompom on the front of the work every two rows. I spaced my pompom trim out by three stitches (in height, when piece attached sideways for cuff).

In Yarn C, Ch21

Row 1: dc in second ch from hook and in each ch across, turn. (20)

Row 2: ch1, 20dc. (20)

Attach the loop to the inside of the stocking, where the stocking is joined to the cuff, by sewing with a yarn needle and a length of Yarn C. I placed mine at the side back of the stocking, about the heel.

Yarn A – Hug It Out, Steel

Yarn B – Hug It Out, Shell

Yarn C – In the Zone, Mint

Yarn D – Leader of the Pac, Pink

To make a solid pom pom, open the pom pom maker out and begin by wrapping yarn tightly and evenly around one set of arms, be sure to fill the maker up so that the half-moon shape has a nice flat top.

Make as solid pom pom, but hold two yarns together while wrapping.

To make a striped pompom, divide each pom pom maker arm up into 2-3 segements and wrap with different yarns.

Using the 7cm (2.8in) pom pom maker, make:

1 x solid in Yarn A

1 x striped in Yarn A and Yarn B

Using the 5.5cm (2.2in) pom pom maker, make:

1 x speckled in Yarn A and Yarn C

1 x speckled in Yarn C and Yarn D

1 x striped in Yarn B, Yarn C and Yarn D

Using the 3.5cm (1.4in) pom pom maker, make:

2 x solid in Yarn B

1 x solid in Yarn A

1 x solid in Yarn C

1 x solid in Yarn D

Take the inner of your embroidery hoop (the part without the metal hinge) and discard the other part.

Attach the pack of sword ferns asymmetrically: using the wire stem to wrap around the hoop place three on one side and two on the other.