Making a knitted nordic Christmas garland

Tiny knitted christmas trees adorned with pearl buttons and wooden stars….sounds like a dreamy little project doesn’t it. This is something I have been wanting to make for several years and somehow it always gets left too late and I am not organised with the right sort of wool and it gets relegated to the next year list yet again. Things have been bit different here this year as most of my ideas for making presents have been abandoned in the wake of losing two dear friends to cancer within a month of each other and also the loss of our beloved cat, Basil, who was 18. He has been an integral part of our family’s story from being the first cat to jump out of the box of kittens underneath a table in a tiny Moscow apartment. ‘He’s mine’ said William and so he came to live with us, he came on the plane to Paris when we moved and then to Sweden and finally came to England to be a country gentleman, which he was. I can’t write about my friends, it is too much, but this kind of thing affects your everyday in so many ways…even putting up some Christmas decorations, I thought about how they cannot be here for the festive season with their families. In my rather apathetic mood, I gave up trying to rush around making things and decided instead to focus on this one project which has been lodged all year in my subconscious. I never have much confidence in my knitting skills and set about this project with a rather apprehensive eye. I am not a great knitter, but this year, one of my goals has been to have a go at fair isle knitting and I have really rather enjoyed it.

The pattern comes form this lovely book by Martin Storey. I bought it several years ago at the Knitting & Stitching show in Harrogate and they had some of the other projects using these little trees on display - a delicious blanket and cushion and I was smitten. The book has been on my shelf ever since and it wasn’t until this year when I have been dipping my toes into the wonderful world of fairisle knitting that I really felt able to tackle it. I have often drooled over it though - hence the teacup ring imprinted on the book! This year though it was time…..

All the patterns in this book use Rowan felted tweed dk and I had a couple of balls of jewel colours and I added a dark pine green and a bright lime green. I knew I only needed a small amount for this garland, but all the patterns in this book are really lovely, especially the tartan themed hat, so I figure it will all get used. These charming little trees are worked on double pointed needles (a first for me) and a bit tricky to master in the beginning, but once you get the hang of joining the tree trunk to the stitches for the tree it isn’t too difficult. There are 3 different trees in the book and you can, of course stray a little and add some texture with varying the stitches. If fair isle is a bit daunting, you could easily add little beads or sequins too to give some extra sparkle…I think it would be really pretty.

Weaving in all the loose ends is a bit of a bind, but they do have a positive effect, firming up the tiny trees and and you can add a little substance to the edges with them too. I would strongly advise blocking or at least pressing with a steam iron once you are finished as the edges have a tendency to curl up. The iron does flatten them a little but as they are hanging up, it doesn’t really matter.

Attaching the little pearl buttons and wooden stars add the finishing touch and in the beginning I eagerly sewed them on to the finished trees. In fact this makes no sense at all - they are the perfect way to join your tree to your ribbon ( I used ribbon, but there is also a knitted cord included in the pattern).

I would also recommend that you cut your ribbon before you begin if you have a specific place in mind for your garland. Mine is going above the aga in the kitchen so I prepped my ribbon before I began knitting so that I could place the little trees along it and work out how many to make. I do think though, the if you should happen to have any left over, they would make lovely christmassy brooches or trimmings (reusable ones) for wrapping presents. The kitchen is looking cosy and ready for the holiday homecomings now….time for a spot of baking….first one is back on Sunday ….

There’s just one problem though, I am so thrilled with this little project and I have a suspicion that it might be rather difficult to take down come January…..

See you soon, Ruby xx