December 06, 2020
Handmade Christmas ornaments can be used and remembered each and every year which is part of their charm. It’s been obvious just by walking down the street that for those of us who celebrate Christmas, the decorating has been starting a little earlier than usual. The twinkling lights and wreaths are deliciously cosy on these cold days, but what we love most is how many crafters use this as an opportunity to celebrate their making, and incorporate some handmade into the festivities.
Are you planning to add some hand made decorations this year? Social media is full of great inspiration using every craft and material you can think of, whether it’s wreaths, hanging tree ornaments, or a little bit of whimsy to decorate your home. There’s something about small actions creating small, adorable projects that really speaks to us at this time of year. Is everything feeling a bit frantic? Sometimes the focus of a little, easily achievable project can help sooth, with the bonus of a handmade-with-love decoration to admire too.
Some of our own favourite handmade decorations are thanks to Katrinkles, who provide ornament blanks. These ready to go ornaments can then be hand stitched by makers everywhere. Since we started stocking them a few years ago, everyone on the team has their own versions, and recently we asked our knit designer friend Nidhi if she’d like to share in the handmade ornament love and stitch some of her own.
We don’t know a single maker without a scrap basket, and this is the perfect chance to reach in, pull out some leftovers (perhaps of a past project you love) and create something from well, almost nothing. Play around with colour and texture and make something lovely while having a lot of fun at the same time. Everyone wins!
We all love to experiment with colour, and try out different combinations. The though can be a little daunting though when you're about to start on a garment, or really any other knitted project (knitting isn't the quickest craft around!). The small canvas of a little ornament could be just the thing to try out something new, or stretch out of your usual colour comfort zone a little.
There's no need to put your beautiful ornaments away once the festivities are over. If you've made something and you love it, then use it! Try attaching them to project bags, hang from sticks as part of your decor, or gather them in a little basket to admire year round.
If you’d like to stitch some of your own, there’s still plenty of time! Find our range of Katrinkles ornaments here, gather some thread or scrap yarn and find a little time to play.
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Learn brioche with the free Daniel's Hat pattern
Tombreck - a free chevron beanie pattern
Working the brioche neck detail on the Polwarth sweater
Installing a zipper and ribbon, finishing wee Carson
Yarn colour ideas for Threipmuir sweater
Additional colourways for the Joy mitts (choose your pride flag)
How to join the shoulders on Wardie
How to join the pockets on Granton and Wardie
Finishing Resources for Granton
Broughton mittens tutorial part 1
Broughton mittens tutorial part 2
Broughton mittens tutorial part 3
Decorative Channel Island Cast-on
3 Easy Stretchy Bind-offs (p2tog bind-off; k2togtbl, k1 bind-off; Jeny's surprisingly stretchy bind-off)
Tubular Bind-off for brioche stitch
Paired increase methods compared
How to continue in pattern while increasing and decreasing
Brioche stitch double decreases
How to Knit in the round using Magic Loop
How to Knit in the round using DPNs
Avoiding ears when binding off
Tighter purl stitches for neater cables and ribbing
Cabling without a cable needle
How to knit more symmetrical yarn overs
Bust darts in sweaters with all over stitch patterns
A magic formula for evenly distributing shaping
Superwash v Non-Superwash Wool
Picking up sts from the middle of the fabric
Understanding "continue in pattern"
Help! Where am I in my knitting project?
Using charts, even if you hate them
Joining the body and sleeves on a seamless bottom up sweater
Ysolda’s sizing chart for knitwear designers
How to pick a garment without a model for you (specifically addresses finding garment patterns when your gender identity isn't represented and the styles you want to knit might not be sized to fit your body)
How does ease affect inclusive size ranges?
Identifying and fixing mistakes in lace knitting
Getting started with stranded colourwork
Understanding colour dominance
Working stranded colourwork over small circumferences
Decreases in stranded colourwork
Holding the yarn for stranded colourwork
Ladderback Jacquard (a neat way to deal with long floats)
Cabling without a cable needle
Cabling without a cable needle on the wrong side
How to knit cabled decreases
Closed ring cable increases and decreases
How to work brioche stitch in the round
How to begin your first large cross stitch project
How to finish a cross stitch project with an embroidery hoop frame
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