Christmas Wreath

Every year for the past ten years or so I've prepared a big Christmas series of patterns to be released during December. I started with my Advent Garland and, since then, there have been trees, a Gingerbread House and more than one Christmassy scene.

Not this year though. I normally start work on the big Christmas pattern in March and, having been ill since April, that obviously wasn't going to happen in 2020. Instead, members of my ravelry group have been sharing their progress on various Christmas projects, often ones which have been languishing unfinished for a while.

For a long time I've thought it would be nice to knit a more Christmassy version of my Woodland Wreath, which I originally intended to be a celebration of Autumn rather than Christmas.

I still like this wreath (it's hanging on my front door at the moment) but I hankered for something a bit more festive. So, I set out to knit a Christmas wreath, using some of my existing patterns.

To start with, it was straightforward. I covered the polystyrene wreath with knitting and added lots of layers of leaves. I didn't knit the oak leaves (too autumnal) and used plain green leaves with embroidered flowers to represent the Irish Ivy in my garden.

Then there were the holly leaves and the mistletoe, followed by fir cones and toadstools.

I was pleased with the toadstools; often I go back to old patterns and am disappointed but these have stood the test of time well, I think.

At this point, it started to get difficult. The next two sets of ornaments I added were Santas and snowmen, both of which proved too fiddly for my tired Covid brain. They each involved quite a few changes of colour plus beads which meant finding all the bits, putting them all together, tidying up afterwards ... too many things to think of at once. I nearly gave up at this point but I'm glad I didn't.

I think there should be another snowman but I just couldn't face making another one.

Once these were done, the end was in sight. The last two sets of ornaments were wrapped presents (just knitted squares) and little stars. I was so glad to get it finished. I would have done a happy dance after sewing the final star to the wreath but that would have just made me feel worse.

So, here it is - one Christmas wreath.

I had planned to add a string of lights to it once I'd finished the knitting but decided that the lights took away from the knitting too much. what do you think?

Anyway, I now have a festive wreath, as well as the original.

I don't think I've exhausted the potential for knitted wreaths yet. I've already designed a Springtime Wreath and one with a Seaside theme so that's the four seasons covered. Next, I think I'd like to work on one featuring festive food and drink; I envisage this one as a mini wreath, about half the size of the others.

In the meantime, I've been struggling with a crochet version of the little knitted mini stockings that I've been making for years. I thought this would be a quick design but it turns out that crocheting something foot shaped is harder than knitting - or maybe I'm just not very good at crochet. The hardest parts were the heel and the cuff. I think this one looks all right but I need to make some more to test a few details. I'm hoping that by next Christmas the pattern might be ready to publish.