Christmas Ornaments

by Rosa Urban Lang of Romania

These instructions come from my grandmother and goodness knows where she got them from originally. Probably that part of Romania from which she and my grandfather immigrated, Transylvania. Grandma gave me a handwritten copy which at the time I couldn't read as so much of her handwriting used the Old German Script. So DM rewrote them for me. Unfortunately, I have long since lost Grandmom's copy and have re-copied DM's & now only have my own copy.

These are for little sweaters, mittens and hats.

Materials:
Use sport weight yarn, various colors. See charts for color placement
dp's US # 3 & 5 I find those easier to work with for something so small
Crochet hook G

Sweater

Pattern:
Back
Using #3 needles, cast on 13 sts in MC of your choice and work 3 rows of K1, P1 ribbing.
Change to #5 and work 18 rows even in st st and bind off. I suppose if you want to put the charted design on both sides you could.

Front
Work ribbing as you did for back (well, duh). Follow chart for chosen design, shaping neck in 16th row as follows: Work 5 sts, b/o 3 sts work to end.
Dec 1 st at each neck edge once. Somewhere along the line you will have to attach a 2nd bit of yarn. I usually do so on when I am ready to make my 2nd decrease.

Design 1

Design 2

Design 3

Sleeves
Using #3 needles, c/o 5 st in MC and work 3 rows of K1, P1 ribbing, inc 1 st in last ribbing row.
Change to larger needles and st st and inc 1 st at each end of the next and then the following 4th row. AT THE SAME TIME work the charted design of your choice. Work 6 rows even, then dec 1 st each end next 3 rows. B/O rem 2 sts.

Finishing:
Alternatively you could duplicate st the design if you don't want to be bothered with knitting the charted design. I personally hate duplicate st and will do very complicated intarsia to avoid it as duplicate st seems to me like a whole other project and I want to finish, thank you very much.

Weave in any loose ends, sew shoulder seams. Sew sleeves into armholes (a tad tricky coz it's so small). With crochet hook, attach yarn at shoulder seam and sl st around neck edge. Fasten off and attach a loop to back neck so you can hang it.

The truly adventurous knitter may attempt, as I have, to knit the sweater in the around. I did so to avoid doing the seams. I find it much easier to knit in 2 pieces and seam as the thing is so dratted tiny.

Mittens

Pattern:
Make 2:

With #3's & MC, c/o 9 sts & work 2 rows K1, P1 ribbing, inc 1 st in last row.
Change to #5 & st st starting with P row.
Work 3 rows cuff from chart of your choice.

Hat and Mitten Charts

Increase for Thumb

K1, place marker, k3, place marker, inc in next 2 sts, place marker, k3, place marker, k1.

Next row: P1, work row 1 of whichever chart motif across next 3 sts, slip marker, p1.

Next row: K1, work row 2 of chart , slip marker, inc in next st, k2, inc in next st, slip marker, work row 2 of chart across 3 sts, k1.

Next row: P1, work row 3 of chart across 3 sts, p1, slip next 4 sts onto holder for thumb. P1, work row 3 of chart across 3 sts, p1. 10 sts on needle. Work back and forth on 10 sts for 4 rows.

Dec Row: *K2 tog, rep from * across. Draw tog rem sts & leave a strand of yarn long enough to sew the seam.

Thumb
Attach yarn & work back & forth on 4 thumb sts for 2 rows.

Dec Row: K2 tog twice. Draw tog 2 rem sts & sew thumb seam. sew mitten seam. Attach loop of yarn to each pair of mitts for hanging. Also look cute if attached to hat or to end of sweater sleeves as if on idiot string.

Hats

With #5 needles and MC, cast on 16 sts.
Work in st st for 4 rows beginning with a K row.
Work 3 rows of cuff chart. Work even in st st for 3 rows.

K1, * work row of 1 chart across next 3 sts, k2; rep from * across, ending last rep K1.
Work rem 2 rows of chart as established in last row. Work 4 rows even in st st.

Dec row: *K2 tog; rep from * across.
Draw tog rem 8 sts & sew hat seam.
Turn cuff to inside & st in place.

Make a 1" diameter pompom (easier said than done, I make a tassel) sew to top of hat.
Attach a loop to top of back seam for hanging.


Copyright 1996 Rosa Urban Lang

 


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