Right, people, it’s crochet time. Hooks to the ready, my fine fearless friends. Mince pie, anyone? That’s it – do pass the plate round.
We’re getting properly festive here at the ‘Yarn. The tree is up. The Toddler Twinnage is over-excited. The Stoic Spouse is…. stoic. And there are decorations, especially the little trees, Santa, paper chains, wreaths, and candles that I knitted the other week. But now we’ve got our hooks all ready, it’d be a shame not to use them, so shall we make some crochet versions of all of these? Please say yes.
OK, let’s take it from the top. Here’s a very easy little crocheted Christmas tree. The method is exactly the same as for the knitted version. Find some lovely green DK (aka light worsted) yarn. I’m using Fyberspates Vivacious in ‘Deep Forest’, which is just about perfect for a subtly variegated, leafy effect. Look!
You’ll need to work a square in double crochet (US terminology, so that’s treble crochet here in the UK). With a hook sized to match your yarn, loosely chain between 15 and 22 stitches, depending on whether you want a smaller or larger tree. (I recommend making a variety of sizes if you’re working a little plantation of these trees.) Turn your work, chain 3, then work back working double crochets (US terms) into every stitch. Repeat until you’ve worked a beautiful square. Woah, you’re ahead of me! Look, I’ve only got this far:-
When you’re done, enjoy a mug of lovely mulled wine. Aaahhhhhhhhhhhh. 🙂
Now for the making up. Follow the directions exactly as for the knitted version. In short, fold the square nearly-but-not-quite in half, as in this photo. It really won’t work well if you fold it completely in half, so it does need to be like this:-
Roll the tree up from one side across to the other, using the long tails to sew up the base and a curved seam up the back from bottom to top. You’ll need a smidgeon of toy stuffing to bulk out the top part of the tree.
So far, so good, but isn’t it just begging for a few decorations? As before, I’m using tiny metallic pipe cleaners for tinsel and to shape the star on top, and metallic beads for baubles. But feel free to go for it with the sequins and the glitter, too. Express your inner bling, people. 🙂 Quick tip: if you stick the ends of the pipe cleaners into the crocheted fabric, they should stay pretty still without having to sew them. Easy, no? Hurrah! Here’s the finished tree, standing slightly aloof from its knitted colleagues:-
Now, one more easy-peasy crochet make for today, and then we’ll leave the crochet paper chains and wreaths for my next post, OK?
So, here’s a very quick and simple candle. It’s even easier than the Christmas tree. First, you need to crochet a rectangle in pale cream yarn. You can use any thickness of yarn and you can use either single crochet or double crochet stitches (US crochet terms). In the example below, I’ve worked double crochets in chunky yarn, which gives quite an uneven surface, but if you want a very smooth, realistic surface you could use quite thin yarn in single crochet stitches.
Now, how big a rectangle to make? Well, the example in the photograph was made from a rectangle 24cm wide and 12cm high. So perhaps start with that, and then vary the size any way you like. (I wouldn’t recommend attempting a tall narrow candle, though, unless you want to reinforce it with wire.) I rolled up the rectangle loosely from the side, and sewed it down the back using the cast off tail of yarn. Making the wick is easy. Take a narrow metallic pipe cleaner. Leave a 2cm end to poke into the candle, then bend round to make a little circle for the centre of the flame, then twist round again to make a bigger loop that you can pinch at the top to form the tip of the flame. Cut the pipe cleaner so that both ends have 2cm spare. Twist the two ends together and poke them into the crocheted fabric. And you’re done!!
Would you like another mince pie? Oh…. they seem to have all gone. I don’t know how that happened… Um…
These really are great! I’d love to find time to make some but, realistically, I know that’s not likely to happen. I shall enjoy yours instead:)
Yaay! I know what I’ll be doing tonight 🙂
Fantastic! Your little crochet trees are awesome. Happy holidays. ?
Brilliant, thank you! And I did actually eat an iced mince pie 😀 No mulled wine though, just a cup of tea.
I saw those metallic pipe cleaners in a shop the other day. I was admiring their blinginess and wondering what I could do with them – nothing came to mind so I left them there and completely forgot I could make a Christmas tree! I just love that yarn you are using – it is perfect! I need to go searching for some, as I feel the need to create a tree – just to make sure my hundred and one other projects don’t get finished you understand ……
damn you Twisted!!
That green variegated yarn is yummy! And aren’t you nice, to make direction so the crocheters won’t feel left out?
Hmmm, the mulled wine and mince pie were lovely, thank you. I love your writing, and of course the knitting/crocheting. 🙂
Can’t crochet, but thanks for the refreshments!
Thank you so much for including crochet!!! I love your work. 🙂 Merry Christmas from the states.
I knitted a small wood of trees…when I figure out how to post a picture here I will! Thank you so much for sharing the pattern
Rightly so that this little gem should stand aloof…it has a gorgeous texture all of it’s own. Less regimented and more natural looking (can you tell I am a hooky girl? 😉 ). We are still working on decorating our tree with as many homemade decorations as possible. We made cinnamon salt dough decorations (including some 3D varieties) and are working on some recycled items to turn into something fitting for Christmas. We have SO much to do here though as our Christmas falls right smack bang in the middle of the growing season and the busy summer season. Just imagine a hot Christmas day and sitting out on the deck quaffing cool drinks with ice fanning yourself to get cool…completely mental eh? Stevie-boy has been living here for 16 years now and STILL isn’t used to our Christmases 😉
You’re right – it’s hard for some of us to understand this whole ‘summery Christmas’ malarkey. How do you cope without an endless stream of cold grey grizzly rain outside the window?
I do love the sound of your decorations, though.
I know…we try very hard to enjoy the endless warm summery days and going to the beach for picnics through the Christmas period and having bbq Christmas lunches but sometimes we can’t help ourselves…we wish it would snow! 😉
We wish it would snow, too. (It did a few years ago – it was magical.)
Snow is amazing. I hadn’t ever seen it before we moved here to Tasmania. It was too hot in Western Australia where I lived prior to our move here. We saw it falling when we visited Steve’s mum in Liverpool back in Christmas 2005. I wouldn’t let the kids out to play in it as I wanted to photograph it the next morning and it had melted. They didn’t talk to me for days! 😉
I’m not surprised! You’re lucky they ever spoke to you again. 🙂
You know kids well. I am sure that they will add it to my gravestone…”Here lays Fran, Heartless mother who denied us the snow…” forever in perpetuity 😉
Just love easy-peasy, instant gratification projects like these ! rolling a square into a tree is so clever an idea 🙂