Knitted Christmas balls

I was given a chart of knitted Christmas balls and I had to make a few, of course :) Those with snowflake pattern are 19 loops per needle at their widest but are decreased immediately. The white ball with red ornaments is 15 loops per needle at widest but has 5 rounds of same wideness before decreased thus ended up bigger.

Then this reindeer pattern ball is much bigger with 23 loops per needle and has a running reindeer on every second side and standing reindeer on the other.

 



The original chart had 15 loops per needle at its widest.

How-to:

k = knit
yon = yarn over needle

Cast-on 12 loops and divide on 4 needles. (3 loops per needle)

1. row: *k, yon, k, yon, k * x 4 = (5 loops per needle)
2. row: knit the whole row
3. row: *k, yon, k, k, k, yon, k* x4 = (7 loops per needle)
4. row: knit the whole row
5. row: *k, yon, k, k, k, k, k, yon, k* x 4 = (9 loops per needle)
6. row: knit the whole row

... Continue in same fashion until you reach the widest part i.e. 15 loops. Then knit 5 rounds before beginning decreasing.

Decreasing: knit two together the same way as you increased earlier on every second and penultimate loops so that there's always a knit at the beginning and the end of each needle. Then knit entire row in between of each decrease as you did when you increased. Continue until you have 3 loops per needle remaining. Now cast off the beginning before filling the ball. Fill the ball with cotton and cast off.

The loop to hang the ball is crocheted from the same yarn.

You can adjust the size of the ball and do whatever pattern you want by adding or making less rows. Just remember the loop number per needle is always uneven.


Joyful week!