Frankie's Knitted Stuff
The holly leaves for the wreath are knitted separately on 3.75 mm / US size 5 needles in a thin double knitting weight yarn. I used Rowan felted tweed (175 m / 50 g) in shade 158 but you could use any dark green yarn of your choice. I made two sizes of leaves for the two wreaths: big (9 cm / 312") and small (7 cm / 2%"). 12 big leaves took about 25 g of yarn and 12 small leaves about 15 g.
Big Leaves
Throughout the pattern, cast on stitches with the cable method and cast off stitches knitwise. The slipped stitches should be slipped purlwise with the yarn held at the front of the work. Begin at the top of the leaf. Cast on one stitch and knit into the front and back of it (2 sts). Row 1: Kf&b, K1 (3 sts). Row 2: Knit. Row 3: Cast on 4, cast off 2, P2, K1, P1 (5 sts). Row 4: Cast on 4, cast off 2, K2, sl 1, K3 (7 sts). Row 5: Cast on 4, cast off 2, P4, K1, P3 (9 sts). Row 6: Cast on 4, cast off 2, K4, sl 1, K5 (11 sts). Row 7: Cast on 4, cast off 2, P6, K1, P5 (13 sts). Row 8: Cast on 4, cast off 2, K6, sl 1, K7 (15 sts). Row 9: Cast on 4, cast off 2, P7, S2KP2, P6. Row 10: Cast on 4, cast off 2, K7, sl 1, K8 (17 sts). Row 11: Cast on 3, cast off 2, P7, S2KP2, P7 (16 sts). Row 12: Cast on 3, cast off 2, K7, sl 1, K8 (17 sts). Row 13: P7, S2KP2, P7 (15 sts). Row 14: K7, sl 1, K7. Row 15: Cast on 2, cast off 2, P5, S2KP2, P6 (13 sts). Row 16: Cast on 2, cast off 2, K5, sl 1, K6. Row 17: P5, S2KP2, P5 (11 sts). Row 18: K5, sl 1, K5. Row 19: Cast on 3, cast off 2, P4, S2KP2, P4 (10 sts). Row 20: Cast on 3, cast off 2, K4, sl 1, K5 (11 sts). Row 21: P4, S2KP2, P4 (9 sts). Row 22: K4, sl 1, K4. Row 23: P3, S2KP2, P3 (7 sts). Row 24: K3, sl 1, K3. Row 25: P2, S2KP2, P2 (5 sts). Row 26: K2, sl 1, K2. Row 27: P1, S2KP2, P1 (3 sts). Row 28: Kl, sl 1, K1. Work one final S2KP2 and fasten off, leaving a long tail to sew the leaf to the wreath. The knit side is the right side of the leaf. Fold the bottom of the leaf in half with the right sides together and oversew as far as the first set of spikes. Thread the tail back to the bottom of the stalk. Darn in the cast on end on the wrong side of the leaf.
Small Leaves
Begin at the top of the leaf. Cast on one stitch and knit into the front and back of it (2 sts). Row 1: Kf&b, K1 (3 sts). Row 2: Knit. Row 3: Cast on 4, cast off 2, P2, K1, P1 (5 sts). Row 4: Cast on 4, cast off 2, K2, sl 1, K3 (7 sts). Row 5: Cast on 4, cast off 2, P4, K1, P3 (9 sts). Row 6: Cast on 4, cast off 2, K4, sl 1, K5 (11 sts). Row 7: Cast on 4, cast off 2, P5, S2KP2, P4. Row 8: Cast on 4, cast off 2, K5, sl 1, K6 (13 sts). Row 9: P5, S2KP2, P5 (11 sts). Row 10: K5, sl 1, K5. Row 11: Cast 0n 3, cast off 2, P4, S2KP2, P4 (10 sts). Row 12: Cast on 3, cast off 2, K4, sl 1, K5 (11 sts). Row 13: P4, S2KP2, P4 (9 sts). Row 14: K4, sl 1, K4. Row 15: Cast on 2, cast off 2, P2, S2KP2, P3 (7 sts). Row 16: Cast on 2, cast off 2, K2, sl 1, K3. Row 17: P2, S2KP2, P2 (5 sts). Row 18: K2, sl 1, K2. Row 19: P1, S2KP2, P1 (3 sts). Row 20: K1, sl 1, K1. Work one final S2KP2 and fasten off, leaving a long tail to sew the leaf to the wreath. The knit side is the right side of the leaf. Fold the bottom of the leaf in half with the right sides together and oversew as far as the first set of spikes. Thread the tail back to the bottom of the stalk. Darn in the cast on end on the wrong side of the leaf.
Holly Berries
Again, these are knitted in two sizes. If you don't want to knit lots of little berries (I made 24 in each size), you could replace them with red beads.
Big Berries
Using red double knitting weight yarn (I used Stylecraft Special DK in Claret) and 3.75mm needles, cast on one stitch and knit into the front and back of it (2 sts). Row 1: Pf&b, P1 (3 sts) Row 2: Kf&b, K2 (4 sts). Row 3: Pf&b, P3 (5 sts). Row 4: K3, K2tog (4 sts). Row 5: P2, P2tog (3 sts). Cast off with a double decrease cast off: sl 1 knitwise, K2tog and pass the slipped stitch over. Cut the yarn, leaving a long tail for sewing to the wreath. Darn in the cast on end then gather round the edge of the shape with the cast off end and pull tight to make a ball.
Small Berries
Using red double knitting weight yarn and 3.75mm needles cast on one stitch and knit into the front and back of it (2 sts). Row 1: Pf&b, P1 (3 sts) Row 2: Knit. Row 3: Purl. Cast off with a double decrease cast off: sl 1 knitwise, K2tog and pass the slipped stitch over. Cut the yarn, leaving a long tail for sewing to the wreath. Darn in the cast on end then gather round the edge of the shape with the cast off end and pull tight to make a ball. Pin the holly leaves to the wreath in pairs. Use the cast on tails to sew them in place along the centre of the leaf, stopping before the end. Sew the berries to the bottom of the leaves, four for each pair ofleaves.
Abbreviations
st / sts stitch / stitches K knit P purl sl1 slip one stitch (in this pattern slip stitches purlwise with the yarn in front) kf&b knit into the front and back of the stitch pf&b purl into the front and back of the stitch K2tog knit two stitches together P2tog purl two stitches together S2KP2 slip two stitches as if to knit them together, knit one stitch and pass slipped stitches over (two stitches decreased)
I cord
Knit every row but don't turn the work at the end of rows, just pull the yarn round from behind the stitches and carry on.
Frankie Brown, 2013. My patterns are for personal use only and should not be used to knit items for sale. Please do not use them for teaching purposes without my permission.
