Felted Tannenbaum Christmas Tree Knitting Pattern by Isa Webb - A Step-by-Step Guide

FELTED TANNENBAUM - by Isa Webb

This Christmas tree is knit top-down in the round. Beads are on the increase rounds. The rolled rim at the bottom is sewn into place prior to felting. The rows of "pine needles" are crocheted on the tree prior to felting. The star and bells are fastened following felting.

Finished Felted Size:

21in (53cm) tall and 13in (33cm) in diameter.

Materials:

150g (165yds) Brown Sheep Lamb's Pride Bulky in #Kiwi 15g (55yd) Brown Sheep Nature Spun Sport in #Limestone 40ins (100cm) 6mm circular needle Tapestry Needle 4mm Crochet Hook 70 x 2/0 Red Czech Beads 32 x 0.3in (10mm) multi-coloured bells (Michaels) Christmas Star (Michaels)

Gauge:

14 stitches x 20 rows = 4in (10cm) x 4in (10cm) over stockinette stitch in the round.

Abbreviations:

CO = cast on sts = stitches BO = bind off K = knit SB = slide a bead PM = place a marker P= purl beg = beginning Kf&B = knit in front and back of stitch inc = increase Sl1 = slip a stitch purl-wise M1 = pick up the strand between the sts, place it on the left hand needle, twisting it, and knit it through the backloop

DIRECTIONS:

Thread the 70 Czech beads onto the working yarn - thread a sewing needle (small enough to pass through the holes in the beads) with strong upholstery-type thread. Knot both ends together. Thread the working yarn through the knotted upholstery thread, and overlap the working yarn by about 8in (20cm). Push the needle through the center of each bead and slide them down the thread and onto the working yarn until all beads are on the working yarn. Remove the needle and thread. e all the beads about 3 or 4 yards (3 or 4 meters) from the tail end of the yar With circular needle, cast on 4 sts. Join to work in round, being careful not to twist sts, and PM to mark beg of round. K 1 round even. Kf&b all sts. (8 sts) K 1 round even. \*K2, M1\*; repeat for round. (12 sts) K 2 rounds even. ① From this point on, four beads will be sliped on all of the M inc rounds in the following way: SB, Sl1 = slide a bead up tight to the last knitted stitch. Use your finger to hold the bead in place while you slip the next stitch purl-wise.

BO loosely. Cut yarn leaving a 36in (90cm) tail. Thread tapestry needle with tail and stitch the rolled brim in place (see photos below). lace the last bead at the top of the tree, using the CO tail to sew it in place. Pre-felted size will be about 25in (64cm) tall x 18in (46cm) in diameter.

Cutting Pine Needles:

Placing the “pine needles" is not an exact science. I placed mine every third stitch on five rows. You can place more pine needles if you wish - it will require a little more sport weight yarn, and a little more time of course.

Cut about 150-175 pieces of sport weight (Nature Spun) yarn in 4in (10cm) lengths. The easiest way to do this is to cut a piece of card stock 8in (20cm) wide and about 8in (20cm) long. Fold the card in half. Tie the yarn around the card stock with the knot at the open end. Wrap the yarn round and round the card. Make sure the yarn lies side by side, not over the top of other yarn. Wrap until the card is full, then hold the tail with one hand and with the other, slide a pair of scissors into the open end and cut (see photos above). You will need to do this a few times to get enough lengths of yarn.

Attaching Pine Needles:

To attach the pine needles, you will need a 4mm crochet hook, and some patience. Fold each 4in (10cm) piece of yarn in half. Choose the row you wish to add pine needles to. lnsert the crochet hook under the strand running between two sts (see photo at right). Place the folded part of the yarn over the hook. Pull the yarn through and under the strand - just part of the way. Then reach into the middle of the loop with your thumb and pointer and pull the tails through. Snug onto the knitting being careful not to pull too tightly (otherwise the yarn tails stick out in a weird way!). Count three strands across, and attach another strand of yarn. Continue this process until you have crocheted pine needles every three stitches for one round. Repeat the pine needle placement for as many rows as you like.

Felting:

Place the Christmas tree in a pillow case, and pop in the washing machine together with a pair of old jeans or towel. Set machine to regular wash and small load. Use hot water and some laundry detergent. Wash for about 20min (check at 5min intervals). I had to reset the machine to do the wash cycle twice. After washing, spin to remove as much water as possible. Shape the Christmas tree by stuffing it with plastic grocery bags. Allow to dry thoroughly. ① The tree will retain its shape really well because of the smaller than recommended needle size, and the longer washing time.

Decorating:

You may decorate the tree in whichever way you like! I used 32 x 0.3in (10mm) multi-coloured bells that I purchased from Michaels. I sewed them on using the Nature Spun sport weight yarn. I placed eight bells per row between the "pine needle" rows. I also purchased a Christmas star (from Michaels), and I poked the metal end through the top of the tree down to the inside of the tree. I'm sure you could make a star from card stock, using some gold or silver foil to cover it, and attaching a toothpick. Finally I used some extra fine glitter and sprinkled it all over the tree. ANDVOILA!OHTANNENBAUM!OHTANNENBAUM!