Christmas Already?

Yes!  – this is my first Christmas Holiday Post for the year 2015…I have joined up with 3 other great Crochet Bloggers and we are determined to get ready for the Holidays Early this year! If you want to join us – feel free to follow along as we present you with 1 free holiday crochet pattern each week from now until October!

The event has been called the Holiday Blog Hop and you can find the schedule of events and links to posts on Mistie’s Blog, American Crochet. 

Last week Amy from The Stitchin’ Mommy made an adorable Crochet Christmas Wreath pattern and the week before, Mistie made a Christmas Ornament Coaster. Next week you need to pop by AG Handmades to see what she has designed for us! I can’t wait 🙂

I have designed a Christmas Tree for you this week – I hope you like it. I came up with idea while I was designing a wrap pattern a few weeks ago (which is still a WIP by the way!) and am pretty pleased with the finished result. You can make this fit on the smaller sized cone too, or you can roll up some cardstock into a cone shape and use it as your base. You would only need to decrease (or increase) the repetitions to make it fit – which is super easy to do!!

You can read the Introduction Post for our Holiday Blog Hop by following this link to American Crochet.

Oh Christmas Tree! Free Crochet Pattern

Yarn

Star uses: waxed hemp cord

Tree uses: Loops & Threads Impeccable (Worsted Weight Yarn) – 1 ball of Green (less than 245m)

Hook

Tree uses 5.0 mm (G)

Star uses 3.25 mm (D)

Other Supplies

Foam Cone 3 7/8 inches x 8 7/8 inches (98 mm x 225 mm)

Needle, thread, scissors, (glue optional – I did not use it!)

Abbreviations

U.S. Terminology Used

Ch – chain
dc – double crochet
hdc – half double crochet
R- row
rem – remaining
sc – single crochet
sk – skip
sl st – slip stitch
st(s) – stitch(es)
tr – triple crochet
* – Repeat the instructions between the asterisks the number of times indicated. This repeat will contain multiple instructions.
() – Repeat the instructions between the parentheses the number of times indicated.

Notes:

This pattern is worked flat and then assembled around a foam cone.

Free Pattern

R1: Ch 11, *2 hdc in the 2nd ch from the hook, 1 hdc in the next ch**; rep from * to ** 5 times, ch 1, turn

For the rest of this project you will be working in the back loop only for each stitch worked.

R2: 2 hdc in the first st, 1 hdc in each of the next 10 sts, leave rem sts unworked, ch 1, turn

R3: *2 hdc in the first st, 1 hdc in the next st**; repeat from * to ** 5 times, ch 1, turn

R4: 2 hdc in the first st, 1 hdc in each of the next 10 sts, leave rem sts unworked, ch 1, turn

REPEAT R3 and R4 for length desired.

I repeated the R3 and R4 51 times. (My Total Rows = 55)

Finish off and weave in ends.

Assembly

Beginning at the base of the cone, wind the strip around the tree overlapping the layers slightly. I began with R 1 – because it has the ‘funny edge’ bit 😉

Once you have the tree in position on the cone take a length of green yarn and thread it on a yarn needle.

Beginning at the top of the tree, secure the top of the tree into place and then weave the needle in and out of the stitches on the top circle. Tighten (like you would when you finish the fingertip section of a mitten) slowly to bring the edges together and close the hole at the top of the tree. Now weave the needle between the stitches on one edge of the tree to secure it in position; working downward to the base of the tree. Secure the starting spot (previously pinned together) and finish off, weaving in ends.

I only secured the tree on one side of the tree. You can do this on other spots too or the whole tree if you want to.

Optional Star Free Pattern

This is just a rustic little handmade star that I am using on my tree at the moment. I wanted to purchase a small angel for the top but the shop in St. Jacobs where I used to go for my Christmas Ornaments has downsized quite a bit and only has a handful of Christmas items available. Next time I make it to Frankenmuth I am going to go hunting for some smaller sized angels, tree toppers and ornaments – I can’t wait!

This star is super simple…

Leave a 5-6 inch tail and ch 5, sc in the 2nd ch from the hook, hdc in the next ch, dc in the next ch, tr in the next st.

*Ch 6, sc in the 2nd ch from the hook, hdc in the next ch, dc in the next ch, tr in the next st.** repeat from * to ** 8 more times.

Now you have a long row of triangles on a chain.

Fold the length in half matching up the last triangle and the first triangle worked so the WS are touching and the RS (good sides) are facing outwards.

You are going to crochet the bases of the triangles together. Work 4 sc along the base of each triangle through both layers. You will have 5 triangles in total.

You are going to crochet through both touching triangles to join them together along the edges. *Work 3 sc along the side edge, ch 2, work 3 sc along the side edge. Skipped the other stitches.** Repeat from * to ** 4 more times.  Sl st to the corner.

Now bring the 2 ends together and sl st them to form the shape of  a star. It will not be completely flat but this waxed fiber stretches out after a while so feel free to work it into the shape you want with your fingers. Finish off leaving a 5-6 inch tail.

Now this is how I stuck the star on – you can do it any way you want – glue or a toothpick – I chose to just stitch it right on there with the waxed fiber. First I popped the ends through the top closed center of the tree and then out the back between 2 stitches. I wove one end up one side of the star and the other end up the other side of the star and tied them together in a double knot and cut off the excess. You can barely see it and it worked like a charm!