Tag Archives: christmas tree

Let’s have more Christmas in July

Let’s have some more fun with Christmas in July!

Carrying on from last week’s enthusiasm about Knitting for Christmas in July, I decided to offer kits for the Bitty Beady Christmas Tree since I was getting requests to give knitters a jump-start in conveniently getting the yarn and beads from one source.

Bitty Beady Christmas Tree gift bag decoration
Bitty Beady Christmas Tree gift bag decoration

So now you can get Materials Kits for Bitty Beady Christmas Tree starting at just $3.95. There are several color options for yarn and beads that mix-and-match for appealing to a range of traditional, vintage and modern schemes.

You’ll get all the materials you need to make one Bitty Beady Christmas Tree. NOTE: Pattern not included. Please purchase downloadable e-Pattern separately.

Besides your choice of yarn and bead colors, a floss threader is included IF you want to string your own beads. OR you can purchase the upgrade option to get the beads already strung on the yarn ready to start knitting right away!

You may also purchase a coordinating greeting card with envelope. This makes a nice gift enclosure to go along with either giving the kit itself, or with your completed bitty tree.

Even if you are not interested in a kit, you can purchase the pattern individually and use small amounts of glitzy yarn you have on hand, e.g. metallic yarn, or yarn that has been plied with beads and you just let the beads fall where they may. Want to go smaller (or larger): Other ideas and inspiration for variations on the Bitty Beady Christmas Tree.

Let’s enjoy small projects like Bitty Beady Christmas Tree while the weather is hot-hot-hot. It’s not too early to start getting ready for Winter holidays now, especially if you are like me and the months are just flying by. Where-oh-where did over half the summer already go!

Related Images:

How small can you go?

Am I crazy or what? Such tiny needles, tiny beads and skinny thread. But the results are worth it. Something special for ME this holiday season. 🙂

Bitty Christmas Tree Earrings
Bitty Christmas Tree Earrings

These are Bitty Christmas Tree Earrings, an even tinier version of the HeartStrings #H80 BITTY BEADY CHRISTMAS TREE pattern design I published just a few days ago. The published design specifies fingering weight yarn and size 8/0 beads knitted on US 2 /2.75mm needles to produce a 1/12th scale miniature version of a 5′ traditional Christmas Tree. At this size (approx 5″ high by 4.25″ wide), they’re great as ornaments, package decorations and the like.

Bitty Beady Christmas Tree gift bag decoration
Bitty Beady Christmas Tree gift bag decoration

You can make a bunch of these trees in hardly any time — very satisfying to make quick, small gifts!

Bitty Beady Christmas Trees
Bitty Beady Christmas Trees

Just for my own personal fun, I wanted to try some on both thicker and thinner yarn/threads, too. I had fun making some larger, using sport weight yarn (on US 3/3.25 mm  needles) and worsted weight (on US 4/3.5 mm needles). While on a roll, I also made a smaller one using size 10 crochet thread (on US 0/2mm needles).

Bitty Beady Christmas Trees in 3 sizes

 

This smaller one (at just 3.25″ high by 3″ wide), I turned into a brooch using a coiless safety pin.

Christmas Tree brooch

Then the real craziness started. I couldn’t help myself but imagine some even smaller trees to wear as earrings. Darn it — my eyesight used to be better. I think this is going to be as small as I’ll be going. As it was, I had to wear my jeweler’s magnifier while knitting these, just to see what I was doing! After blocking, they are just 2″ high x 2″ wide (excluding earring wires).

The earrings compared to size of a U.S. quarter
The earrings compared to size of a U.S. quarter

If you want to share my craziness, here is what you will need for a pair of earrings like these:

10 yds (9.1 m) 10/2 Textura Trading Tencel thread in color Seafoam (near substitutes are size 20 crochet cotton or size 8 pearl cotton)
size 4/0 (1.25 mm needles)
148 (approx 1.4 g) multi-color mix of Miyuki size 11/0 (2mm diameter) seed beads (size 10/0 beads should work just fine, too)
2 earring wires
HeartStrings #H80 Bitty Beady Christmas Tree pattern (available  through Ravelry and other places selling HeartStrings patterns)

Close-up of an earring

How small can YOU go? I’d love to see the ones you make, too!

p.s. The knitting as background in the photos of the earrings is the original Lacie Blankie made in handspun Cotswold wool for the “Save the Sheep” competition sponsored by Interweave Press.

Related Images: