Mini Christmas lights (part 1)
Here's a pattern for some dinky Christmas lights, made in the round with cotton yarn :)
If you want the backstory, do continue to read this next bit, but if not feel free to skip on directly to the pattern further down; I shan't hold it against you!
Be sure to check back in a few months for instructions on joining them all together!
As I said, I subscribed to two: a little monthly one and a bigger quarterly one.
The little one is a cotton paper chain club from Three Violet Buttons, and will, over the year, build up to make a long paper (cotton) chain to decorate the house at Yuletide!
After making each of my links (which I will detail in another post) each month I was left with a couple of grams of yarn spare, and I really didn't want to keep them as scraps, or throw them, or make a second smaller chain. So I horded them, until now.
Someone in the TVB fb group linked a pattern for Christmas lights (I can link, but given what I'm about to say it may be better not to!), but I didn't like it because it involved making two flat pieces and then stitching them together. Life's too short in my opinion. Plus I wasn't sure if I had enough yarn for two separate pieces plus stitching - they really are very tiny scraps - so I made up my own that is done in the round.
I am planning on making two chains: one using semi-solid scraps and one using variegated scraps. I think these would also look fab in a single colour though, or maybe alternating colours!
If you make these, I'd love to see! Tag me on social media @starfishbabywear to share them with me!
Check back later on in the year to see how I join them all together!
If you want the backstory, do continue to read this next bit, but if not feel free to skip on directly to the pattern further down; I shan't hold it against you!
Be sure to check back in a few months for instructions on joining them all together!
Backstory (aka, I talk a lot, even when I'm typing...)
One of the things I've done this year which is totally new for me is subscribed to a yarn club (actually, I subscribed to two!). If you're unfamiliar with a yarn club, it's literally a subscription box which shows up on your doorstep once a month (or bi-monthly, or quarterly) filled with yummy yarn (and sometimes other goodies too).As I said, I subscribed to two: a little monthly one and a bigger quarterly one.
The little one is a cotton paper chain club from Three Violet Buttons, and will, over the year, build up to make a long paper (cotton) chain to decorate the house at Yuletide!
After making each of my links (which I will detail in another post) each month I was left with a couple of grams of yarn spare, and I really didn't want to keep them as scraps, or throw them, or make a second smaller chain. So I horded them, until now.
Someone in the TVB fb group linked a pattern for Christmas lights (I can link, but given what I'm about to say it may be better not to!), but I didn't like it because it involved making two flat pieces and then stitching them together. Life's too short in my opinion. Plus I wasn't sure if I had enough yarn for two separate pieces plus stitching - they really are very tiny scraps - so I made up my own that is done in the round.
The pattern
You'll need:
- a 4mm hook
- a few grams of scrap yarn - I'm using handdyed cotton DK by TVB
- some stuffing
- needle to sew in ends
- later on you'll need another yarn to join, but not yet
Other stuff worth knowing
- This is relatively easy, but it can be tricky to do small rounds if you aren't very confident with working in the round, so feel free to practice a bit first
- I use US crochet terms, even though I'm British, because the UK ones are stupid (imo)
- The rounds are worked continuously; you may need to use a stitch marker to help you keep track of the beginning of the round - move it up a stitch each time you pass it
- You'll need to know how to do a magic circle and an invisible decrease - I'll hunt out some good tutorials for anybody who doesn't know how to do these
Lights
Round 1: Sc 6 in magic circle, pull tight. Weave the end in as you work.
Round 2: [Sc 2, sc 2 in next stitch] x2 = 8sc.
Round 3: Sc 8.
Round 4: [Sc 3, sc 2 in next stitch] x2 = 10sc.
Round 5: Sc 10.
Round 6: [Sc 4, sc 2 in next stitch] x2 = 12sc.
Rounds 7 & 8: Sc 12. Stuff firmly.
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| Round 8 completed |
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| Adding stuffing |
Round 9: [Sc 1, invisible decrease sc] x4 = 8sc.
Round 10: 3 invisible decreases. Fasten off. Stuff extra stuffing with the end of a thin hook to fill up the gap at the top. Weave in end.
And there you go!
Each one will measure around 1.5 inches from top to bottom.
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| Thin hooks are good for poking stuffing into tiny holes! |
And there you go!
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| Aren't they cute?! |
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| Against my fingers |
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| So many colours! |
I am planning on making two chains: one using semi-solid scraps and one using variegated scraps. I think these would also look fab in a single colour though, or maybe alternating colours!
If you make these, I'd love to see! Tag me on social media @starfishbabywear to share them with me!
Check back later on in the year to see how I join them all together!
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