A Tree and a Tradition

We've decorated our tree today! Most people in Germany (at least all the people I know) decorate their tree later, usually on Christmas Eve or the day before. Ever since I've moved into my own appartment and had my own Christmas tree, I decorated the tree earlier - I just like it better this way, and thank god John doesn't mind either :)
It was nice today, we had Christmas music playing in the background and John managed to put the tree lighting on without cursing - the first time, I think :)
We've got mainly Christmas balls as ornaments, and our main color is a warm gold with some ornaments in white or silver.
We've also got some special ornaments that I'd like to show you today. We've got a little tradition: Five years ago, when John and I celebrated our first Christmas together, we had the idea to buy one special ball or other ornament every year. And here's our Christmas history so far:

2006 and 2007 we've visited the Christmas Market in Nuremberg, not far from us. It's quite a famous market and everything is sooooo romantic - when you watch the reports on TV :) So the next year (2008) we weren't in the mood for the Christmas Market and John found this cartoon ball in a supermarket and persuaded me. It doesn't really fit the style of the other balls, but somehow it's cute. The words mean: "Without you, Christmas sucks. Tree: sucks. Snowman: sucks." and so on :) The 2009 ornament is our favorite so far: an incredible fragile (and expensive) heart of glas with painting on it, bought in a gift shop.  I'm always afraid that one year I'll break it. So far, so good :)

Last year, 2010, we've been busy and almost forgot to buy an ornament, so the day before Christmas Eve, we've ran around town and finally bought this porcelain heart in a DIY Store. When I looked at it today, I thought it was a good choice after all:

This year - since it's my crochet year - I've decided early, that I wanted to make my own special crochet covered Christmas ball. Here it is, our special Christmas ornament 2011:

It took a while to make it: I didn't want to use a transparent plastic ball, but rather a real golden glass one. I had already expected to break a few balls and cut a few fingers, but everything worked out just fine :) First I've tried some given patterns from a Christmas crochet magazine, but either the size wasn't right for my ball, or the motif just didn't look good. In the end I took the pattern for a snowflake doily (from the same magazine), changed the center so that it would fit over the hanger of the ball, changed the number of stitches so that the fabric was ball-shaped, added a few beads, and closed the pattern at the bottom of the ball. Et voilá - another special Christmas ornament for our collection, and we're really looking forward to lots more :)

Bobble Wheel Ornament Pattern

Pattern: Made in K-Town by Barbara

Please respect my rights as designer: do not sell, share, translate, or publish any parts of this pattern (including pictures) online or elsewhere without my permission. Do not claim this pattern as your own. Feel free to sell the finished items you’ve made from my pattern! If you do, a link-back to my blog www.made-in-k-town.blogspot.de would be great.
Thank you! 

Material and some general notes:

I used small amounts of cotton yarn and a 2.5mm hook. The ornament is worked around a 4cm (1.6") plastic ring. I used simple and cheap curtain rings, they're available round or flat.

If you're using thicker/thinner yarn or a bigger/smaller ring, you'll have to adjust the number of stitches accordingly: any multiple of 2 will work, make sure you work enough stitches around the ring, because there's no increase in the second round (if you start with too few stitches, the ornament won't lie flat)! Example: for another ornament with acrylic yarn and a 3.5mm hook, I started with 32 stitches.

For this pattern I use US crochet terms. We’ll need the following stitches: chain stitch (ch), slip stitch (sl st), single crochet (sc), and treble (tr) (Yes, it's the US treble, we don't need any dcs here).

I don't like dealing with too many ends, so I don't cut the thread of my first color: I secure the loop, and just pick it up again for the last round, it looks quite inconspicuous.

You'll have to turn the work after the third round!

That's it, I hope - maybe we should start now :)

Pattern:

1st Round: Attach the yarn to the ring with a sl st, ch1, then work 42 sc into the ring, join with a sl st to the first sc (42 sc).

2nd Round Ch1, sc in the same st, ch1, skip the next stitch, then repeat (sc, ch1, skip the next stitch) around, join with a sl st to the first sc (21 ch1-spaces).

3rd Round Join a new color with a sl st to any ch1-space, ch1, then work (sc, ch2) into the same space and in every ch1-space around. (21 ch2-spaces). TURN!

4th Round Join (or pick up) your first color again with a sl st to the next ch2-space, ch1, then work (sc, treble, sc) into the same space and in every ch2-space around (21 "bobbles").

Fasten off, weave in the ends, and the Bobble Wheel is finished:

Here's the acrylic version with 32 stitches:

If you've got any questions, please let me know! :)

Some Christmas Ornaments

 

There are so many cute Christmas decorations out there, and I was amazed when I stumbled across Doni's "Ringing in Christmas" ornament series on Whiskers & Wool. Doni has already started this series on November the 1st, and so far she has shared seven ornament patterns, all worked around a 2" ring. They're all great, but I have only tried two patterns - (1) and (2) - so far:

(1) is Doni's Christmas Wreath Ring Ornament and (2) is her Lacy Snowflake Ring Ornament. It's easy and fun to crochet around a ring, and the results are lovely, so I was inspired to create my own little ornament (3), I call it "Bobble Wheel Ornament". I've already written down the pattern and will post it by the end of this week. (Edit: find the pattern here)

 

Make sure you check out Doni's great blog, the other ornaments are awesome, too! :)