Have that person on your list who is hard to make for? Try an ornament for their tree!
Design Story and Inspiration for This Knitted Ornament Pattern
It’s that time of year again where I design for my annual Holiday Maker’s Challenge!! This is the 7th year that I have done the challenge, and I’m excited to be doing it again!
I designed this pattern as part of the 2025 Holiday Maker’s Challenge, where we encourage each other to work to our holiday deadline. There are a few criteria for our patterns in the challenge, which are:
1. Uses stash yarn
2. Is easy to intermediate
3. Is small so it doesn’t take a long time to make
4. Is well received by gift recipients
This pattern is great because it uses up scrap worsted weight yarn AND it’s a perfect gift for those hard-to-make-for people (you know who I’m taking about!). Who doesn’t want a handmade ornament for their tree??
Yarn Options for Knitted Ornaments
For this pattern, I used Lion Brand Wool Easy Recycled, which is a category #4 worsted weight yarn. This is the most common weight of yarn, so you probably already have this weight of yarn in your stash!
This pattern uses way less than a skein, so grab some stash yarn and get busting!
Pattern Details for this Knit Ornament Pattern
This pattern is worked flat and seamed. I know many knitters (myself included at first!) who aren’t comfortable or don’t like working in the round, but there aren’t as many patterns out there for flat knitting 3D items, so I decided to work this one flat.
Basic Knit Ornament
What You’ll Need
Yarn: Lion Brand Wool Ease Recycled, Worsted weight #4, 1 skein Olive or Needles: US Size 7 (4.5mm) straight needles
Notions: Yarn needle, fiberfill, ornament top, scissors
Finished Size: Approximately 4” in diameter
Gauge: 20 sts and 40 rows = 4” in St stStitch Abbreviations
Knit (k)
Purl (p)
Special Stitches
Make 1 Right (M1R) – insert left needle point, from back to front, under the horizontal bar joining the last stitch on the right needle to the first stitch on the left needle. Knit through the front loop.
Make 1 Left (M1L) – insert left needle point, from front to back, under the horizontal bar joining the last stitch on the right needle to the first stitch on the left needle. Knit through the back loop.
Slip slip knit (ssk) – slip first st knitwise, slip second stitch purlwise, insert LH needle into fronts of stitches and knit together
Knit 2 together (k2tog) – insert needle into next 2 sts knitwise and knit as one
Pattern Notes
Ornament pattern is written with a selvedge stitch on each side for sewing seam with the mattress stitch. If you choose to work this pattern in the round, omit the 2 edge stitches.
Basic Knit Ornament Pattern
Cast on 14 sts.
Row 1 (RS): Knit
Row 2 and all even rows (WS): Purl
Row 3: K1, (k3, M1L) 4 times, k1 – 18 sts.
Row 5: K1, (M1R, k4, M1L) 4 times, k1 – 26 sts.
Row 7: K1, (M1R, k6, M1L) 4 times, k1 – 34 sts.
Row 9: K1, (M1R, k8, M1L) 4 times, k1 – 42 sts.
Row 11: K1, (M1R, k10, M1L) 4 times, k1 – 50 sts.
Row 13: K1, (M1R, k12, M1L) 4 times, k1 – 58 sts.
Row 15: K1, (M1R, k14, M1L) 4 times, k1 – 66 sts.
Rows 16-24: Work in St st, knit all RS rows and purl all WS rows
Row 25: K1, (ssk, k12, k2tog) 4 times, k1 – 58 sts.
Row 26 and all even rows: Purl.
Row 27: K1, (ssk, k10, k2tog) 4 times, k1 – 50 sts.
Row 29: K1, (ssk, k8, k2tog) 4 times, k1 – 42 sts.
Row 31: K1, (ssk, k6, k2tog) 4 times, k1 – 34 sts.
Row 33: K1, (ssk, k4, k2tog) 4 times, k1 – 26 sts.
Row 35: K1, (ssk, k2, k2tog) 4 times, k1 – 18 sts.
Row 37: K1, (k2, k2tog) 4 times, k1 – 14 sts.
Finishing
Cut yarn, leaving a long tail. Weave tail through remaining sts and pull tightly to close. Use tail to seam ornament using the mattress stitch, stuffing firmly with fiberfill as you go. Close cast on stitches by weaving yarn through and pulling tightly to close.
Attach ornament top by tying or using hot glue (it’s a great use for a top off a broken ornament!).
Weave in ends.
Final Thoughts on the Basic Knit Ornament Pattern
I hope you enjoy this pattern as much as I enjoyed designing it!!
Join me for our seventh annual holiday challenge – but only until December 25!
Happy Knitting!
Amanda
