I’ll admit. This is an undeniable, distraction crafting. Giving me something else to think about. Turning yarn into a knotted object. Concentrating on the number of stitches on each needle rather than the thought of one of my children heading off to mainland Europe for a few days. Without one of us.
Knit, knit, knit 2 together, knit.
Mistletoe. Knitted. Couldn’t resist. I’m going to make a whole bunch of these. Bundle them up as a ball. Just like the ones you see high up in the trees.
Not that it grows in our garden. The number of times, I’ve tried rubbing mistletoe berries on to the branches of our apple trees. Even chatting to the numerous black birds that call our patch their home. No luck so far.
Every winter solstice, along with the yule log, we bring fresh greenery into the house. Using it to decorate our home for the twelve days of Christmas. It is one of my favourite days of the year. I usually buy a sprig of mistletoe.
I thought this year it might be fun to knit my own, as well. I found a pattern in this book. It uses double pointed needles (dpns), which confused me at first. I’m used to using dpns for 3D knitting like socks, but this is flat. Turns out that it can all be done using ordinary needles, except the stem.
I loved knitting the stem. It reminds me of an old style typewriter. Type away until you reach the end of the line, and then, ping, the top part shoots back to the start of the the row.
Same with this. Except I had to supply my own sound effects. And movement. Knit away, reach the end and then, ping, shuffle the stitches back to the start again. No turning it around. Just two stitches, but they still needed to be slid to the other end of the needle, before knitting the next row.
I’ve made it sound complicated, but it really isn’t. I was so carried away, I made the stalk too long and had to undo some of it. This is now my new favourite way of knitting a stalk. Or cord.
My first mistletoe is finished. It took no time. Needless to say, not one of the family left this morning without me pecking their cheeks under my knitted mistletoe.
I’m going to knit another one tonight and slip it into Eldest’s luggage. She leaves soon.
Knit 2 together, knit.
Although I may just check that Germany doesn’t have any adverse folklore when it comes to mistletoe. Not a good start.
It’s not her first time away from us. She’s been abroad before. I’m almost as excited as her. Almost.
Knit, knit, knit in front and back of next stitch, knit.
Knit, cast off.
Love the door, and the mistletoe of course.
That’s our front door. Not that we use it much, as you can probably tell by the overgrown rose and honeysuckle peeping in the shot. 🙂
Lovely, lovely cheryl. We have just put a lock to use our front door from the outside, as the previous owner neglected to do so, and the same on the conservatory. We tend to go out through the cellar to the car but I have just started to come in the front with the shopping and this is much easier. The front door is getting a lot of use at the moment with deliveries coming for Christmas!
So few of my neighbours and friends use their front doors, although they all have seasonal wreaths when the time is right. I can quite believe that a front door wouldn’t be set up for opening from outside. Everyone always uses t’other door. Glad you’ve found it easier to use your door now it’s set up to open.
Love the mistletoe ..I read the title thought… darn it I can’t get that…. and then it’s knitted! So I can!
Thank you
(sympathy for the parent worry …totally get it)
Oh and I found a blog that I haven’t explored yet but on first glimpse think you may enjoy it too?
robertefuller.blogspot.com
Oh, Val, thank you. I really appreciate the sympathy. Mixture of excited and nervous. Trying to stride with confidence…
Had a quick look at the blog. Amazing photos and art, but its the trampolining stoat that really caught my attention. Fabulous. Thank you.