Christmas – Hooked on Häkelmaschen

A bit off topic – my little excursion into knitting

A gentle dive into my renewed love for knitting — from experimenting with gradient squares to tackling my first Christmas stocking and discovering the joy of learning new techniques along the way.

It’s already mid-November – just a few weeks left until Christmas.

Honestly, I have no idea where this year has gone.

Much of my year was influenced by health issues with my eye. They often forced me to pause and to slow down.

Over the months, I collected several different diagnoses, and I’m now recovering from a stay in the hospital and eye surgery. Further treatment will accompany me for another three months, and a small hole in my retina will likely remain.

Still, I’m hopeful that by spring, with new glasses, I’ll be able to see reasonably well again.

As difficult as all of this sounds, it also allowed me to discover and learn completely new things.

I have developed a new fondness for audiobooks – very calming companions! And I learned that knitting is far less demanding on my eyes than crocheting. So I picked up my needles again and began searching for a suitable project.

Squares – this time knitted not crocheted

Some time ago, I ordered a beautiful gradient yarn from Wool Warehouse in the UK: Yarnsmiths Lagoon. I had originally planned to crochet a blanket made of differently sized squares, but I had never quite settled on a pattern that would do the colours justice. Now I wondered whether knitting might bring out the gradient even better.

I used to knit a lot – mostly socks and fine doilies, in a kind of lace knitting known as Kunststricken here in Germany. Back then, I mostly followed patterns, without thinking too much about the basic techniques. Only now did I realise how little I actually knew about increasing, decreasing, or constructing simple shapes like squares.

So I researched and experimented a bit … I finally decided on a relatively simple variant: diagonally knitted in garter stitch. I think this best shows the gradient of the yarn. Besides, knitting garter stitch is very relaxing for me.

Aren‘t these colours beautiful?

Along the way, my search for different techniques and tutorials took me in another direction: colourwork, especially stranded knitting. I’ve always wanted to try it, but I never have…

My first Christmas Stocking

I discovered – or better re-discovered – Arne & Carlos, two Norwegian textile designers. Their work is full of charm and tradition. Every year, they have new Christmas-themed designs: a Christmas stocking and 24 Julekuler (baubles).

Right now they’re hosting a mystery knit-along (KAL) for their 2025 stocking. If you enjoy knitting, the KAL is free – and it‘s still time to join. Just have a look at their site.

I did not join the KAL so far, but I treated myself to the pattern for their 2024 Christmas KAL, Jingle Bells Stocking. A lovely design!

Now I just hope my stocking will be finished in time for Christmas – there is much to learn! And my progress is very slow!

A Christmas Stocking is just a single sock ?

No! It‘s a completely new challenge!

The stocking is worked from toe to cuff, something I’ve never done before. I tried Judy’s Magic Cast On and the Turkish Cast On; after a bit of practice, both worked beautifully. But knitting the first rounds with only 16 stitches proved fiddly, so I ended up using a long cast-on and will close it later.

Next will be the heel, which is a so-called afterthought heel that is knitted in afterwards — another ‚first‘ for me.

In the meantime, I’m still experimenting with how to hold the yarns. I usually knit continental style, holding one strand of yarn in my left hand. Two strands, however, feel quite strange. Trying to keep both colours in position and not mix up the threads affects my tension. It becomes too loose.

A view inside

If, like me, you have never done colourwork knitting before, here you can see the little strands, called floats, that emerge when the unused yarn is carried. They need to be held at the correct tension – not too loose and not too tight.

So I tried a mixture of continental and English style: holding the main colour in my left hand and ‚throwing’ the contrasting colour with my right. Not my style either – my tension becomes too tight.

Well, it’s probably only a matter of practice.

Still, I’m quite pleased with the result so far. For a first attempt, it doesn’t look that bad at all.

So I’ll keep knitting a little each day — without pressure, just for the fun of it. Sometimes that’s exactly what a creative hobby should be!

Testing the Wheel of What Square by A Yarn of Serendipity

I had the pleasure of testing the Wheel of What Square by A Yarn of Serendipity – a beautifully textured Afghan block that’s easy to customize with colours and perfect for mix-and-match patchwork blankets.

Last reviewed on May 12, 2026

A new design by Pam Knighton-Haener

A few months ago, back in August, I had the pleasure of testing another pattern for Pam Knighton-Haener of A Yarn of Serendipity. Pam has just released her beautiful new design: the Wheel of What Square.

The Wheel of What Square is another lovely Afghan block that perfectly complements all of Pam’s other designs. Like most of her squares, this one is designed in Aran / worsted weight yarn (#4). It measures about 11 or 12 inches, depending on whether a 4.5 mm or 5 mm crochet hook is used. All of Pam’s 11–12 inch squares share the same stitch count per side, so you can easily mix and match them to create a gorgeous patchwork blanket.

About the pattern

The pattern is rated as intermediate, but as always, Pam provides detailed, round-by-round photos that make it easy to follow along – even if you’re not an advanced crocheter.

Pam also includes two different colour versions in her pattern:

Version 1 uses four colours
Version 2 is worked in a single colour for a clean, classic look

My Test Version of the Wheel of What Square

For my test version I used Stylecraft Special DK from my stash and a 4 mm hook.

I opted for some light, summery colours.

As I used five colours in my version, it was difficult to stick to Pam’s original colour scheme.
As so often, I created my own combination – the one you can see on the left in the photo.

My finished square measures about 25 cm (10 in). It’s a little smaller than Pam’s sample simply because I used DK / light worsted yarn (#3), while she used Aran / worsted weight yarn (#4).

I‘m totally happy with how it turned out!

A Spark of Inspiration

I have to confess, after my square was finished and blocked, it was still lying on my desk for quite a while — I just didn’t get around to taking pictures. But seeing it every day sparked a new idea in my mind:

Every time I looked at it, I thought “This design would look amazing in Christmas colours!”

So of course, I had to try it!

My Wheel of What Christmas Version

For my Christmas version, I again used yarn from my stash – a mix of Stylecraft Special DK and Yarnsmiths Create DK, with the same 4 mm hook.

This time, I followed Pam’s Colourway 1, but replaced her shades with my own festive choices:

Colour A: 3090 Claret Red – Yarnsmiths Create DK
Colour B: 1824 Cypress – Stylecraft Special DK
Colour C: 3045 Off White – Yarnsmiths Create DK
Colour D: 1834 Lincoln – Stylecraft Special DK

And the result?

I absolutely love it!

The colours give the design such a warm and festive touch – perfect for the holiday season.

Final Thoughts

The Wheel of What Square is another beautifully written and well-thought-out design from Pam. It’s fun to crochet, looks amazing in any colour combination, and fits perfectly with her other squares.

If you’d like to try the Wheel of What Square yourself, you can find Pam’s pattern on Ravelry.

Pattern Link

Wheel of What Square on Ravelry

Something nice and small – Still feasible before Christmas

Are you celebrating Christmas and still looking for a little something to give as a gift or decorate? These two crochet patterns, Glittery Christmas Baubles and Sparkly Stars, are really quick to make and look fantastic.
I’ve had a lot of fun crocheting them over the last few days and have found them quite addictive. The yarn you use will make them look very different, so they don’t necessarily have to look Christmassy. It all depends on your preference.

Both patterns require very little yarn, so they are great for using up any leftovers.

Glittery Christmas Baubles

The pattern is from Ana Morais Soares from One Skein of Love.
As the name of the pattern applies, Ana has used glittery yarn in some parts. I did not have anything with glitter on hand – so mine are made with some leftover yarn from my Legacy Blanket.

A little side note: Yes, my Legacy Blanket is finally finished! To be precise, it’s been finished for about a fortnight now, but I haven’t managed to take some nice pictures yet. The weather here is mostly pretty grey at the moment – clouds, rain, or fog. I hope it gets better in the next few days!

Back to my baubles, I think they clearly show what I meant at the beginning – they look more rustic than glittery and Christmassy.

I’m totally in love with this look!

I used

Drops Lima (100 m / 50 g) – colour 100, Off White
Drops Merino Extra Fine (105 m / 50 g) – colour 07, Light Brown
Drops Merino Extra Fine (105 m / 50 g) – colour 15, Light Greyish Green

with a 3,5 mm hook.

The bauble itself consists of two halves that are sewn together. First, you crochet the two halves, then you join them together while inserting the bauble.
Ana used a Christmas bauble for this. Unfortunately, I didn’t have one that was the right size. So I put a polystyrene ball inside mine. It’s a 7 cm (2 3/4 inch) ball. The circumference is about 22 cm, just over 8.5 inches. It fits perfectly!

Of course, you can use various decorative stitches to join the two halves. Alternatively, if you prefer not to stitch them together, a crochet join, such as a simple zipper join, works very well.

I tried different joins, and the one shown on the left is my favourite.

It is made with slip stitches worked through the back loops. On each half, I inserted the hook top down, from outside to inside. I started with a slip stitch through the back loop of a stitch on the lower half, then slip stitched through the corresponding stitch on the upper half. And so on … It creates a nice kind of braided effect.

Sparkly Stars

Sparkly Stars is a pattern by Joy Clements from Crochet Road, which I spotted on Ravelry. These five-pointed stars are as quick to make and as addictive as Ana’s baubles. They can also be used simply as winter decorations.

Here, too, the final look can be influenced by the yarn and colours used.

The pattern offers two different sizes, contains detailed pictures and also a link to a video tutorial.

I used the same yarn and colours as for the baubles, but this time with a 4 mm hook. So again, no sparkle or glitter.

My small stars are about 9 cm and the tall ones about 14 cm.

Both patterns, the Glittery Christmas Baubles and the Sparkly Stars are available on Ravelry.

Glittery Christmas Baubles on Ravelry
Sparkly Stars on Ravelry

I will definitely make some more baubles and stars using different yarns.

Have a lovely time 💕

Little Christmas Wreath

A free pattern for a simple & cozy crochet decoration

Last updated : 5 June 2026

Back in 2023, I was looking for some easy-to-make Christmas decorations.

Although our home is furnished in a clean and simple style, I prefer my Christmas decorations to feel a bit more traditional and nostalgic. I had been looking for something like a candy cane or a classic Christmas wreath, and somehow that search sparked the idea to make my own. So I grabbed some yarn, picked up my hook, and got started…

I really love the result! And I thought I might as well write down the pattern and share it with you. Maybe you like it too…

For my wreaths, I used Schachenmayr Catania yarn and a 2.75 mm crochet hook. Each wreath has a diameter of about 6 cm, which is between 2 1/4 and 2 1/2 inches.

Catania is 100 % mercerised cotton yarn and has 125 m per 50 g.
Of course you can easily substitute it with any other sport weight cotton yarn.

My colours are

212 Khaki – for the wreath
192 Weinrot (Wine Red) – for decoration
105 Natur (Off White) – also for decoration

The pattern requires only need only small amounts of each color. So it’s also perfect for using up some leftovers.

These pattern also works with any other yarn weight. The only difference is that the size of the finished wreath may vary.

And of course you can use any other colour you like and decorate your wreath with whatever comes to your mind.

Some ideas for decoration

To decorate the little Christmas wreaths, you could, for example, simply sew on a few beads or little stars. Or cut out small shapes from felt and stick them on …

Unfortunately, I didn’t have any of these items on hand, so I focussed on what you can do with yarn.

I immediately thought of some ribbons and bows. But you can also just embroider some French Knots, as shown in the picture below (bottom right).

4 finished decorations belonging to the Little Christmas Wreath crochet pattern

Idea #1 – A simple red ribbon

photo showing details about decoration idea 1 belonging to the Little Christmas Wreath crochet pattern — The making of decoration idea #1

To create a small ribbon, I simply crocheted a round of slip stitches around the stitches of round 1. The ends of the ribbon were made of chains stitches and have been tied into a bow.

I used two different hook sizes:
– a 1.75 mm hook for the chain stithies, just to make them as small as possible
– a 3.5 mm hook for the slip-stitches to avoid them from being too tight

This is how idea #1 is made

For the slip-stitches, the yarn should be at the back of the work; for the chain stitches, however, it should be at the front.
- Therefore, insert the hook between any two hdc of round 1 and bring the yarn from back to front
Start with the smaller hook size. Make a slip knot and chain 22. My chain was about 7 cm / 2 3/4 inches long.
Switch to the larger hook size. Now work slip stitches around all the stitches of round 1, starting at the stitch to the left of where the yarn was brought to the front.
Switch to the smaller hook size again. Work another 22 chains.
Fasten off and secure the ends – either by tying a knot at each end, or by carefully sewing them away at the back
When the bow is tied, it may look a little bulky; simply shape it as desired and secure it with a thread as shown below (idea #2).

Idea #2 – A two-coloured bow

photo showing details about decoration idea 2 belonging to the Little Christmas Wreath crochet pattern — The making of decoration idea #2

This bow is made from a chain, approximately 15 or 16 cm (about 6 inches) long.

This is how idea #2 is made

As before, it’s best to use a smaller hook size to ensure the chains are nicely small. I used my 1.75 mm hook again.

The bow is made with two different colours (A and B). To get the striped effect, the colours are changed with every stitch.

Please note: You probably have to work a little more slowly and tighten the previous stitch slightly with each colour change.

Start with a slip knot on the hook using colour A.
Grab the colour B thread and make a chain.
Grab the colour A thread again to make the next chain
Continue like this until you reach the desired length

And a word about the yarn ends:

Like shown in the photo above, I simply cut off the yarn at the ends of the chain and untangled it a little. However, I didn’t really like the result!
So I made a second version and sewed the threads away at the back. You can see this one in the first photo at the top of the page. I think it looks better.

Idea #3 – A two-coloured ribbon

photo showing details about decoration idea 3 belonging to the Little Christmas Wreath crochet pattern — The making of decoration idea #3

A two-coloured alternative to idea #1

This is how idea #3 is made

For this two-coloured ribbon, again, the yarn is needed in the back to work the slip stitches. Start and end of the threads are needed on the front to make and tie the bow.
- So, bring the yarn to the front between any two stitches of round 1. Like in idea #1, but this time, two threads at once (colour A and B).
- Leave the tails long enough to tie the bow later. Mine we’re about 20 cm long
On the front side: start with a slip knot in one of the threads (colour A)
- Using colour A, slip stitch around the stitch directly to the left of the thread.
- Work the second slip stitch around the next stitch, using colour B
- Work the next slip stitch using colour A again – and so on

As with the two-coloured chain (idea #2), you will probably have to tighten the previous stitch a bit after the colour change.

At the end of the round, cut the yarn, again leaving a long tail. Bring the ends to the front and tie a bow. Then shorten the threads to the desired length.

In case you want to hang your wreaths, simply attach a thread, ribbon, or cord to the backside. Ensure it’s roughly aligned with the centre of the bow (where appropriate).

photo showing a Christmas decoration using the 'Little Christmas Wreath' — My Christmas decoration

Pattern Link

If you like my little Christmas Wreath and would like to make one too,

cover photo of the Little Christmas Wreath crochet patter — Little Christmas Wreath crochet pattern

you can download the free pattern here

The pattern is not tested. So, if you spot any errors or have any questions, don’t hesitate to contact me.
And please, feel free to add your projects to my Ravelry page.

Have fun 💕

Already August

Where has this year gone? Now it’s already August and I have the feeling that I can’t really finish any of my private projects. My Seashell Dudes, my When Summer turns into Fall blanket are still WIPs. My new blog is still not completely finished, let alone that I have already decided on a hosting provider.

But I have finished the test for Pam Knighton-Haener / A Yarn of Serendipity. It was quite a new experience because this time I checked the written instructions and also the videos she made for certain rounds. But more on that later when the pattern is published.

And I am working on a really big project: I am testing the pattern for a CAL that will probably start at the end of September! It will be a blanket in Overlay Mosaic technique but I can‘t reveal more yet …

I don‘t know how it is with you, but in Germany the summer 2021 is very changeable. It almost reminds me of the summers in my childhood when the climate crisis was not felt as clearly as it is now. We have quite a lot of rain and so far the heat waves that we had in the past few years have not materialized. Last year we had between 30 and 35 degrees Celsius around this time. I remember it so well because back then I tested Mosaic Christmas for BebaBlanket. That was a crazy feeling to test a Christmas pattern at 35 degrees!

Mosaic Christmas

was my second pattern in Overlay Mosaic. My first one was a placemat made with Chevron Apache Waves.I already mentioned it in this post. Mosaic Christmas is a pattern designed by BebaBlanket. It has charts for 4 different motifs, Christmas Trees, Snowflakes, gifts and an ornament that can be used as a separation.The main repeat goes over 45 stitches so the size is easily adjustable and you can create a lot of different items.

Mine was meant to be either a wall hanging or a table runner, it became a table runner.

I used Stylecraft Special Dk in Cypress and Cream. My Christmas Decoration is mostly red, so Green and White/cream is always a perfect match.

I only worked two repeats in width using the following layout

Ornaments / Christmas Trees / Gifts
Snowflakes
Gifts / Christmas Trees / Ornaments

I didn‘t work a border but crocheted over the tails. Today I would just do a double border because I think it is a great finish but since it was only my second Overlay pattern I was just scared about all the tails. :D

So, as it is already August, if you are looking for a nice Christmas project, here some more pics