Christmas in July! “It is a German tradition to hang a pickle-shaped ornament on the Christmas tree hidden away so it’s difficult to find. The first child to find it on Christmas morning gets a special treat or an extra present”. Last year I knitted and felted a pickle for my Christmas tree (Craft Gossip Post) and the kids hunted for the pickle and won $5 and they loved it, but they kept the pickle. So this year I will have a surplus of pickles while practicing to write this pattern. This is one of the first patterns I have written so help me out if you find it hard to understand or if I have made any mistakes. I have been asked by some readers where they could find a felted knit or crochet pickle patterns and I searched in vain to locate one with no luck so I created these. I used Lion Wool in Lemon Grass (COLOR) a soft and elegant worsted-weight 100% wool yarn on eknittingneedles.com 4 USA size 8 double pointed Bamboo needles and a size H Crochet Hook. For the crocheted pickle I used the same yarn and eknittingneedles.com Bamboo crochet hook. If you want your pickles smaller or larger increases or decrease the number of stitches and rows or rounds.
Knit Pickle:
CO 16 stitches (less if you would like a thinner pickle) on one double pointed needle and then divide the 16 stitches onto two more DP needles; the fourth needle is for knitting in the round. Join to knit in the round place marker, careful not to twist the stitches. Knit 3 rounds then after marker, increase 2 stitches on each of the 3 needles second stitch in now you have 24 stitches. Continue to knit until piece measures 4 and ½ inches or however long you wish your pickle to be. If you would like the pickle to have a bend in it,; on the middle needle k 1 slip stitches to the last K1. Repeat this pattern for 2 more rounds. Next round continue knitting until the pieces measures 3” from the middle. Next round begin decrease stitches. K1 decease K2 together repeat K1. Knit 2 rounds next round decrease by knitting 2 of the 3 remaining stitches together, cut yarn long enough to thread a needle to pull through the remaining stitches and pull tight and tie off.
Knit leaf
CO 3 on USA size 8
Row 1. knit 1 purl 1 Knit 1
Row 2. Purl 1 Knit 1 Purl 1
Row 3. 1 increase in first stitch Purl 1 Increase 1 in Last Knit stitch. 5 stitches
Row 4. Purl 2 Knit 1 Purl 2
Row 5. 1 increase in first stitch Knit 1 Purl 1 Knit 1 Increase 1 in Last Knit stitch. 7 stitches
Row 6. Purl 3 Knit 1 Purl 3
Row 7. Knit 3 Purl 1 Knit 3
Row 8. Repeat Row 6
Row 9. Knit 2 together for decrease Knit 2 Purl 1 Knit last 2 together
Row 10. Purl 2 Knit 1 Purl 2
Row 11. Knit 2 together Purl 1 Knit 2 together
Row 12. Purl 1 Knit 1 Purl 1
Cut yarn and thread through remaining 3 stitches, pull tight and tie off.
Crochet Felted Pickle
Chain 16 on size H Crochet Hook
Join with slips stitch
Single Crochet in every stitch for 1 ½ inches
Double crochet every other stitch making 24 stitches
Single Crochet into each stitch for 1 ½ more inches
Single Crochet into the next 2 (decreasing) stitches around until 16 stitches remain
Single Crochet around once more
Single Crochet into the next 2 (decreasing) stitches around until 8 stitches remain
Cut yarn and thread through the 8 reaming stitches put tightly and tie off.
Crochet leaf
Chain 10
Single Crochet into the first loop from chain
Single Crochet into second
Double Crochet 2 times into next stitch
Double Crochet 2 times into next stitch
Triple Crochet 2 times into the next 2 stitches
Double crochet next stitch
Single crochet Next stitch
Turn and work back down the chain repeating the pattern.
Cut thread trough tie off.
Tentacles:
Cut a couple of feet of the yarn wet in warm water and wrap around a this dowel or round chops stick secure with tape and allow to dry as in the picture. Slip off when dry.
Place pieces into a mesh bags or pillow case and place in you washer with hot water and soap and felt until stitches are not visible, about ½ hour to 45 minutes.
If you have any questions or corrections please contact me and if you would like a PDF file with pictures I can email it to you.