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.
Knitted Felted Pickle:
CO 18 stitches (less if you would like a thinner pickle) on one double pointed needle and then divide the18 stitches onto two more DP needles; the fourth needle is for knitting in the round. Join to knitting in the round place marker, careful not to twist the stitches. Knit 3 rounds then after marker ins. 2 stitches on each of the 3 needles second stitch in now you have 24 stitches. Continue to knit until piece measures 4” or ½ of 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 DEC stitches.
K1 decease K2 together repeat K1. Knit 2 rounds next round decease 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 Pickle
CO 18 stitches (less if you would like a thinner pickle) on one double pointed needle and then divide the18 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 in 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 piece measures 3” from the middle. Next round begin to decrease stitches. K1 decease K2 together repeat K1. Knit 2 rounds next round decease 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 decease 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.
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.