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25 Free Christmas Tree Home Decor Projects

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Expand beyond your Christmas tree itself with these tree- themed home decor projects from Yarnspirations!

25 Free Christmas Tree Home Decor Projects

Christmas Trees Alone

Knit, crochet and craft these trees for your tabletop, mantel, dresser, or other flat surface that needs some holiday style!

Christmas Trees Free Crochet Pattern

Tree-Themed Decor

Trees can be made on throws, into scrubbies, into wall decor, and more!

Yarn Pom Pom Wall Tree Free Craft Pattern

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Garter Stitch Lace Knit Scarf Pattern

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Back in 2013 Love of Knitting published my Shangri-La Scarf / Shawl Pattern. This garter stitch lace knit scarf pattern is designed so that you can easily adapt into a shawl if you desire a warmer wrap. The pattern is now available for sale directly through Ravelry.

What Is a Garter Stitch Lace Knit Scarf?

As you know, garter stitch is one of the simplest knitting techniques. As soon as you learn to knit stitch, you learn garter stitch. After all, it’s just rows of repeating the knit stitch. This pattern is designed to have a garter stitch border all the way around the edges.

Garter Stitch Lace Knit ScarfShawl Pattern

The center that makes up the design detail of the scarf is lace knit. I’ve created a repeating openwork pattern that has a very pretty geometric design. The bold angles of the design combined with the soft beauty of the yarn work together for strong visual impact.

In this case, then, a garter stitch lace knit scarf refers to a pattern that is primarily lace knit with a garter stitch frame around it.

Use Your Luxury Yarns On This Pattern

This garter stitch lace knit scarf pattern is named after the yarn originally used in the design. Unfortunately, Bijou Bison Ranch has closed its doors in the time since I designed this pattern for them. The owners retired, and their website now goes to a different yarn seller. However, the pattern still stands strong on its own merit. I recommend that you find a comparable luxury yarn to use in the design.

The original yarn was a yak/silk yarn blend. It was 50% of each, making for a very soft, warm yarn that also had lightness and sheen. MYak has a blend that looks very similar, although admittedly I haven’t had a chance to try it out myself. Similarly, Expression Fiber Arts has a blend like this that they describe as “amazing, SOFT, lustrous, luxurious, creamy, rich, vibrant yarn that is hard to ignore.” That’s exactly the type of yarn that you want for this project!

Learn why it is good for you to use your luxury yarns!

A Scarf/ Shawl in 3 Sizes

Oftentimes we write knit scarf patterns for one size only. However, it’s a lot more interesting if we make them more versatile, isn’t it? Some people enjoy skinnier scarves whereas others really want to be wrapped in a cozy shawl-size scarf instead. In fact, you might prefer one over the other at different times depending on the season and what you’re styling it with.

That’s why I’ve designed this pattern for three different sizes:

  • The small size is 14 3/4″ wide x 61″ long.
  • The medium size is 20 1/2″ wide x 71″ long.
  • The large size is 25 1/4″ wide x 81″ long.

Of course, once you get the hang of the pattern repeat, you could make your shawl even wider if you wanted to! Have fun with this pattern.

Shangri-La Lace Knit Scarf or Shawl Pattern

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Can Machines Crochet?

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There are cars on the roads that practically drive themselves. There are people going into space for tourism. Whether you love it or hate it, technology is amazing. But you know what’s even more amazing? Despite all of those advances in technology, there are certain things that only work right when we do them by hand. A lot of people ask, “can machines crochet?” Despite the fact that there are so-called crochet machines out there, the answer is a resounding no.

machines can't crochet

Knitting Machines and Weaving Machines and Sewing Machines

We do have machines for all different types of crafts. Of course, everyone knows that we have sewing machines for both individual and industrial sized projects. As you might know, weaving machines and knitting machines also exist. That said, there are still plenty of people who knit, weave, and even sew by hand. There’s just something to be said for the handmade touch.

Handmade: Made With Love

You’ve probably seen, and maybe even used, the phrase “handmade with love.” When you take the time to sit down and stitch something piece by piece, loop by loop, you are dedicating your time, energy, and yes, love to that piece. The piece gets infused with that energy and spreads to the people you gift with your creations.

The Benefits of Crafting By Hand

As we’ve discussed in various posts on this blog over time, knitting and crochet offer a diverse array of mental and physical health benefits. You can heal from grief and trauma, work through depression and anxiety symptoms, and practice mindfulness meditation through crafting. While some might argue that you can do with a sewing machine, there’s definitely something unique about the tangible benefits of seeing yarn move through your hands to become a handcrafted item.

Can Machines Crochet?

So, even if the answer to “can machines crochet” were to be yes, a lot of people would still choose to crochet by hand. Perhaps that’s why there’s never been deep investment into creating crochet machines. That said, there are machines out there that are marketed as such. These mostly exist at the industrial level. For example, if you search for Comez crochet machines, you’ll find products that they call as much.

However, the truth is that machines can’t crochet the way that people can. Knitting and crochet, although so similar in many ways, have key differences. In knitting, of course, you pull up a bunch of live loops onto the needle in each row. In contrast, in crochet, you pull up one loop at a time and essentially bind it off at the end of each loop. Knitting machines are able to replicate the stitchwork of that craft. However, there are no crochet machines that can replicate the loop-by-loop design of crochet.

Crochet Is Always Handmade

Therefore, if you see crochet fabric in a store, then you’re looking at one of two things:

  • A machine made it, in which case it’s not crocheted. Look closer and you’ll see that it’s some other lace variation on knitting.
  • It was made by hand. As a result, you want to source finished crochet items carefully in the marketplace to make sure that the maker is getting paid fairly for that hard work!

Did you know that machines can’t crochet?

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Fun, Colorful Stitch Sampler Knit Cowl Pattern

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The Game Changer Cowl is an easy, but interesting, knit cowl design. It uses fairly easy stitches, which allows even an advanced beginner to tackle this project with easy. Yet, the variation among the stitches keeps the attention of even the most advanced knitters. Combine those stitches with five different colors, and you get a really unique designs. This stitch sampler knit cowl pattern is truly that perfect project.

Fun, Colorful Stitch Sampler Knit Cowl Pattern

Game Changer Cowl Pattern

I originally designed this pattern for last year’s Game Day Mystery Make-Along. This is a day-long annual event where knitters and crocheters come together to craft something new while watching the big game. Whether or not you like sports, you can enjoy this day of crafting.

I have to choose the designs for this type of project carefully. On one hand, it has to be easy enough that you can quickly craft each section. After all, the point is to complete the project in one day. On the other hand, you don’t want to get bored as you knit or crochet. While you might want some mindless repetition within sections, you also want variation between sections. That’s what keeps you inspired enough to craft through to the end of the game.

The Game Changer Cowl Pattern fits the bill. You change colors frequently enough to keep yourself entertained with the color play that’s unfolding. Moreover, this is a stitch sampler knit cowl pattern, which means that you also change stitch designs regularly. This is a great way to practice stitches as well as to keep the project interesting.

Colorful Stitch Sampler Knit Cowl Pattern

One of the things that sets this stitch sampler knit cowl pattern apart from others is that it also incorporates a lot of fun color play. You’ll choose five different colors to make this design. In each section, you’ll use more than one color. Therefore, you get to combine stitch variations with color variations. The result is a truly unique cowl design. Even though the stitches themselves are pretty simple, their variation combined with the colorful design makes for an eye-catching stand-out accessory.

The Latvian Braid Detail

When I did BiCrafty Bootcamp: Beginner Knitting Lessons for Crocheters, I introduced everyone to the Latvian Braid. This surprisingly easy technique ended up being one of the most popular parts of the course. Beginner students loved that they got to learn something that looks so difficult, although it isn’t. Advanced knitters were excited to learn something new that wasn’t already in their repertoire. If you’re not familiar with the technique, it’s a great one. And I’ve incorporated into this stitch sampler knit cowl pattern.

What You’ll Need for Stitch Sampler Knit Cowl Pattern

Here are the materials that you’ll need in order to complete this project.

Yarn 

Red Heart Chic Sheep by Marly Bird™ (100% wool, 3.5 oz / 100 g, 186 yd / 170 m), Multi Color Sample used 1 ball of each color (finished weight is 188 g). You can choose five colors that you like best together. Here’s what I chose:

  • Color A— CA — Suede
  • Color B— CB — Velvet
  • Color C— CC — Linen
  • Color D— CD — Regal
  • Color E— CE — Sunset

Needle 

Size 9 (5.5mm), 24” circular knitting needle

Notions

Stitch Marker (make your own), Tapestry needle to bury the ends (learn how here)

Stitch Sampler Knit Cowl Pattern

Finally, of course, you’ll need the pattern in order to complete this project.

You can get it free on the site here. Alternatively, buy an ad-free PDF on Ravelry.

stitch sampler knit cowl free pattern

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Crochet Chicken Hat Takes World By Storm

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Have you seen the crochet chicken hat lady? She started to gain attention online a few years ago. Now she’s really trending. People all over the word have fallen in love with the cute little hats that she makes for chickens to wear. Adorably, she calls herself a “chicken milliner.” That’s right, she designs unique, adorable, fashionable hats for chickens.

Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links. I receive a percentage of sales made from those links. Your price doesn’t change. I appreciate this support!

Crochet Chicken Hat Designs by HereChookChook
Images by HereChookChook

Who Is The Crochet Chicken Hat Lady?

Mandy Watts is an Australian woman who started a business for years ago making crochet chicken hats. Thanks to the power of social media, people all around the world began to take notice. As a result, she now has a thriving business creating these cute crochet hats for chickens everywhere. You can follow her on Instagram and on Etsy.

What Is a Chook?

If you checked out Mandy’s social media, then you might have noticed her business name: Here Chook Chook. What is a chook? It’s Australian slang for a chicken. Mandy has shared that she grew up around chooks. She’s always loved them, and she has close to a dozen of her own now.

Interestingly, she also shares that her chooks helped her through her grief. In less than five years, she lost a son, sister, and father. Sitting outside watching the chickens peck gave her focus and made her smile. We know that crochet can also help us heal through grief, so it’s no surprise that the crochet chicken hat business came into being!

Learn More About The Crochet Chicken Hat Lady

Check out this YouTube video that allow you to see her adorable little creations in action:

In this video, Mandy shares how Australian Poultry Magazine did a Facebook post showcasing her crochet chicken hats. The post got over one million views. As a result, she was inundated with requests for her makes.

She shows off her seasonal crochet chicken hats – the Christmas ones you see shared here in this post as well as witch hats for Halloween, etc. However, she says that the viking crochet hat for chickens is probably her most popular design. People also like the bonnets and top hats.

Mandy Watts In a Chicken Book

this chicken life book includes the crochet chicken hat lady

A 2019 book called This Chicken Life features Mandy. The book is all about “chickens and the people who love them.” Specifically, it’s about modern day Australians who love chickens. It has stories of rescue chickens, Instagram chickens, and chicken therapy. The book shares the story of how it all began for Mandy. She saw a chicken wearing a toy cowboy hat on a friend’s post, decided to start crocheting hats for her own chickens, and social media took delight in her makes. It all developed from there. This is such great inspiration to just follow your own passions and see what unfolds!

Knit and Crochet Chicken Hat Patterns

Mandy Watts doesn’t actually use crochet patterns. People send her ideas for new hats, and she just sits down and designs them. She doesn’t write up her patterns. You can draw inspiration from this and come up with your own original designs!

However, if you’re looking for knit and crochet chicken hat patterns, we’ve found some for you. We noticed that if you simply search for crochet chicken hat patterns, you’re going to get a lot of patterns for humans featuring chickens as the design. Those are great, too, of course. However, if you want to crochet hats for chickens, then check out these options:

  • UniquelyMore on Etsy has clearly been inspired by Mandy’s designs. She primarily sells finished items. However, she does have crochet patterns for sale, including a crochet chicken hat with a gingerbread man pattern for the holidays.
  • Instructables has a knit chicken hat pattern. This is a simple stockinette knit hat, made tiny for the chickens. This will also give you an idea of general chicken hat sizes, which can help you in knitting or crocheting your own designs.

And if you happen to have an Addi Knitting Machine, then check this out:

Alternatively, you can search for tiny knit and crochet hat patterns. They might not originally be intended for chickens, but worked small, they can absolutely be adapted to this end. For example, a few years back, Knithacker shared a tiny knit witches hat, originally designed as a keychain object or fascinator, that was adapted to a chicken hat.

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36 Free Knit and Crochet Snowman Patterns

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Snowmen are an enduring sign of winter! Whether or not it snows in your town, bring some of that winter spirit into your home with these soft snowmen you can knit and crochet! Yarnspirations has three dozen knit and crochet snowman patterns for you to delight in. From ornaments to stuffies, you’ll find a lot of fun winter makes rounded up here.

knit and crochet snowman patterns

Knit and Crochet Snowman Ornaments Patterns

Handmade ornaments on the tree add a special touch that’s unique to your home. These knit and crochet snowman patterns are all designed to decorate your Christmas tree. However, you can also hang them on doorknobs or throughout the home. String a set of them together to make a garland. Snowman ornaments aren’t specific to Christmas after all. Instead, they represent the beauty and whimsy of winter. Decorate with them all season long.

crochet snowman patterns for tiny ornaments

Knit and Crochet Snowman Stockings Patterns

Knit or crochet a stocking with a snowman’s face or entire body on it! This makes for a really fun, unique approach to Christmas stockings. They’re handmade, original, and fun. Children especially like the snowman character holding little surprises within. However, people of any age can enjoy these as gifts. Moreover, since these knit and crochet snowman patterns are more about winter than Christmas, so you can gift them to people even when you aren’t sure if they celebrate the major holiday.

Christmas Stocking Free Crochet Pattern

Knit and Crochet Snowman Patterns for Stuffies

These snowmen can go on the table or mantel to bring the outside in! Additionally, they can tuck right in with little kids to keep them cozy during the cold winter nights. They even make adorable gifts for teens and adults. Like the other knit and crochet snowman patterns, these aren’t specific to Christmas. Snowmen patterns are about celebrating winter fun, the wonder of nature, and the creativity of humans. Therefore, these patterns make for cute decor and gifts well into the new year.

Knitting Snowman Free Knitting Pattern

Snowman Home Decor (and baby outfit!)

Make pillows, baskets, garlands and more with snowmen on them — everything you need to decorate your home! Again, these all make wonderful patterns to decorate throughout the winter. Many of these also make terrific holiday gifts. Look at the mug hug, jar cozy, and gift card holder patterns to get started on those.

Plus, we found one cute baby snowman suit pattern! How adorable is that? Use it to dress a little one up for winter photos or holiday events. Or gift it to someone with a baby who could use a cute winter outfit!

Snowman Cozy Free Knitting Pattern

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