So, December 2020: we’re still stuck in houses, and Christmas is looking a little different to usual. My kids have been requesting that we put more decorations in the front of our house than usual, so everyone that is walking by can see them. These banners are my contribution to this year’s window display. If you want to send some festive love to family and friends, why not make an extra banner so they can hang it up in their window, and you can be connected across the miles?

The Christmas in the Windows banners are perfect for hanging in windows, or on walls. The pattern is written for one basic banner that can be decorated with your choice of three intarsia motifs: a Christmas Tree, a wreath or the words HAPPY XMAS. The patterns for the intarsia portions are provided as both charts and written instructions. If you’re not a fan of intarsia, you can knit the banner without any colourwork and use duplicate stitch to add the motif at the end.

Each banner uses a small amount of aran weight yarn in a limited palette, and is perfect for stash-busting, or you could buy the yarn you need and make a few extra Christmas banners for friends and family from your leftovers.

Sizes
One size: 30.5 cm 12.25 in wide x 30 cm 12 in high

Tension
18 sts and 25 rows = 10 cm 4 in in stocking stitch worked flat on 5 mm (US 8) needles after wet blocking, or size needed to obtain correct tension.

Yarn
You will also need aran-weight yarn in the following colours and amounts, depending on which design you are making:

Christmas Tree

• MC (navy blue): 130 m (145 yds)
• A (red): 5 m (10 yds)
• B (orange): 5 m (10 yds)
• C (yellow): 5 m (10 yds)
• D (green): 35 m (40 yds)
• E (blue): 5 m (10 yds)
• F (purple): 5 m (10 yds)

Wreath

• MC (navy blue): 130 m (145 yds)
• A (red): 25 m (30 yds)
• B (orange): 5 m (10 yds)
• C (yellow): 5 m (10 yds)
• D (green): 50 m (55 yds)
• E (blue): 5 m (10 yds)
• F (purple): 5 m (10 yds)

HAPPY XMAS

• MC (navy blue): 130 m (145 yds)
• A (red): 20 m (25 yds)
• G (cream): 25 m (30 yds)

Needles
* 5 mm (US 8) straight needles

Notions

• Fixed stitch markers x 2
• Tapestry needle
• Bobbins for holding the different yarn colours during colourwork (optional)
• Chart row marker (optional)
• 2 lengths of dowel, 35 cm 14 in in length and 1 cm 0.5 in in diameter
• Hanging thread
• PVA glue (optional)

Pattern notes
The sample is knitted in Paintbox Yarns Simply Aran (aran, 184 m per 100 g ball, 100% acrylic) in 237 Midnight Blue (MC), 213 Rose Red (A), 219 Blood Orange (B), 222 Buttercup Yellow (C), 228 Lime Green (D), 239 Sailor Blue (E), 247 Pansy Purple (F) and 202 Champagne White (G).

Instructions are provided for three designs. For each design, you will need to print out the written instructions for the plain banner (page 3) and either the chart or written instructions for the picture of your choice:
1. Christmas Tree
a. Chart, page 4
b. Written instructions, page 5
2. Wreath
a. Chart, page 6
b. Written instructions, pages 7-8
3. HAPPY XMAS
a. Chart, page 9
b. Written instructions, page 10

The pattern is designed to be worked using intarsia for the colourwork portions. If you prefer, you can work the banner in a single colour, then add the colour work at the end using duplicate stitch – the yardages given should be sufficient for you to complete the banner this way. Links to introductions to intarsia and duplicate stitch are provided in the Resources section. You may wish to use a combination of intarsia, stranded colourwork and duplicate stitch to minimise ends.

Pattern edited by Jo Torr.