12 different designs using a range of techniques to provide a wide variety of Christmas Balls for your tree. This pattern enables you to show off your knitting skills and perhaps acquire some new ones. All designs come with detailed instructions and, where applicable, charts. There are also additional instructions for some of the techniques and suggestions for instructional videos.

Three of the balls are designed to be knit flat, two can be knit either in the round or flat (instructions are given for both methods), and seven are designed to be knit in the round. Techniques used include German short rows, intarsia, knitting with beads, mosaic knitting and Fair Isle/stranded knitting.

Each ball uses approximately 8g of fingering weight yarn. I used Cascade 220 Fingering for most of my balls, but any fingering weight yarn should work. This makes a great stash-buster!

Needle size: 2.75mm. Most balls use either a 24-inch circular needle or double-pointed needles (dpns). The Rainbow and Tinsel Balls use a circular needle plus two dpns.

The balls are stuffed using toy stuffing or natural wool stuffing. My preference is for natural wool stuffing, as it produces a firmer ball,.

Certain designs use extra materials, including metallic yarn, mohair yarn, beads, felt and other decorative items. The Polka Dot balls uses 212 size 6/00 seed beads and a 1.3mm crochet hook.

Gauge
30 stitches/40 rows = 4” of stocking/stockinette stitch

Dimensions
The size of ball depends on things such as your gauge and the degree to which you stuff it. Most of my balls are approximately 3 - 3.5 inches (7.5 - 9 cm) in diameter. The Mosaic Ball, us smaller (2.5 - 2.75 inches/6.5 - 7 cm) because the gauge in mosaic knitting is smaller than in other knitting.