September 15, 2020 Saw fiveoaks66’s Bauble 22 and really loved the stranded tree - so different from most of the ones that I’ve seen. She told me that she was going to have a test knit for her new set of baubles and I volunteered to do the colorwork ones. I do love me some stranded colorwork holiday ornaments!

I started doing a swatch a few days ago. I really loath doing gauge swatches, but as it’s a test knit, I feel somewhat obligated. Plus, I’m trying out different yarns of slightly different weights (fingering Knit Picks Palette vs. light fingering Loops and Threads Woolike) and want to see what needles size works the best with the two different yarns. I’m kinda hoping the Woolike works out better, since I specifically bought this yarn for making ornaments, but if it turns out to be the KP Palette, then I can work it up in some crazy colour combinations.

As it’s in the round, I’m leaving strands across the back of the swatch so I can re-create the tension of stockinette worked in the round. I’ve never done a swatch this way before and it’s a little tricky. The stitches on the ends are really loose and getting the strands in the back to be long enough took a little practice, but I think I pretty much have the hang of it now. Of course, it is also totally possible that I’m completely over-thinking this and creating way too much work for myself.

Normally, I use fiberfill stuffing to fill out my balls, but fiveoaks66 uses plastic ornaments, which I still need to order.

Overall, I’m looking forward to how these come out!

Gauge
Knit Picks Palette (Unblocked)
Round Wooden US size 0 (2.0mm): 18 sts x 23.5 rows = 2”
Round Wooden US size 1 (2.25 mm): 17 sts x 22 rows = 2”

Loops and Threads Woolike (Unblocked)
Round Wooden US size 1 (2.25 mm): 18.5 sts X 24.5 rows = 2”
Round Wooden US size 1.5 (2.5 mm): 17.5 sts x 23.4 rows = 2”
Aluminum Alloy Square US size 2 (2.75 mm): 18 sts x 25 rows = 2”

22 g - 16 g = 4 g
0.75 oz - 0.6 oz = 0.15 oz.

4 g / 100 g = 0.04 skeins
678 yds x 0.04 skeins = 27.12 yds

October 15, 2020 Showed this off to my mom while she was between phone banking calls. Like me, she liked the tree. She’s been doing so much great work with writing post cards and making calls and I’m so proud of her, so I decided to give I this one as a thank you.