Grapes of Wrap Wine Cozy

 

Christmas is just two months away! Giving wine as a gift is an honored tradition, but you can step that up with a felted wine cozy.

Be a hit as a guest at the next holiday or dinner part by note only bringing the wine, but also wrapping it in this unique wine cozy. It is knitted on large double-pointed needles and felted to fit the bottle. Embellish this bag with felted grapes and leaves with a little bit of embroidery. If you have never tried felting before this is a great project to learn. It knits up quickly and you already have the form to fit the felted cozy around it - a wine bottle!

Click Grapes of Wrap for the PDF pattern on Ravelry.

http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/grapes-of-wrap-wine-cozy

Felted Poinsettia Pin for your Fa-La-La-La-la Fa-La-La-La Holiday Party

Felted Poinsettia Brooch

I had to go to a holiday party today in which the theme was ugly Christmas sweaters. Now I would like to think that I am way too fashionable to own an ugly Christmas sweater, so I got out my trusty needles to make my own. I used a simple leaf pattern that I have used so many times that I don’t remember where I even got it.  So I thought I would share it with you.

I still don’t think it made my sweater ugly.

PATTERN:

Scraps of 100% wool yarn in red, green and gold.

Sizes 8 and 5 needles

Six gold beads

Spools of thread in matching colors

Bar Pin

Gauge: Not critical

Leaves (Make 6):

With green yarn and size 8 needles, cast on 4 stitches.

Row 1: K all stitches

Row 2 and all even numbered rows: P all stitches

Row 3: K 1, kfb*, kfb, k 1 (6 stitches).

Row 5: K 1, kfb, k2, kfb, k1 (8 stitches).

Row 7: K all stitches.

Row 9: K1, SSK, K2, K2tog, k1. (6 stitches)

Row 11: K1 SSK, K2tog, k1 (4 stitches)

Row 13: SSK, K2tog (2 stitches). Cut yarn. Thread yarn with needle and pass through remaining 2 stitches.

    *Although most knitters use a knit in the front and back of one stitch to increase, I use a little method that creates a stronger line. I knit 1 stitch.

Then I pick up yarn from in front of the stitch I want to increase and knit it.

Then I knit the main stitch. This slants the increases to the right.

For the left slant, I knit the main stitch first. Then I pick up the yarn from the side and put it on the needle and knit it.

Flowers (Make 6):

With red yarn and size 5 needles, cast on 4 stitches.

Row 1: K all stitches

Row 2 and all even numbered rows: P all stitches

Row 3: K 1, kfb*, kfb, k 1 (6 stitches).

Row 5: K 1, kfb, k2, kfb, k1 (8 stitches).

Row 7: K all stitches.

Row 9: K1, SSK, K2, K2tog, k1. (6 stitches)

Row 11: K1 SSK, K2tog, k1 (4 stitches)

Row 13: SSK, K2tog (2 stitches). Cut yarn. Thread yarn with needle and pass through remaining 2 stitches.

Center (Make 1):

With size 8 needles and gold yarn, cast on 2 stitches.

Next Row: K1. In next stitch, k, p, k, p, k, p.

Next Row: K all stitches. Cut yarn. Thread yarn with needle and pass through all stitches and pull them together. Make a knot with the two ends.

Felting:

Put all piece in a lingerie bag or pillow case. Felt in machine on hottest cycle. I just put it in with my regular wash. Once the pieces are felted, trim the ends.  No need to weave in the ends. Felting secures them. Lie each piece flat to dry. I put a cookie sheet over the pieces to keep them flat.

Finishing:

With sewing thread, insert the needle through the bottom corner of a green leaf and then down through the other corner. Repeat sewing until all six are joined in a line. Attach the last leaf to the first leaf to form a circle. Draw the thread up to tighten. Knot ends.

Repeat the same technique with the red flower leaves.

Put the red circle on top of the green circle, placing the circles staggered. Tack the two circles together. 

Place the gold felted ball in the center and tack it down. 

Add beads around the gold ball.

Sew a pin bar to the back.

Attach your poinsettia pin to your ugliest sweater and wear to your next holiday party.