24 April 2011

Spiral Tree

Spiral Tree by Pearlzenith
Spiral Tree, a photo by Pearlzenith on Flickr.

I've been experimenting with placement of increases and I'm really pleased with how the spiral turned out, but wanted to make a much taller tree if I'd had more yarn.

Also the tree refused to stand for the photo though it normally has no problems. I think the floor in the sun room slants towards the middle, even at the edges where I thought I was safe.

10 April 2011

Loppy Crocheted Tree

Loppy Tree

To make this tree, you will require:
1 skein Wool Ease Thick&Quick in Cilantro for the treetop
1 skein Wool Ease Thick&Quick in Taupe for the tree trunk
Size N crochet hook
About 7” of PVC pipe or 1” diameter dowel rod
A large button or bottle lid for the tree roots
Some fiberfill or other stuffing


Round 1: Using the Magic Adjustable Loop method and Cilantro yarn, chain two, then crochet six into the foundation loop. (6 single crochets this round)
Round 2: *Two crochet in the first stitch. * Continue around. (12 stitches)
Round 3: *Two crochet in the first stitch, one crochet in the next * Continue around. (18 stitches)
Round 4: *Two crochet in the first stitch, one crochet in the next two stitches. * Continue around (24 stitches)
Rounds 5&6: Crochet around. (24 stitches)
Round 7: Two crochet in the first three stitches. Crochet around. (27 stitches)
Round 8: *Two crochet in the first stitch, one crochet in the next. * Repeat two more times, then crochet to the end of the round. (30 stitches)
Round 9: In the first nine stitches, make a double crochet, then single crochet to the end of the round. (30 stitches)
Rounds 10&11: Crochet around. (30 stitches)
Round 12: *Decrease one, crochet three* Repeat around. (24 stitches)
Round 13: *Decrease one, crochet two.* Repeat around. (18 stitches)
Change yarn to Taupe (or whatever you've chosen for the trunk.)
Round 14: *Decrease one, crochet one.* Repeat around. (12 stitches)
Rounds 15&16: Crochet around. (12 stitches)
Round 17: *Decrease one, crochet two.* Repeat around. (9 stitches)
Rounds 18-22: Crochet around. (9 stitches)
Round 23: Two crochet in every stitch. (18 stitches)
Round 24: Crochet around. (18 stitches)
Round 25: In back loops, *crochet one, skip one stitch.* (9 stitches)
Now is when you stuff the treetop, leaving room for the top of the pipe or dowel to engage. Insert the pipe, and fluff the tree to make it cute. Place the button beneath the pipe. The decrease round you've just made will help keep the button in place while you finish off the bottom, but you'll probably want to hot glue it to the pipe or dowel to give the tree better stability.
Round 26: *Crochet two, skip the next stitch.* Repeat around.
Cut yarn, leaving a tail to gather stitches, and weave in the end.

Enjoy your tree!

Creative Commons License
Loppy Crocheted Tree Pattern by Anike Maj is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License.

08 April 2011

Knit Conifer Tutorial

Two Tree Forest
To make a tree you will require:


Any weight of yarn
A corresponding set of four double point needles - choose a size that will make a nice snug fabric, as you want the stuffing to stay inside the tree.

Note on Increasing: where you increase in the rounds will affect the look of the tree.  With the large tree, I increased at the beginning of each needle so the increases would spiral around the tree.  With the smaller tree, I increased in the middle of each needle, so the tree is a pyramid.  If you don't like seeing lines of increases, you can stagger where you increase each time, and they will be less noticeable.


Cast on six stitches and divide evenly among three needles, being careful not to twist.  Knit in pattern as follows:
Round 1  Knit all stitches.
Round 2  Increase three stitches evenly.
Repeat these two rounds until the tree is as tall as you’d like.
Round 3  Purl all stitches.
Round 4  Decrease 4 stitches evenly.  
Repeat round 4 until there are the right amount of stitches to make a trunk the diameter you like.
Stuff the main body of the tree.
Knit every round until the trunk is as long as you’d like.
Stuff the trunk.  Put a weight (such as a stone) in the trunk and a bottle cap or flat object the diameter of the trunk to make a stable surface for the tree to stand with.  I used a spool for the trunk of the smaller tree, and left the trunk off altogether for the large tree.
Repeat round 4 until there are 8 or fewer stitches.  Cut the yarn, leaving a tail long enough to thread through and gather the remaining stitches tightly.  Weave in ends.

Have fun experimenting with yarns and making a whole stand of trees of varying sizes.  If you want a skinnier tree, knit two rounds between every increase round.  If you’d prefer a stouter tree, skip the plain knit rounds between the increases.

Small Conifer

Creative Commons License
Knitted Conifer Tutorial by Anike Maj is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License.

Cherry Blossom Tree (Fluff Tree)

Fluff Trees
To make a cherry blossom tree, or a fluffy green tree, you will require:

1 skein Pompadoodle - Peaches and Cream for a blossoming cherry tree, or Sage for a leafy tree
Vanna’s Choice - Lime for cherry tree, or Olive for leafy tree.  You'll have leftovers.  Any worsted weight yarn will do.
Alpaca Love - Espresso Bean - uses a small amount.  Any dark brown worsted weight yarn will do.
Size I crochet hook
Short length of dowel or pvc pipe.  5.5” for the pattern as written, longer if you want a taller tree.  Measure when you get to round 29, if you've changed the tree height, + half an inch.
Large button, or bottle cap about two inches in diameter.


Holding one strand of Pompadoodle with one strand of Vanna’s choice, make a loop, chain one, and make six single crochets in the loop.  Until switching to the brown yarn, always crochet into the back loop of a stitch.
Round 1 -  *Crochet two single crochets in the back loop of the first single crochet.* Repeat around.  You should have made 12 single crochets this round.
Round 2 - *Crochet two in the first stitch, single crochet in the next stitch* Repeat around - 18 stitches
Round 3 - *Crochet two in the first stitch, single crochet in the next two stitches* Repeat around - 24 stitches
Round 4 - *Crochet two in the first stitch, single crochet in the next three stitches* repeat around - 30 stitches
Round 5 - *Crochet two in the first stitch, single crochet in the next four stitches* repeat around - 36 stitches
Round 6 - 8 - Crochet in every stitch - 36 stitches
Round 9 - *Decrease, then crochet the next three stitches* repeat around - 30 stitches
Round 10 - *Decrease, then crochet the next two stitches* repeat around - 24 stitches - Cut the Pompadoodle and Vanna’s Choice, leaving a short tail of a few inches
Round 11 - Using the dark brown yarn, crochet around - 24 stitches
Round 12 - *Decrease, then crochet the next stitch* repeat around - 18 stitches
Round 13 & 14 - Crochet around - 18 stitches
Stop crocheting and pull the yarn tails to the inside of the tree.  Stuff the blossoming part with fiber fill, but not too full.
Round 15 - *Decrease, then crochet the next seven stitches* repeat - 16 stitches
Round 16 & 17 - Crochet around - 16 stitches
Round 18 - *Decrease, then crochet the next six stitches * repeat - 14 stitches
Round 19 & 20 - Crochet around - 14 stitches
Round 21 - *Decrease, then crochet the next five stitches* repeat - 12 stitches
Round 22-25 - Crochet around - 12 stitches (To make a longer trunk, add a few rounds.  To make a shorter trunk, subtract a couple)
Round 26 - *Crochet two in the first stitch, single crochet in the next stitch* repeat around - 18 single crochets
Round 27 - *Crochet two in the first stitch, single crochet in the next two stitches* repeat around - 24 stitches
Round 28 - Crochet around - 24 stitches
Round 29 - Working in the front loop only, *decrease, crochet the next two stitches* 18 stitches
Cut the dowel or pipe to 5.5” long, and glue to the center of the bottle cap.  When dry, place in the trunk to give the tree stability.  Make an indent in the stuffing in the top part of the tree, so the tree will be more stable.  Now continue to crochet the trunk closed.
Round 30 - *Decrease, crochet the next stitch* repeat around - 12 stitches
Round 31 - Decrease around - 6 stitches
Fasten off yarn and leave a tail long enough to gather up the remaining stitches tightly.  Tie off and weave in the end.


Have fun with your tree.  Make an orchard or a forest, or maybe some animals to play among the trees.

Creative Commons License
Fluff Trees Pattern by Anike Maj is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License.