Goble - The Twelve Knits of Christmas

It should be 12 stitches and 16 rows to a 1-inch (4-cm) square. If your knitting is a little tight, try knitting on needles that are a size larger than recommended. If your knitting is a little loose, choose needles that are a size smaller. For these projects, the gauge is not as important as it is when you are knitting garments. However, it is important that your knitted pieces are dense, otherwise you may find that the stuffing shows through and that your finished items do not keep their shape.

These projects dont require any particular brand of yarnbrowse through the shelves of your local yarn store or your knitting stash to see which ones you like. You can also check out your local thrift shop or organize a yarn swap with friends or fellow knitters in your local knitting group or club. The most important feature of the yarn is that it should be 100 percent wool or a mix of wool and acrylic. If you use 100 percent acrylic yarns or 100 percent cotton yarns, the results will be disappointingeven if the yarns themselves are good quality. This is because these yarns are less stretchy and a little flat, which will make your finished projects look bulky and lumpy. The only other yarn you will need is a small amount of metallic gold crochet yarn for the five golden rings.

This yarn is sold in most yarn and knitting stores. Each of the projects in this book includes the length and weight of the yarns you will need to complete the project. Because the exact quantity you will use will depend to some extent on the type and brand of yarn you use and the gauge of your knitting, please use the numbers only as a guideline.

There is no crochet involved in the patterns, but some projects require simple crochet chains.

They are very useful for marking the position of some of the features on the birds and dolls before you embroider them. The pens are safe to use on almost all types of yarn, but it is worth testing them on a spare, matching piece of yarn before you use them.