I grew up loving the delicate looking lace garlands on Christmas trees. As an adult, I am drawn to them as they are less likely to be eaten by my toddler or pets. We are a non tinsel household with the babies (furry or otherwise) around. The only problem is that I don’t usually have the time or patience to work lace — then I found the Starbella yarns! It looked like lace and it was on SALE…in Christmas colors! After spending far too long debating between standard white and “Christmas,” I bought the last two skeins of the tri-color festive yarn.
Lace Holiday Garland
You will need:
- Starbella yarn (whatever color fits your theme)
- Knitting Needles (any size up US13)
- Stitch holder/Large Safety pin
I had never worked with this yarn type before, and it was not without some frustration (you will want a safety pin or stitch holder). Still, this is an excellent project for someone just starting or wanting to teach others a basic knitting concept. The needle size used seems to be irrelevant as the pattern called for US6 and I used 8s and tried it on 13s.
Cast on 4 by slipping the needle back to front through the “eyes”, then knit 4, turn, knit 4 repeat until desired length.
The mesh fits a little tighter but is still workable on US13.
The yarn itself is actually a mesh with a thick side and an open weave side. It is commonly used for lightweight, frilly scarves, and all I did was start a scarf pattern (a pattern that is FREE) and didn’t to stop at a scarf length. The yarn automatically spirals as you work which can lead to twisting. Avoid that by only pulling off a foot or so at a time. If you plan on or need to stop and set the work down at some point you will NEED a stitch holder or large safety pin. This stuff slides right off the needles and unravels in a blink.
I used one skein for the ceiling of my entryway, and 2 skeins should be plenty to wrap a full sized tree in the colors of your choice. Now I have a toddler friendly, pet friendly, hand washable garland that should last for many Christmases. It is hard to pick my favorite part about this garland: The fact that it is beautiful or the fact that it cost me about five dollars and I won’t have to shop for garland any time soon!
Have you modified your decorations due to pets or kiddos?
Stephanie I love this! The pattern seems pretty simple and I love the way the garland came together. I like the idea of a reusable garland that can be used more than one year. Brilliant!
Thank you! It took no time at all and yes, the ability to scratch garland off my shopping list forever, is wonderful!
I love the holiday garland it looks so nice on your banister! Is it difficult to learn to make this? Thanks for the post! I am so enjoying reading up on holiday decor posts this season!
It was very simple! The yarn is already lace like so half of the work is done for me. If you have an hour to spare you could finish a whole skein.