Christmas trivet

Knitting consisting of lots of bobbles

So much happens in the kitchen at Christmas it can be warm and cosy and just me in there pottering about with my Christmas makes and bakes or it can be raucous when everyone is finally home with so much news to share.  Leading up to Christmas day itself the kitchen becomes even more of a hub of the home than normal.  And the day, itself with so much cooking taking place, pots and pans are literally flying all over the place whilst we all go about our designated cooking chores, of course sipping on some tipple or other such like trying not to bump into each other in our rather narrow kitchen.  

I came across the potholder pattern whilst thinking about my Christmas kitchen and thought it would be both a practical and festive addition to the red theme I have every year.  Having also not knitted bobbles before I was keen to challenge myself and try something new. This is a pattern I wish I had designed, it was fun to make and relatively quick.  Both my sister and mother having seen this would like one.  I'll add it to the to-do list...

Does anyone else forget things quickly, misplace things or walk into a room and have absolutely no idea why you entered?  It seems to be happening to me with more and more regularity... I'm not even going there by saying it's my age, but it is my age!  So as I sit here typing away to tell you about this pattern, I cannot remember how I did it at all, I even had to just watch the little clip to remind me how I knitted the bobbles, here it is for you in case you are interested... Knitted bobbles video

As long as you can purl and knit then you can make this trivet.  

Again with anything felted it is made in 100% wool, knitted larger than the required size and shrunk in the washing machine with towels to aid the rubbing and friction on a normal 40-degree cycle.  It is IMPERATIVE that as soon as the cycle is over you remove the trivet and lay it on a flat surface and pull it into shape.  The corners may want to curl a bit but with wriggling it you will get them to lay flat.  It will take a day or two to dry out completely.  Since I have made it, I've used hot pans from the hob and baking sheets from the oven and it has protected my work surface.  I'm rather pleased with this and if I remember to I may not because of my age! after Christmas will make a couple more.

The back of the knitted trivet
makes me think of a shaggy beard

Each bobble is knitted back and forth individually on the right side of the work and each bobble row is bound with a row of purling on the wrong side.  It's quite a therapeutic knit once you get into the swing of the pattern and it's incredible how the bobbles felt into thick balls, it is such a clever pattern.

To ensure the red bobbles do not pull the whole piece,
each bobble has it's own beginning and ending thread,
with no carrying over to the next bobble.

Finished knitted piece before machine felting

Close up of a knitted bobble before machine felting

Another great name from GarnStudio find the pattern here: Hot heart ♥

❤️ The youngest has returned from university so we are now all under one roof ready for Christmas but we will be thinking of those we cannot catch up with in person this year . Hugs to you all  ❤️