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  ❤️

A jar of hearts

February 3rd ♥

A jar of  love from my daughter

Where do you get your inspiration from?


For me, it can be anywhere but my latest idea came from my daughter and the gift she gave to me. My last birthday, I received the most thoughtful present ever from her, it made me cry and it has become a present that just keeps on giving.

A jar of gifts from daughter to mother

From cleaning the house for me to sitting watching
a weepy movie with popcorn, such thoughtful ideas

Each 'gift' to be opened when I either: needed to talk,
wanted to share my knowledge or for when I want
to go on strike, just a few of her ideas.

In our household, we are not BIG on Valentine's day but I feel my husband has been working so hard and could do with some extra love and attention, bring in my daughter's idea for a gift and you have a classic valentine present, look...

A jar of hearts

Messages and gifts to my husband

I used a variety of different heart patterns and thought you might be interested.  Rather than redesign the wheel, there are so many patterns out on the www there that I used those instead of creating my own. Here are the five that I used and enjoyed.


Small 3D heart: 3D heart ~ 3 sizes

3D crocheted heart

2D flat hearts tiny: 2D mini heart

Mini 2D crochet heart

2D medium size heart: 2D heart

Medium sized 2D crochet heart

My favourite heart: Heart with magic circle

A crochet heart full of texture

Danish heart: Danish heart

Classic Scandinavian crochet hanging heart

My jar of hearts for my love ♥

♥ sharing 5 quick heart patterns for you this Valentines

 Joining in for the first time this year with the lovely Amy

do pop over and see what others are sharing.

And finally, I leave you with this beautiful quote from an inspirational woman...

Love recognises no barriers, it jumps hurdles, leaps fences, penetrates walls to arrive at its destination full of hope.

Maya Angelou

Scandinavian Hanging Christmas Hearts Garland

December 18th

I am definitely a starter and not a finisher.  If left to my own devices and not spurred on by this blog it's true to say my house could have become overloaded with WIPs, (works in progress) there's enough of them now if I'm honest.

In the summer when I return home to mamma I always chill and craft more than at any other time of the year.  It's my haven and my guilty pleasure, though not so very secret.

Each summer I choose to learn a new craft, until that was this year, when I knew I had to get a move on with Christmas makes.  Knowing that the first 10 days in December I would be away from home and so I needed to be organised.

Knitting Christmas makes in the middle of a Norwegian warm summer was odd but strangely satisfying.  When visiting the local library and asking for their Christmas craft books I had to wait a while as they dug them out of storage for me!  What fool would want Christmas books in July?  Me of course...

Initially fiddly to begin, but once you are past
about row 5 it becomes quick and enjoyable to knit

But back to being a starter and not a finisher. Neither the wine box cover [Wine box cover post ] nor these hearts were completely finished in Norway and so these past few days I have been frantically 'finishing up'.  And just in time too, phew.  It's never a good idea to leave something for a few months and come back to it as the flow has gone and it takes a while to get back into the swing.  But I must say I am delighted with the makes.

I will not share the pattern here now unless someone wants me to as I suspect it is too late for this Christmas, but ping me a message in the comments if you want it and I'll post it up in all it's glory for you in the New Year.  I'm actually thinking of making more in Spring like colours to hang on the door.

The hearts knit up quickly

A Norwegian summer and crafting always takes place

They even feel Christmassy here despite it being July

Finally having stuffed them and woven in the ends, joined them together and crocheted the hanging top loop, my vertical heart garland is ready for Christmas.  

What do you think?  Full of Scandinavian feel I think.

Vertical hanging heart garland

♥   Are you almost ready for Christmas yet?   ♥