“It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas…” at least it is over here thanks to my newest pattern, the Glow Garland. I hung this Christmas (or holiday, but it’s Christmas here so that’s what I’ll use) light garland up as soon as I finished it (end of August), when everyone was asleep to see if anyone would notice in the morning. I guess I’m sneakier than Santa because only 1 of three saw it without me pointing it out! The 1.5 year old.
Get the ad-free, printer friendly pattern with links to my stitch tutorials now on LoveCrafts or Etsy. Or keep reading for more of my take on it and some ideas on customizing it.
Maybe a little early for Christmas decorations. I finally took it down yesterday, but I’m not putting it far away! I think its going to be one of the family favourites, and I’m sure I’m going to have to make more! I would love to use it on our tree. WE have an artificial tree that’s white and a little iridescent, with white lights. Most of our decorations fit one or both of two categories, “modern” Christmas brights (hot pink, lime green, turquoise, orange, gold, bright purple…), or some kind of toy (biplane, dinosaur, a certain potato face…). A little bit like a modernized traditional tree, but in almost neon. I think with some careful colour selecting, it would fit right in!
I likely won’t be able to do it for this year, I have what seems like a million works in progress coming your way over fall and winter, and trust me, you’re going to want them all release this year as much as I do, so my focus will be there this year. But I am totally already thinking of doing this in tree length in spring or summer for next year.
If you have more time than I do or are better at planning it than I am (not hard to beat me. It’s almost 10pm on a Friday and here I am writing Thursday’s post!), it’s so easy to fit it in before Christmas still. Each bulb or base takes just minutes, so you can throw a colour or two in your bag and keep making one or two in that colour wherever you are as you have a few minutes. There’s very little sewing (just the width of 4 stitches on each bulb), the rest of the time you can just crochet or chain.
The white highlight on each bulb is optional, you could choose to keep working in the bulb colour instead of changing colours, but I love the highlight and the extra bit of life it brings. As one of my testers noted (and I do remind now in the pattern), just make sure you orient all the bulbs with the highlight on the same side before attaching bulb bases onto them. Its also worth another check before attaching each to the cord.
I’ve written the pattern with worsted weight yarn in mind, however you could use any weight yarn you want for a different look. Try a dainty set in dk. Use crochet thread to make light strings for a tiny village, Lace weight or fingering for earrings, or to edge a cushion, playmates or table runner. Super bulky for a more cartoon feel, or to appliqué in a spiral around a tree skirt. You can literally use this anywhere.
This is also a perfect way to really show your sense of personal style and the colours you use at Christmas. I used the typical main four colours used in strings of coloured lights, I would have added orange too but I didn’t have any. Maybe you’re into the blush pink, rose gold, gold and white Christmas decor (blush and rose gold bulbs made holding a metallic thread with the yarn, gold bases and gold or white cord anyone?), or shades of blue is your thing. Maybe clear/white lights are the only kind you use,, a soft banana cream or other off white would still show the white highlight beautifully and be set off by the grey bases and a grey cord. The sky’s the limit folks! This also make a great stash/scrap busting project, I’d just advise checking you’re using the same weight yarn throughout. Unless you’re into the look of it with different sizes, that would also totally suit some decor.
I (we. It’s a whole house thing) LOVE decorating for Christmas. I don’t love the idea of hauling out from under the stairs and digging though the boxes of Christmas stuff alone once the kids are in bed while (or with them while they’re awake for that matter), to do a whole set up for a few pictures, to put it all away again. By myself. So there will be more photos coming when big A is done the crazy long shifts.
In the meantime, as always, I’d LOVE to see your finished versions! Use hashtags #theglowgarland and #makewithmeggie to make sure I see them.
Get the ad-free, printer friendly pattern with links to my stitch tutorials now on LoveCrafts or Etsy.
make with meggie 