Product Description
Inspired by pictures of some pinballs in Piecework magazine, I made a version of my own for an ornament swap. It's a pretty quick knit, and great for using up small amounts of fingering weight yarn. I used leftovers of two colors from another project.
My ornament was customized with initials/date/place. I included graphs for letters and numbers and a blank outline so you can customize your own if you wish.
Gauge is not crucial for this, obviously - different gauge means different ornament size. However, a firm fabric is best, due to the stuffing required, and in fingering weight it makes a nice size for an ornament.
Because it is worked flat in two pieces and seamed, you will have to do increases, decreases, and stranded colorwork on both knit and purl sides.
Star Ornament or Pinball by Amanda Carrigan
What Is Being Made
The Star Ornament or Pinball is a three-dimensional knitted decoration inspired by vintage pinball machines, designed as either a standalone ornament or a decorative swap piece. This advanced knitting project creates a dimensional star-shaped ornament that can be personalized with initials, dates, places, or custom designs on both the front and back surfaces. The finished piece is stuffed and assembled with a hanging loop, making it suitable for holiday decoration or as a handmade gift.
Knitting Techniques Used
This pattern employs stranded colorwork (also called Fair Isle knitting) to create the star design and any personalized details across the ornament's surface. The construction involves three-dimensional shaping through strategic increases and decreases to form the star's dimensional structure. The pattern includes intarsia or charted design work, allowing knitters to follow a graph for the star pattern and customize additional designs using provided alphabet and number charts. The ornament is constructed in flat pieces that are subsequently seamed and stuffed, requiring careful assembly and finishing.
Stitches and Abbreviations
The pattern utilizes fundamental knitting stitches combined with shaping techniques:
- K (Knit): Basic knit stitch for stockinette fabric
- P (Purl): Purl stitch for texture variation
- K2tog (Knit 2 together): Right-leaning decrease used for shaping
- SSK (Slip, Slip, Knit): Left-leaning decrease for symmetrical shaping
- P2tog (Purl 2 together): Purl decrease
- SSP (Slip, Slip, Purl): Left-leaning purl decrease
- M1 (Make 1): Increase stitch created by picking up and twisting the strand between stitches
These stitches work together to create the star's pointed structure and maintain even shaping throughout the three-dimensional form.
Materials and Specifications
Yarn: Fingering weight yarn in two contrasting colors—main color (MC) for the background and contrast color (CC) for the pattern details. The designer used KnitPicks Palette yarn for this project.
Needles: 2mm needles appropriate for fingering weight yarn and the desired gauge.
Gauge: Approximately 9–10 stitches per inch, though the designer notes this is not crucial to the pattern's success. Variations in gauge will simply result in a differently sized finished ornament.
Additional Notions: Ribbon or extra yarn suitable for braiding to cover seams and create a hanging loop; polyester or fiberfill stuffing to fill the three-dimensional form; straight pins for assembly; and needle and thread in a color matching the ribbon or braid trim for secure finishing.
Customization Features
This pattern stands out for its extensive personalization options. Knitters receive alphabet and number charts to add initials and dates, as well as a blank graph for designing original artwork. The two-sided construction allows for different designs on the front and back, enabling knitters to create truly unique, personalized ornaments suitable for gift-giving or ornament swaps.
```Specifications
| Brand: | Independent Designer |
| Yarn Weight: | 4 Ply |
| Designer: | Amanda Carrigan |
| Craft: | Knitting |
| Format: | Downloadable PDF |
| Languages: | English |
| Number of Patterns: | 1 |
| Skill Level: | Advanced |
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