Rudolph Draught Excluder, Christmas Tree Skirt and Snowman Toy in King Cole Chunky & DK - 9009 - Downloadable PDF

Rudolph Draught Excluder, Christmas Tree Skirt and Snowman Toy – King Cole Chunky & DK Pattern 9009

This King Cole pattern 9009, designed by Zoë Halstead, is a festive knitting collection featuring three charming Christmas projects: a Rudolph Draught Excluder, a Christmas Tree Skirt, and a Snowman Toy. The pattern is available as a downloadable PDF and is rated as advanced in difficulty, making it a rewarding challenge for experienced knitters looking to create heirloom-quality seasonal decorations and homeware. A donation is made to the Pink Ribbon Foundation with every King Cole pattern purchased.

About the Three Designs

Rudolph Draught Excluder

The Rudolph Draught Excluder is a practical yet whimsical home accessory shaped in the likeness of Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer. Designed to sit along the base of a door to block cold draughts, this project combines festive character design with functional homeware crafting. The three-dimensional shaping involved in creating Rudolph's body, legs, head, and antlers requires confident knitting skills, including working increases, decreases, and shaping in the round where applicable.

Christmas Tree Skirt

The Christmas Tree Skirt is a decorative base covering designed to sit beneath a Christmas tree, concealing the tree stand while adding a beautifully knitted festive touch to any holiday display. Tree skirts of this kind are typically worked in the round or in flat panels, often incorporating colourwork, textural stitch patterns, or shaped edging to create a visually striking circular or semi-circular form. This project makes an impressive and lasting addition to seasonal home décor.

Snowman Toy

The Snowman Toy is a knitted soft toy designed as a classic snowman figure, complete with the character details that bring this beloved Christmas icon to life. Knitted toys of this nature typically involve working separate pieces — body sections, arms, and head — which are then seamed and stuffed to create a three-dimensional plush figure. This makes the Snowman Toy an ideal project for knitters who enjoy toy making and character construction.

Yarn Weights and Materials

All three projects in this collection are knitted using King Cole DK and King Cole Chunky weight yarns, giving knitters the flexibility to work with both weights across the different designs or design elements. The combination of DK and Chunky yarns allows for varied textures and speeds of knitting — the Chunky yarn works up quickly and creates a satisfying, substantial fabric, while the DK yarn offers finer detail and stitch definition suited to more intricate shaping and colourwork.

• DK yarn tension (3¼mm needles): 23 stitches and 32 rows to 10cm over stocking stitch
• DK yarn tension (4mm needles): 22 stitches and 28 rows to 10cm over stocking stitch
• Chunky yarn tension (6mm needles): 14 stitches and 20 rows to 10cm over stocking stitch

Checking tension before beginning is strongly recommended, as stated in the pattern, to ensure accurate sizing and proportions across all three projects.

Needles and Tools

The pattern calls for a range of needle sizes to accommodate both yarn weights:

• 3¼mm knitting needles – for DK weight at finer tension
• 4mm knitting needles – for DK weight at standard tension
• 6mm knitting needles – for Chunky weight yarn
• Double pointed needles (dpns) – referenced in the abbreviations, indicating that some elements are worked in the round

Stitches and Techniques Used

This pattern draws on a range of knitting stitches and techniques appropriate to an advanced skill level. Knitters should be comfortable with shaping, working in the round, and constructing three-dimensional forms before attempting these projects.

Stitches Used

• Stocking stitch (st-st