Cable Christmas Ornament Sweaters - Knitting in the Park

A festive way to repurpose Christmas Ornaments with Cable Sweaters

On the heels of my plain Christmas Tree Ornament Sweater, this one is a bit tougher as it requires a few more skills to get the cables and increases just right.

These little ornament sweaters are a perfect quick win between larger gifts and other larger projects. They’re a great way to frugally get some new decorations and save you from tossing out old ornaments. So far I’ve knitted two from one skein and plan to get at least one more.

Christmas ornaments – especially these DIY ones make great gifts. Hang them off packages and gift backs as something extra special or box them up as a hostess gift.

Pattern Progress for Cable Christmas Ornament Sweater

Fear not though, I’ve written this out as simply as I can.

This pattern uses a modified version of left lifted increases and right lifted increases. In this pattern, the increases are made by picking up a stitch from below and purling it on either side of the cables.

Note, when working with DPNs it can be tough to use a stitch marker as they tend to slip off the end. I like to use ones that clip to your knitting so you can secure it to the first stitch in the round and then move or add them as you knit to easily keep track of where you are in the pattern/rounds…without counting the DPNs as you go.

Tools for the Cable Christmas Ornament Sweater:

Yarn: Deborah Norville’s Everyday Worsted Solids or similar number 4 or medium weight yarn.

Needles: 6 US Size 3 Double Pointed Needles (DPNs) for both work (four to hold the live stitches, one to knit with and one for the cable needle). Note: if you are using a cable needle you will only require 5 DPNs.

Darning Needle

Spare/old Christmas Bulb.

Murphy inspects the ornament before donning the christmas sweater — Murphy ties to steal the ornament before I put it in its sweater.

Abbreviations and skills for the Cable Christmas Ornament Sweaters:

Knit: K
Purl: P
Left Lifted Increase: LLI
Right Lifted Increase: RLI
Cable one stitch front: C1F
Cable two stitches front: C2F
Cable three stitches front: C3F
Purl Two Together: P2Tog

Begin Pattern for these mini cabled sweaters:

Cast On Four Stitches on a single DPN.

Round 1: KFB in each stitch (8 Stitches)

Separate the stitches out so that you have two stitches on one of each of four needles.

Round 2: Knit each Stitch

Round 3: *RLI, K2, LLI* Repeat to end of round.

Round 4: *P1, K2, P1* Repeat to end of round.

Round 5: *RL1, P1, K2, P1, LLI* Repeat to end of round

Round 6: *P2, C1F, P2* Repeat to end of round

Beginning the Christmas Tree Ornament Sweater

Round 7: *RLI, P2, K2, P2, LLI* Repeat to end of round

Round 8: *P2, K4, P2* Repeat to end of round

Round 9: *RLI, P2, K4, P2, LLI* Repeat to end of round

Round 10: *P3, C2F, P3* Repeat to end of round

Round 11: *RLI, P3, K4, P3, LLI* Repeat to end of round

Round 12: *P4, K4, P4* Repeat to end of round

Round 13: *RLI, P3, K6, P3, LLI* Repeat to end of round

Round 14: *P4, K6, P4* Repeat to end of round

Round 15: *RLI, P4, C3F, P4, LLI* Repeat to end of round

Round 16: *P5, K6, P5* Repeat to end of round

Round 17: *P5, K6, P5* Repeat to end of round

Round 18: *P5, K6, P5* Repeat to end of round

Round 19: *P5, K6, P5* Repeat to end of round

Round 20: *P5, C3F, P5* Repeat to end of round

Round 21: *P5, K6, P5* Repeat to end of round

Round 22: *P5, K6, P5* Repeat to end of round

Round 23: *P5, K6, P5* Repeat to end of round

Round 24: *P5, K6, P5* Repeat to end of round

Round 25: *P5, C3F, P5* Repeat to end of round

Round 26: *P2Tog, P3, K6, P3, P2Tog* Repeat to end of round.

Round 27: *P4, K6, P4* Repeat to end of round.

Round 28: *P2Tog, P3, K4, P3, P2Tog* Repeat to end of round

Round 29: *P4, K4, P4* Repeat to end of round

Round 30: *P2Tog, P2, C2F, P2, P2Tog* Repeat to end of round

Round 31: *P3, K4, P3* Repeat to end of round

Round 32: *P2Tog, P2, K2, P2, P2Tog* Repeat to end of round

Round 33: *P3, C1F, P3* Repeat to end of round

Round 34: *P2Tog, K2, P2Tog* Repeat to end of round

Round 35: *P2, K2, P2* Repeat to end of round

Round 36: *P2Tog, K2, P2Tog* Repeat to end of round

Round 37: *P1, K2, P1* Repeat to end of round

Round 38: *P2Tog* Repeat to end of round

Break the yarn leaving a tail. Using the darning needle thread the tail through the live stitches (working the same direction that you have been knitting). Knot and weave the yarn tail into the work. Note: Because it’s going to hang on a tree and not be handled much, I’ve just tucked the yarn tail from the cast on inside of the sweater rather than weave it in.