55 Christmas Balls to Knit: Colorful Festive Ornaments, Tree Decorations, Centerpieces, Wreaths, Window Dressings

by Arne Nerjordet, Carlos Zachrison

Overview

Make your holidays merry with classic knitted Christmas balls from Arne & Carlos!

For nearly twenty years, Scandinavian knitting sensations Arne & Carlos have been delighting crafters around the world, using their unique sense of style to translate traditional Scandinavian designs into quirky, colorful, and endlessly fun projects of all kinds. But perhaps the most beloved example of their charm and versatility is the “Christmas ball”: a cleverly small-scale and deceptively simple pattern that can be adapted to feature any color or combination of colors, any motif—including wintry classics like snowflakes, bows, and angels, and more ornate Scandinavian-inspired designs—and just right for decorating trees, tables, windows, and more! This fan-favorite collection features fast, fun knits perfect for handmade gifts, festive décor, and sharing the holiday spirit.

• 55 unique, hand-knit holiday ornaments
• Step-by-step instructions, how-to tips, and recommended techniques
• Full-color photos, charts, and illustrations
• Ideas for using festive motifs in other knitting projects

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781570769597
Publisher:	Trafalgar Square
Publication date:	09/15/2019
Edition description:	Reprint
Pages:	140
Product dimensions:	7.70(w) x 10.70(h) x 0.40(d)

About the Author

Arne Nerjordet and Carlos Zachrison, Norwegian and Swedish respectively, established Arne & Carlos, a clothing design company, in 2002. Drawing on their traditional Scandinavian influences and their natural environment, they create original and visually striking knitwear. As of 2014, Arne and Carlos are also the authors of multiple handcraft titles, including Easter Knits, Knitted Dolls, Knit-and-Crochet Garden, and Norwegian Knits with a Twist. Their creative base is in the Valdres region of Norway, north of Oslo.

Editorial Reviews

"Nordic designers Arne & Carlos bring their signature style to the knitting of Christmas ornaments with 55 Christmas Balls to Knit. I long to knit enough of these to cover a whole tree, but even just one or two will bring a bit of joy to your Christmas decor." —Edie Eckman

From the Publisher

"Arne and Carlos love Christmas and decorating their Norwegian home. The Christmas balls they designed are in the Scandinavian tradition. These are perfect to knit for gifts as they are fast and require small amounts of yarn. … A quirky and enjoyable book that works as a coffee table book."—Examiner.com

"I'd never heard of them before, but I'm kind of in love with Arne & Carlos. … This book is worth a look just to see their amazing inspiration books, which clearly illustrate where the ideas for different motifs came from. These range from religious-themed ornaments to hearts, reindeer, Christmas trees, skiers, sledders, even a witch."—About.com

"Knitting holiday ornaments is a lot like eating potato chips: Betcha can't stop at just one! Arne & Carlos, well-known Scandinavian designers, have incorporated berries, snowflakes, animals, traditional motifs, and original patterns into Christmas ornaments that are sure to become cherished heirlooms."—Knit 'n Style

"The charted patterns for the motifs could easily be adapted to other projects such as mittens. Recommended for advanced beginners comfortable with Fair Isle up to expert knitters, especially those curious about holiday traditions in other countries."—Library Journal

"Arne & Carlos have drawn on traditional Scandinavian influences to come up with Christmas balls incorporating classic holiday graphics such as snowflakes, berries, and angels as well as more ornate patterns found in Nordic knitwear. A delightful book to look through."—Debbie Bliss Knitting Magazine

"Speaking of gifts, you'll want to knit a few hundred of these ornaments for the holidays designed by Arne & Carlos. Use them to mark place settings, delight hostesses, create centerpieces, festoon wreaths or adorn your tree—or all of the above."—Vogue Knitting

"In addition to the step-by-step instructions for making the Christmas ball and the 55 different designs, in this book you'll find many photographs of vintage ornaments and other sources of inspiration shared by the designers."—Living Crafts

"Featuring the unique designs of Scandinavian duo Arne and Carlos, this book features one basic pattern, instructions on how to knit a ball shape, and then 55 variations or designs pulled from traditional Scandinavian sweaters based on holiday themes. This book would make an excellent gift for a knitter, and the aesthetic fits perfectly into the current DYI trends."—Portland Book Review

55 Christmas Balls to Knit

Everybody’s favorite bespectacled Nordic charmers, Arne Nerjordet and Carlos Zachrison, have shown us the fun in all sorts of knitting techniques and items ... Their latest book is literally a greatest hits album, plus 15 new designs. If you missed their darling Field Guide to Knitted Birds, for example, this is your chance to sample a few species before committing to the full aviary of 40!”—Mason-Dixon Knitting

Arne & Carlos' Favorite Designs