Christmas knitting patterns – reindeer, stars and hearts for Christmas

Few things feel as much like Christmas as colourwork reindeer, stars and hearts in red and white. Whether you want to knit a Christmas sweater for yourself, a Christmas stocking for the children or squeeze in a few hats as presents, you can plan so that you finish in time. Here are the motifs, the projects and the tricks – and how to make your own Christmas pattern.

The classic Christmas motifs

Reindeer

The reindeer is perhaps the most iconic Christmas motif in Nordic knitting. It works as a wide border across the chest of a Christmas sweater, around a hat or as a single motif on a mitten. Reindeer are fairly large motifs with long stretches of the same colour in the legs and head, so they require you to catch the floats now and then. See our Reindeer template with a preview.

Tip: Let the reindeer all face the same way around the whole garment, or mirror every other one so that they meet in pairs at the centre front. Mirrored motifs give a more traditional, symmetrical look.

Stars and snowflakes

Stars and eight-petal roses are classics in both Christmas and winter patterns. A star in the middle of a mitten, or a border of stars around a hat, works just as well after Christmas. Start with the Selbu Star template.

Hearts

Hearts are small, rewarding motifs that work well in narrow borders. They are perfect for beginners and for small projects such as Christmas baubles or wrist warmers. See Hearts.

Fir trees, peaks and zigzags

Fir trees can be drawn with simple stepped shapes, and zigzag borders are reminiscent of snow-covered mountains. Combine them with Classic Fair Isle or Waves for narrow borders between the larger motifs.

Colours that feel like Christmas

• Red and white – classic and clear.
• Dark green and natural white – a little more muted, “forest and snow”.
• Navy and white – a wintry feel that lasts long after Christmas.
• Red, green and white – change the pattern colour between borders, but keep to two colours per round.

Check the contrast before you buy yarn: put the balls of yarn next to each other and take a photo in black and white. Red and green, for example, can have almost the same lightness and blur together in the pattern, even though they look different in colour.

Project ideas – from quick to big

Christmas baubles and small ornaments (1–2 evenings)

Small projects in the round with a single border. Perfect for trying out a new pattern and for using up leftover yarn. A heart or a star is enough.

Hat (a weekend to a week)

A hat with a colourwork border is the most rewarding Christmas project. It is quick, needs little yarn and makes a good Christmas present. Don’t forget that the stitch count must be a multiple of the pattern repeat – read more in the guide on calculating gauge.

Mittens (one to two weeks)

Colourwork mittens are warm and classic, but the thumb and the placement of the pattern need a little more planning. A tip is to have a smaller pattern, such as dots or checks, on the palm and the main motif on the back of the hand.

Christmas stocking (one to two weeks)

A Christmas stocking is really just a large sock, and it is a good place for large motifs since it doesn’t have to stretch over a foot. Here you can place a whole row of reindeer, or a name in a border.

Christmas sweater (several weeks)

A Christmas sweater is the biggest project. If you start in mid-November and knit regularly, a sweater in thicker yarn may be finished in time, but it is realistic to expect a sweater in finer yarn to take longer. If you want to be sure of having it ready for Christmas Eve, you can choose a sweater with a pattern only on the yoke or in a chest border, and stockinette for the rest.

Plan so that you finish in time for Christmas

1. Choose a project to suit the time you have. Count backwards from when the garment needs to be finished, and add time for washing and drying.
2. Knit a swatch in the pattern. Colourwork often gives a different gauge from single-colour knitting.
3. Knit the colourwork section early. It takes the longest and is where mistakes most often happen.
4. Block. Colourwork looks much more even after blocking – allow a day or more for drying.

Design your own Christmas sweater or hat

A Christmas sweater of your own design is a world away from a shop-bought one. It doesn’t have to be difficult:

1. Choose a main motif and a border

One main motif, such as a row of reindeer, plus a narrow border above and below. Narrow borders of 3–5 rounds tie the design together.

2. Adapt it to the stitch count

If the garment has 240 stitches around and your reindeer repeat is 24 stitches wide, you get exactly 10 reindeer. If you have a different repeat width, choose a stitch count that is a multiple of it, or add a few stitches of filler pattern between the motifs.

3. Check the floats

Look for stretches longer than about five to seven stitches in the same colour. Can you break them up with a dot, or will you have to catch the strand? For beginners, it is often easier to adjust the pattern.

4. Remember that stitches are not square

Knitted stitches are wider than they are tall, so motifs come out slightly shorter and wider than on graph paper. A reindeer that looks right in the chart can end up a little short in the legs. Draw the motif slightly taller, or look at a knitted preview before you start.

In KnitGrid’s pattern editor you can draw your Christmas pattern, see instantly how it will look knitted and save it. If you want a step-by-step walkthrough, read design your own knitting chart. And for inspiration, see what others have made in the community.

New to colourwork?

Christmas patterns are a perfect way to learn. Start with a hat with a narrow heart border, and you will practise holding two strands without the project becoming overwhelming. You will find the basics in colourwork knitting for beginners and how to follow the chart in how to read a knitting chart. If you want to know more about the traditions behind the motifs, read Fair Isle and Nordic patterns.

Frequently asked questions

Which Christmas project can I finish in time for Christmas?

If you have a few weeks left, hats, Christmas baubles and wrist warmers are safe bets. Mittens and Christmas stockings take longer. A whole Christmas sweater usually requires several weeks of regular knitting, so start early or choose a sweater with a pattern only on the yoke.

How do I get the reindeer centred on the front of the sweater?

Place the beginning of the round at the centre back and work out which stitch ends up at the centre front (with 240 stitches it is stitch 121). Check in the chart whether that is the middle of a reindeer or the gap between two. If you want a reindeer at the centre front, you can start the chart offset by half a repeat.

Which colours work best for Christmas patterns?

Red and white is classic. Always check the contrast – colours that look different can have the same lightness and merge together in the pattern.

Can I knit a name on a Christmas stocking?

Yes. Letters are drawn in the chart in the same way as other motifs, one stitch per square. Expect each letter to need 5–7 stitches of width plus a little space to be legible.

Do I have to catch the floats when knitting reindeer?

Often, yes. Reindeer motifs often have longer stretches of the same colour than small geometric patterns. Catch the strand when it would be longer than about five to seven stitches.