The fantastic range of yarn colours from Sirdar great Jortoymaking. reste Cte Add some Swedish tradition to your Christmas tree with your own knitted Queen of Lights. (ppp ere are many traditions and legends ‘surrounding the festive season. Did you ‘know that all animals can talk on Christmas Eve? However, you must not test this theory or you'll receive bad fortune. Apparently it’s also bad luck ‘to wear new shoes on Christmas Day, which suits us fine as weld rather stay in our slippers and relax ‘with new pattern books, yarn and knitting paraphernalia brought tous by Mr Claus. One ‘tradition that has caught the inspired eye of Alan Darts that of Santa Luca. “I thought Lucia would ‘make a nice altemative tothe traditional fairy or angel on the Christmas tree,"he says. St Luca, icy oF Luss is t the centre ofthe Festvalof Lights which is held on December and heralds the beginningof the Swedish holiday season, ts thought that she was executed at the ‘ime of the persecution ofthe Diocletian in Sicily and her body was laid to rest in Venice in the CChurch of Santa Lucia, Later on she was to become ‘the patron sain fr the light of the body Early customs surrounding this Swedish festival include yaung women dressed ina white gown ted with ated sash and a crown of ingonberry twvigs and it candles, going from farm to farm in ‘the ullages delivering warm saffron buns. They ‘would co this before daybreak and finish at dawn ‘tosignfy the lighter evenings that would soon ‘come, inather parts ofthe country children would write Luss on daors and gates asa signal to evi spirts that the days will come longer again, or ‘uy fies would be burned and incense thrown Into the flames. The rising flames signified the sunisinereasingreignin the sky. Now it s the custom for the youngest member ‘of the family to get up in the earky hours, dress in the traditional castume, with battery-powered lights in place of the it candles, and wake the family wth warm saffron buns and coffeeo % as | \ bee elSirdar, Bonus DK ‘White (961) 1 100g/280m balll Flesh fone (963 1x 100g/280m ballPrimrose (957) 1 x100g/280m ball Signal Red (977) 1x 100g/280m ball ‘Avan (993) 1 x 100g/280m bal Sirdar, Countrystyle Olive (538) 1x 100g/318m ball Black coral embroidery thread Double-sided sticty tape | Apairof 3mm needles | Stitch holders 20g of washable toy stuffing Two white plastic drinking straws Clear adhesive Red pencil Tension, ‘Yarn used knits as DK to ths tension: 2Gsts and 36 rows to measure 4¥AIn (oxtocm) in stst using 3mm needles Measurements ovine tom eto tipofeande Fane Abbreviations besbegnring pul dee decrease (by SKPOslipone, knit cont: oops’ together) stitch over 3 peice Ey st{s) stitch{es), wevnnginis ont and back of stitch) aa Kiet togicainer ia gay te Suey) Ty eesicries Pera Santa Lucia, ok Start knitting here. NOTE: Use 3mm needles throughout and cast con by using the cable (two needle) method, beginning al pieces with a K row. LEGS AND BODY (max 1 piece) RIGHT LEG cast on 8 sts with Aran yarn for base edge of boot and cont in sts ast inc row Inc into every st to end, [16 sts] Pr 2nd inc row (Inc) twice, Ka, (inc) four times KA, (inci) twice [24sts] Stst3rows ast dec row K6, (SKPO. K2, katog) twice, KE. (20sts] P1108. ‘and dec row ki, katog, K3,(SKPO, k2tog) twice,K3, SKPO,Kr.[14sts} Stst8 rows. K 1 1ow for top of boot, Change to Flesh Tone and st st 2 rows beg with akrow. Change toWhite and K1 row.” SHAPE TOP OF LEG Next row Cast on 3 sts. [173] Purl the fist 3 sts, cast off remaining 4 sts. (135ts} Break yarn and slip sts on toa stitch holder. LEFT LEG ‘Work as given for right leg from * to. ‘SHAPE TOP OF LEG Next row Cast off ist 4 sts,P to end. [10 sts] JOIN teGs FoR BODY ‘Next row With White yarn, cast on 3s. [23 sts} Knit all these left leg sts, then k the held "3 right. leg sts. [26 sts} Stst 7 rows, Change to Signal Red and st st 4 rows for sash Change toWhite and stst 6 rows. ‘SHAPE SIDES OF BODY ast dec row Ka, SKPO, K2,katog, K6,SKPO, K2, katog, Ka, [22 sts] Next row Pur and dec row ka, SKPO, k2tog, K6,SKPO, kato, K4. [a8sts] Stst 2 rows. Cast off for shoulder edge. HEAD AND NECK (make 1 Piece) Cast on 8 sts with Flesh Tone yarn for top edge and st st 2rows ast ine row Ine into every st to end [16 sts} Prrow. 2nd ine row (inci, Ki) toend, [24 sts] Stst rows SHAPE BASE OF HEAD ast dec row Ka, (kztog. i) six times Ke, [18 sts] Prrow. and dec row K3,(k2tog) six times 3. [12 sts] Stst 3rows. Cast off for neck edge. ARMS (make 2 pieces) Cast on 4 sts with White yarn for top edge of sleeve and stst110%, inc1 stat beg and end of next 3 rows. [10 ts] Castoon 2sts at beg of next 2 rows for underarm. {14 sts} Stst 4 10"s Dec st at beg and end of next on. Stst3 rows Repeat the last 4r0 re [20 sts]K 2 rons forcutf Change to Flesh Tone for hand and st st 8 rows, bag with aK row Sreakyarn leaving. long end. Thread through sion ‘needle, draw up tightly and fasten off COLLAR (make Piece) Cast on 22 sts with White yarn for base edge. Dec row ki, {katog, Ki} toend. [15 sts] Cast off for top edge. SKIRT (saxe 1 Piece) ‘Cast on 80 sts with White yarn for base edge: offal 4st frill pattern row k2, (Ki, P2,k3) toend. and frill pattem row P2, (P1, K2, P3) to end. Zepeat the lst 2 rows two more times. GarHER TOP OF FRILL Next row Ka, (SKPO, katog,K2} to end. [54st] Stst25 rows. GarHeR waist ast dec row Ka, (k3tog, kt} toend. [28 sts} ‘and dec row [P6, patog, P6) twice. [26 sts] Cast off for waist edge. SASH TIES (make 2 Pieces) Cast on 20 sts with Signal Red yarn and K 1 rove Cast off wise CROWN (make 1 piece) Cast on 10 sts with Olive yar. 1st pattern row (ki Pt) toed. and pattern row (P1,K1} toend. Fepeat these last 2 rows until 60 rows have been worked altogether. Cast off CANDLE SURROUND (make 1 piece) Cast on 3 sts with Olive yarn. Next row Ki, (P1.Ki) toend. Repeat the last row once more. Sreakyarn, leaving a long end. Thread through sts on needle but do not draw up. TO MAKE UP Use mattress stitch when sewing pleces ‘together & one stitch seam allowance has been included on all pieces to accommodate this ‘method of joining, Fold base edge of each legin halfand join, then join leg seam and stuff legs frenly Join body back seam, then Join cast offedge at top of each leg to matching cast on edge at base cf body and stuff body firmiy.with body seam running dawn centre back fold shoulder edge fiatand jin. \Worka gathering thread through every stitch on top edge of head, draw up tightly and fasten, then join head seam, stopping Yin (acm) away From neck edge. Stuff head firmly, then join remainder of scam and use tweezers to stuff neck firmly Placing head seam at centre back, position and sew neck edge to top of body Join each arm searn from gathered hard edge, stopping at underarm. Leaving hands unstuffed, Use tweezers to stuff sleeves firmly, then position and sew sleeve heads to sides of body. With ends at centre front, wrap collar round neck and hold in place with a few stitches. Starting at centre front, in line with frst Increase row at top of head, embroider a line of aattiny chain stitches in Primrose down centre back of head. Cut twenty-six Bin (2acm) lengths ‘of Primrose yarn for har strands and, starting at back usea needle to thread two of these strands through each chain, threading three strands through each of the two chains at front of head. ‘You may findit easier to thread one strand at a How to... cable cast on ‘the cable method to edge. Cast on create ast Createa slipknot (sce page 124), hold tail end of ymin eft and and psce tHaneedlo behind fot through) the slipknot. a winds bal end ofthe yarn around ‘the tp ofthe righthand neele from left to tightvup and over from below. Now sip the loop you vejust 1d over the end ofthe left-hand needle aeshown. Insert needle between stitches the end of Ineedle. Repaat steps -6 unit you have the numberof stitches you reasr= IresstbleGAstoketEmbroider ‘Use this stitch to create Santa Lugia’s mouth. A sees of oops cha stitch cam be used for ‘Straight or carving ines o even in roves to fil Shapes. Come out ofthe fabric at, where you vant to begin and leaving loop go back ‘own again in the same hole tring the needle out again at keeping the tread Under the needle Repeat. Make smallstitch over the stoop. time, Arrange strands o they are even on both and glue cut ends together to make a loop, sides of chain, then remove any kinks by holding rolling glued end between your fingers tof in front ofa steaming kettle point. Glue this.end into top of each candle ‘Join short ends af crown piece toform aband, daba spot of glue at top of flame and pinch then join longsides stuffing lightly as you sew, _intoa point before glue sets toforma ring. Arrange hairstrands everly,then _Startingat centre front, use pins tomark fi fitcrown an head and hold in place with afew evenly spaced points around top of crown, stitches. rim ends of hair to neaten large knitting needle and make a hole thro ‘Mark eye positions with pins,spacing 3 knitted knitting and stuffing at one point, then spr stitches apart, then carefully draw outa single glue over uncovered end of candle and push strand froma length of black yarn and use this hole, Repeat at remaining four points. toembroider a tiny horizontal, detached chain ‘Wrap candle surround round remaining stitch for each eye. Using Flesh Tone yarn candle, draw up yarn tightly and fasten, then ‘embroider nose by working three tiny horizontal short ends of strip. Now work a gathering *! satin stitches, then draw out a single strand through every stitch on cast on edge, draw up from a length of coral yarn and use this to tightly and fasten off ‘embroider curved mouth in splitstiteh.Usered Bend arms at elbows and hold sleeve cur pencil to blush cheeks lightly. waist edge of skirt, each side of sash ties, with ‘Te make candies, cut six 3em lengths of 1 stitches. Now catch tips of hands togeth drinking straw and wrap fist cm of each with witha couple of stitches, then glue base of duble-sided tape. Use White yarnto bind this __candlein place between hands. section closely trimming ends of yarn and Securing with spots of glue-Cut sicqcm lengths Foranother of Alan's designs Inspired by = of Primrose yarn for flames, fold each one in half Swedish Christmas, tum to page toa. ae bin or nage nye To get the cheek colour rea cas eaercrol squere first.