I knew Christmas was coming – it seems to follow Halloween year after year – but it was only when I saw a Christmas card a few days ago in the Polish Deli (a mailed card: some Polish people are extra prompt!) and then read somewhere "Christmas is just over a month away" that I 'paid attention' to the fact. 

What came to mind is this Christmas tree I knit last year and put on Christmas cards.  I thought others  might be interested in doing the same. 

This tree is 3 ½ “ tall by 2 ½ “ wide on a 5” by 7” card front. It looks very pretty mailed in a translucent vellum envelope.

Bowdabra gold bow wire     50 feet makes 2-3 trees

#4 US needles

Cast on 1 st leaving a 12 inch tail
Knit one row
Inc in this st (k into front and then back) (2 sts)
Inc in first st, K1 (3 sts)
Inc in first st, K2 (4 sts)
Continue to increase in this way until 15 stitches
Cast off 6 sts loosely.  Knit across rem. 9 sts 
Cast off 6 sts loosely.  K 3
Knit 3
Knit 3
Inc 1 st in all 3 sts (6 sts)
Cast off loosely  
Stretch tree into shape.  Arrange ‘presents’ (the last increase row) under tree.  Form the 12” (initial tail) into an angel with a loop for head, and a loop for each wing.  Wrap any remaining wire around for body or cut off tucking end behind.  Secure tree to card with glue stick or instead of hiding the two ends behind the tree poke these through card and secure on back. 

The bow wire is flexible, a bit tricky to work with; knit loosely.  To keep it from crimping or tangling I held the loop (as it comes in the package) with a large bulldog clip (a clothespeg also works) and only unwound a foot or so at a time as I knit.  Some kinks occurred and I just knit them into the tree, pretending they were decorations. Larger needles give a more open looking tree.   Have fun!

Here it is shown on the card and that is what the bow wire looks like. 

This year I am knitting the tree with green plastic coated wire and thinking to make it a bit larger to hang on a tree or in a window.  So far I have found the wire in the suitcase with other wire (sometimes I amaze myself) and found the pattern – but have not yet knit it. 

The golden tree on the card originally appeared in Paulette Lane's  Knitting Pattern-a-Day 2007 calendar.  Yes, it is my design.