Knit Around Tree Skirt
Deck the halls with our Knit Around Tree Skirt! A soft woolen blanket of snow that does the sneaky job of hiding the hardware, a tree skirt makes the magic!
If you celebrate Christmas, welcoming a twinkly tree into your home every December is a source of childlike wonder that never grows old.
A Christmas tree and all its decorations are a chance to recall a whole story-filled tradition: the glass reindeer you coveted in the store and found in your stocking when you were six, the stuffed Santa your grandmother gave your father when he was nine.
A made-with-love tree skirt definitely enriches the story, and with its peppermint stripes amidst soft folds of snow-white wool, our Knit Around Tree Skirt is the fa-la-la of tree skirts!
It’s a clever knit, too. Short rows create wedges that add up to a whole pie, and in garter stitch, there’s not much to worry about… just adding a dash-of-color stripe every now and then!
For such an important object, we used our beautiful Super Soft Merino. It is as soft as snow and also comes in ten new colors, some of which happen to strike a merry Christmas chord. Make your Knit Around Tree Skirt in this palette of four reds and oranges, try the greens-only version, or mix it up with both… Add a bough of holly, and a tradition is born!
Designed for Purl Soho by Jake Canton.
Materials
- Main Color: 5 (10) skeins of Purl Soho’s Super Soft Merino, 100% merino wool. Each skein is 87 yards; approximately 435 (870) yards required. We used Heirloom White.
- Color A: 1 (1) skein of Super Soft Merino; approximately 12 (24) yards required. We used Red Gingham.
- Color B: 1 (1) skein of Super Soft Merino; approximately 12 (24) yards required. We used Alizarin Crimson.
- Color C: 1 (1) skein of Super Soft Merino; approximately 12 (24) yards required. We used Red Poppy.
- Color D: 1 (1) skein of Super Soft Merino; approximately 12 (24) yards required. We used Super Orange.
- US 13, 24-inch circular or straight needles
- A stitch marker
Prefer the green side of Christmas? Try these colors instead…
- Main Color: Heirloom White.
- Color A: Clover Green
- Color B: Fresh Pickle
- Color C: Frond Green
- Color D: Reef Green
Gauge
12 stitches and 22 rows = 4 inches in garter stitch
12 stitches and 18 rows = 4 inches in stockinette stitch
Sizes
Small (Large)
- Finished Circumference: 75½ (144½) inches
- Finished Diameter: 24 (46) inches
- Finished Length Of Flap: 10 (20) inches
- Center Diameter: Approximately 5 inches
Sample: The Large size is shown here.
Notes
Stitch Multiple
This pattern works over a multiple of 5 stitches.
Short Row Shaping: WRP-T (Wrap and Turn)
Keeping yarn in back, slip next stitch purlwise from left needle to right needle. Bring yarn to front. Return slipped stitch to left needle. Turn work so wrong side is facing you.
To see this technique in action, visit our Short Row Tutorial and follow along with the wrap and turn on the knit side section (at 0:30 seconds), except do not bring the yarn to the back before you turn.
Knitting Stitches With Their Wraps
Keeping yarn in back, pick up wrap with right needle from front to back and place on left needle. Knit stitch and wrap together. This step is described at minute 3:29 of our Short Row Tutorial.
Pattern
Wedge 1
With Main Color (MC), cast on 30 (55) stitches. We used a basic Long Tail Cast On.
Row 1 (wrong side): With MC, knit to end of row.
Join Color A.
Rows 2 + 3: With Color A, knit to end of row.
Cut Color A.
Row 4 (right side): With MC, knit to last 10 stitches, place marker (pm), k5, wrap and turn (wrp-t, see Notes).
Row 5: Knit to end of row.
Row 6: Knit to marker, remove marker, wrp-t.
Row 7: K5, pm, knit to end of row.
Small Size
Rows 8-11: Repeat Rows 6 and 7 two more times.
Row 12: Repeat Row 6.
Row 13: Knit to end of row.
Row 14: Knit to end of row, knitting wrapped stitches with their wraps.
Large Size
Rows 8-21: Repeat Rows 6 and 7 seven more times.
Row 22: Repeat Row 6.
Row 23: Knit to end of row.
Row 24: Knit to end of row, knitting wrapped stitches with their wraps.
Triangle 2
Repeat Rows 1-14 (1-24), using MC for Rows 2 + 3 and Color A for Rows 6 + 7 (8 + 9).
Triangle 3
Repeat Rows 1-14 (1-24), using MC for Rows 2 + 3 and Color A for Rows 10 + 11 (14 + 15).
Triangle 4: Large Size Only
Repeat Rows 1-24, using MC for Rows 2 + 3 and Color A for Rows 20 + 21.
Wedges 2 + 3
Repeat Triangles 1-3 (1-4), using Color B instead of Color A.
Wedge 4
Repeat Triangles 1-3 (1-4), using Color A for Color A.
Wedge 5
Repeat Triangles 1-3 (1-4), using Color C instead of Color A.
Wedges 6 + 7
Repeat Triangles 1-3 (1-4), using Color D instead of Color A.
Wedge 8
Repeat Triangles 1-3 (1-4), using Color C instead of Color A.
Finish
Next Row (wrong side): With MC, knit to end of row.
With the right side facing you, bind off knitwise.
Weave in the ends and steam block.
PRINT
Row 4 should be clearer. Do you knit to the last 10, pm, knit5, wrap & turn?
Hi Belinda,
Thank you! We were, indeed, missing one critical little word… knit! Now fixed, we and everyone else who comes along to knit this tree skirt are very appreciative that you took the time to point this out. Happy knitting!
Whitney
this would make a lovely christmas shawl/wrap!
I just finished a shawl very similar in construction to this tree skirt, and it does , indeed, make a wonderful, warm , snuggly shawl. I used worsted weight yarn and smaller needles, but the wrap-and-turn principle was the same, and it is absolutely cuddly. If you choose to make a shawl out of this, I’m sure the folks at Purl Soho would love to see it.
Hi Susan,
Thanks for reaching out! That sounds like a wonderful project! Wrap and turns are such a great way to get lovely shaping, and I am sure that this would be a great shawl as well!
All the best,
Gianna
That is such a beautiful tree skirt. I have made several quilted tree skirts and they were fun to make. I do love the knitted skirt and I think I’ll make a couple for my mini bead tree. It is about 12″ tall and the branches are made with beaded wire and then bent into the shape of the tree. These trees were all the rage about 25 years ago. There were kits for making them and lots and lots of tiny glass ornaments. This little tree needs a special skirt. I haven’t read all the directions so I’m hoping I will be able to make the mini skirt. Thank you for the pattern and all the beautiful pictures.
Hi Gerald,
Thanks for reaching out and for your kind words! This sounds like the perfect project for your little trees and luckily the pattern is written for a small and large option!
Happy knitting!
Gianna
Thank you for this project I was looking for a nice tree skirt and this hits the mark! Can’t wait to receive my yarn and start knitting!
Is there a way to make this larger?
Hi Leeia,
Thanks for reaching out! Yes, you can easily adjust the size of the pattern, just keep in mind that this pattern works over a multiple of 5 stitches.
All the best,
Gianan
Hi! this is such a cute pattern! I’m hoping to make it with some worsted weight tweed yarn that I have in my stash. Crossing my knitting needles that it will work!
Hi Crys,
Thanks for reaching out and for your kind words! This pattern should be fairly easy to adjust for a worst weight yarn! Wishing you all the best and please let us know how this turns out!
Happy knitting!
Gianna
Love this! The Pom poms pictured are fantastic too, are the made with the same wool?
Hi Theresa,
Thanks for reaching out and for your kind words! Yes, the pom poms are also made with our Super Soft Merino! We made them using our wonderful Pom Pom Maker Set!
Happy knitting!
Gianna
Yay! I was searching all over to find an easy and simple knitting pattern for the tree skirt the last month or so and was so wishing Purl Soho made something like that! And look at this! Thank you!
Hi, maybe I’m missing something, but what do you do with the marker when repeating rows 6 and 7? Are you just slipping it?
Whoops I figured it out😜
In Triangle 2 where rows 8-11 say repeat rows 6 and 7 twice, do you use color A for all 4 rows? (small skirt)
Hi Kate,
Thanks for reaching out! Yes that is correct! For rows 6-7 you will use Color A only the first time you work them and then when you repeat it you will go back to using the main color so that there is only one stripe of the contrasting Color A!
All the best,
Gianna
Hi
Can we just replace the wrap and turns by German short rows? I’m also doing the thistle yoke pullover and it’s really so simple!
Many thanks
Lula
Hi Lula,
Thanks for reaching out! I think you could definitely use German Short Rows in place of the Warp + Turn for a similar result!
Please let us know how it turns out!
Warmly,
Gianna
I’m using up some worsted weight in my yarn stash. I cast on 55 stitches and am using a size 7 US needle and it looks great but it’s only about 12″ from the center to the edge, which will be too small for a standard tree. I was thinking about casting on 110 stitches instead. My question: Would I still wrap & turn every 5 stitches, or would that measurement also double (to every 10 stitches). Wondering how 5 vs. 10 stitches effects the curve of the skirt. Has anyone tried this or does anyone have any thoughts on the wrap and turn ratio?
Hi Darcy,
Thanks for reaching out! I think that working the wrap and turns every 10 stitches instead of 5 would be fine and would maintain and even ratio since you are expanding the overall stitch count and working on a smaller gauge!
Please let us know how this turns out!
Warmly,
Gianna
Is it just me wanting to make this as a skirt for myself? 😎
Can you suggest yarn requirements for a predominantly red and green skirt? And pictures of one done already?
Hi Betsey,
Thanks for reaching out! We do not have any photos of other color combinations since we only made the sample in the red and white combination! If you are looking for a red and green combination I have two options to suggest, 1st I would recommend using our Super Soft Merino in Red Gingham as the Main Color and using the listed greens as the accents (Clover Green, Fresh Pickle, Frond Green, and Reef Green.) The second option I would suggest is using Clover Green or Fresh Pickle as the Main Color with the listed reds as the accents (Red Gingham, Alizarin Crimson, Red Poppy and Super Orange)
I hope this helps and please let us know how it turns out!
Warmly,
Gianna
Be careful! According to the pattern, the large version uses _exactly_ 10 skeins of the Main Color. I am finding myself about 1 skein short. Buy yourself an extra.