Following on from the Hampstead Wreath last year, we thought we’d go a bit spooky-dooky and make Hallowe’en wreaths this year to brighten up doorways / porches / windows…

The Grim Wreath-er is a classic, tasteful (!) wreath that we decorated with pompoms, you can make yours more spooky with the addition of plastic spiders / flies / ghosts / whatever you can find.

The Demon Wreath-er is a bit more visually exciting and probably doesn’t need much more on it, although the odd super-sized spider wouldn’t go amiss, we feel…

There are two basic patterns, The Grim Wreath-er in our ever-favourite bramble / blackberry stitch which is written for 3 different weights of yarn (DK, Chunky or Super Chunky) and the Demon Wreath-er in a clever slip-stitch that makes zig-zaggy patterns, written for 2 different weights of yarn (DK held double and Super Chunky). Both patterns are written for two different sized wreath forms as detailed above.

Tension - tension here is not so crucial, we’ve given widths for each strip as opposed to ‘X sts over 10cm / 4”’ tensions. If your tension is looser then your wreath form may ‘grin’ through your knitting, but depending on what your base is made of you may want to paint / cover the form anyway. (We didn’t.) So:

Small Grim Wreath-er (single colour, DK yarn):

Katia ‘Merino 100%’, 100% Merino Wool, 102m / 110yds / 50g ball.

1 x 50g ball.

Actual amount used: 22g / 23m / 25 yds.

Shown in: Orange, shade 020.

Tension: your strip of 22 sts should be approximately 9cm / 3½“ wide.

Large Grim Wreath-er (single colour, Chunky yarn):

Katia ‘Maxi Merino’, 55% Merino Wool, 45% Acrylic 125m / 135yds / 100g ball.

2 x 100g balls.
Actual amount used: 134g / 168m / 182 yds.

Shown in: Orange, shade 041.

Tension: your strip of 30 sts should be approximately 19cm / 7½“ wide.

Large Grim Wreath-er v.2 (single colour, Super-Chunky yarn):

Katia ‘Big Merino’, 55% Merino Wool, 45% Acrylic 80m / 86yds / 100g ball.

2 x 100g balls.

Actual amount used: 174g / 140m / 152 yds.

Shown in: Grey, shade 012.

Tension: your strip of 26 sts should be approximately 21cm / 8¼“ wide.

Small Demon Wreath-er (2 colour, DK yarn):

Katia Merino 100%, 100 % Merino Wool, 102m / 110yds / 50g ball.

MC: 1 x 50g ball.
CC: 1 x 50g ball.

Actual amount used: 14g / 15m / 17 yds of each colour.

Shown in:

MC: Orange, shade 020
CC: Black, shade 002

Tension: your strip of 22 sts should be approximately 10cm / 4” wide.

Large Demon Wreath-er (3 colour, Super Chunky yarn):

For this we used up 3 lots of odds-and-ends we had lying around as detailed below. You could use all chunky yarns held double, or all super-chunky yarns held single. You need about twice as much in the main shade as in each contrast shade.

Katia ‘Maxi Merino’, 55% Merino Wool, 45% Acrylic 125m / 135yds / 100g ball.

Stylecraft ‘Life Super Chunky’, 75% Acrylic, 25% Wool, 80m / 86 yds / 100g ball.

King Cole ‘Merino Blend Chunky’, 100% Wool, 67m / 72 yds / 50g ball.

Shown in:

MC: Katia Maxi Merino, Orange, shade 041 used double.
CC1: Stylecraft Life Super Chunky, Cream, shade 2370 used single.
CC2: King Cole Merino Blend Chunky, Black, shade 913 used double.

Actual amounts used:

MC: 100g / 125m / 135 yds.
CC1: 50g / 40m / 44 yds.
CC2: 38g / 51m / 56 yds.

If using all Chunky yarns held double then approx. 125m / 135 yds should do the MC with 51m / 56 yds of each CC.

If using all Super Chunky yarn held single then 80m / 86 yds should do the MC with 40m / 44yds of each CC.

Tension: your strip of 22 sts should be approximately 20cm / 8” wide.