Whigmaleerie (Stranded) by Kate Davies Designs

Craft: Knitting

This pattern is available on Ravelry.

In Scots, a whigmaleerie is: “a decorative or fanciful object, a piece of ornamentation …a knick-knack, gew-gaw, bauble, fantastic contrivance, or contraption.” (Dictionary of the Scots Language). In other words, a whigmaleerie is a wee thingumajig, of the kind folk often like to hang on trees at this festive time of year. Why not whip up several whigmaleeries to decorate your tree?

Yarn

Rauma 3-Ply Strikkegarn

Shown in Buachaille (100% Scottish Wool; 110m / 120yds per 50g skein)

MC: Highland Coo 1 x 50g skein

CC: Ptarmigan 1 x 50g skein

Sample used 8g / 18m / 19yds of each shade

Size

Length: 13.5cm / 5½in (not including i-cord loop)

Circumference: 22cm / 8½in

Needles and notions

 3.5mm (UK 10-9 / US 4) 

Gauge-size needle(s) of your preferred type for working small circumferences

Stitch marker

Tapestry needle

Small quantity of wool fibre with which to stuff your Whigmaleerie (we used Shetland tops from Jamieson & Smith)

Gauge

26 sts and 29 rounds to 10cm / 4in over colourwork stockinette stitch using gauge-sized needles. This was achieved using size 3.5mm (UK 10-9 / US 4) needles.

Gauge is not desperately important for this project - tighter and looser gauges will make smaller and larger Whigmaleeries, but bear in mind that the fabric needs to be dense enough to prevent the stuffing from poking through the stitches.