Knitting Christmas in August | Snowball Buddies Pattern

Every year it seems like Christmas merchandise arrives in stores earlier and earlier. It has always driven me a little crazy.

Christmas has always been a holiday that is very dear to my heart. Over the years, it has become so easy to get caught up in the hustle and bustle, searching for the perfect gifts and the next great bargain, that it is easy to lose sight of what Christmas is really about.

As much as I love Christmas decorations, I also love Thanksgiving and autumn. Fall and winter are my favorite seasons, and I enjoy celebrating each one as it comes. I have never wanted to rush through one season just to get to the next.

Then something happened.

This was my first full fall and winter season as a knitter. I had learned the basics the year before, but this time I had more confidence, more experience, and I was excited to knit all the cozy things.

Around that time, I had been listening to the Just One More Row podcast, hosted by Dana of Unwind Yarn Company and her friend Brittany. They were hosting a Christmas knit-along, and before I knew it, I had done exactly what I said I never would.

I started knitting Christmas projects... in August.

The first project was my own variation of the Snowball Buddies pattern. I took the original design and added a body to create a little snowman. It was such a fun project and a great way to use up scraps from my yarn stash.

Snowball Buddies Pattern:
https://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/snowball-buddies

The original pattern includes instructions for a reindeer, owl, mouse, and bunny. Looking through the project pages on Ravelry, I also found knitters who had created Santas, elves, and all sorts of other adorable characters.

I used worsted-weight acrylic yarn from my scrap stash along with US 5 needles. The safety eyes and noses came from an Etsy shop called 6060, and they were the perfect finishing touch.

Looking back now, I still smile at the irony. After years of avoiding Christmas in July, knitting completely changed my perspective. Making Christmas decorations months ahead of time did not make me feel like I was rushing the season. Instead, it became part of the anticipation, allowing me to slow down, enjoy the process, and have handmade decorations ready when Christmas finally arrived.

Happy Yarning,

Kim