Christmas and Wedding Bells

SOURCE:  http://www.allfreecrafts.com/knitting/knitted-bells.shtml

Materials:

Knitting needles - mine were inherited from my Grandmother, made in England, and stamped as Size 9, or 3½ m/m
Patons Brilliant Crystal Cream yarn (for this example)
jingle bells
bodkin or yarn needle

Note: Photo at right is shown actual size.

Pattern:

1. Cast on 15 stitches (to make the bell longer, increase this by 5 stitches).

2. Knit across first row.

3. Purl 5 stitches, and knit across remaining stitches.

4. Knit across row.

Repeat Rows 3 and 4 until you have at least 28 rows. (You can increase the number of rows if you'd like the bell to be rounder.)

5. Cast off.

Thread a bodkin with a length of yarn and sew up the short sides (with right sides together). Turn right side out.

Thread bodkin with another length of yarn and sew a gathering stitch around top edge of bell. Pull yarn tight and tie off. Use end of yarn to form a looped hanger at the top of the bell.

With your fingers, roll the purl stitches up into a brim. They will tend to curl out and up anyway; just encourage the process with a little rolling motion of your fingers.

Tie a piece of yarn to the top of a brass jingle bell. Secure this to the top inside of the knitted bell, so that the brass bell hangs just below the rolled brim.