Every now and then, I give myself a knitting deadline. And Christmas Eve is a very good one.

My very red Magnolia Bloom is almost finished. I just need to bind off, weave in the ends and decide on the length of the rib. I think a few more centimetres will do it, and then it should be ready for Christmas. Magnolia Bloom is a top-down sweater with the characteristic Magnolia lace pattern.

For this version, I wanted something warm, bold and a little quicker to knit. So I chose thicker yarn, larger needles and a smaller size to get the fit I wanted. Sometimes a little knitting maths is exactly what is needed when Christmas is getting closer. Think smarter, not harder, as they say 🧶

Of course, changing yarn and needle size changes the gauge and finished measurements, so this is very much my own experiment rather than the original pattern specification. The published Magnolia Bloom pattern is worked seamlessly from the top down and gives its own yarn, gauge and sizing instructions.

If you are looking for a lace sweater knitting pattern or simply some Christmas knitting inspiration, Magnolia Bloom might be just the thing.

Discover the Magnolia Bloom knitting pattern and the other designs in my Magnolia collection, including Magnolia Bloom Lite, Magnolia Bloom Cardigan and Magnolia Bloom Tunic.

One of my favourite things is seeing how you make my patterns your own. Different yarns and colours can completely change the expression of the Magnolia lace pattern. If you have knitted your own Magnolia, I would love to see it. Perhaps it might even become part of one of our Knitting Stories.

For now, though, I have a few more rows to knit. Christmas Eve is not moving, so my needles had better keep moving too ♥️

Happy knitting, Camilla