Mini Lampshades for Fairy Lights. Free Knitting Pattern

This free fairy lights knitting pattern makes little lampshades for a string of LED lights. Welcome to the knitting pattern ‘Soilse Nollag’ (‘Christmas Lights’ in Irish).Using a simple string of LED lights, knit a lacy lampshade for each one. Ideal as Christmas decorations, but also useful as summer garden decorations*. Use all one colour or as many colours as you like. The sample used 7 red, 7 white and 6 green.

This pattern is part of Marly Birds 24 days of Christmas Quickies. You can grab the free PDF on the button below (just click the image). This image will bring you straight to the standard PDF for the pattern. To access tge large print PDF, pop to the Ravelry link (below) and use code CHRISTMAS QUICKIES to get the free PDF, today only, including the large print option.

If you would rather a downloadable PDF, you can buy this pattern on Ravelry
As this pattern uses sock weight yarn and only tiny amounts of yarn per lampshade, you could commemorate a sock knitting knitting year by making a lampshade with the left overs of each pair of socks you knitted.

*Please remember the birds and insects whose navigation abilities are devastated by light pollution, and keep the lights switched off outdoors during the main hours of darkness, especially in rural and isolated areas.

Size of Fairy Lights.

This pattern gives instructions for fairy lampshades for use on a string of LED lights. The sample was made for a string of 20 lights. This size is easily available. LED lights can also come on strings of 10 lights which would be quicker to knit, but this size is harder to find in the shops. You can of course use a longer string, such as 40 or even 100 lights. Just remember you will need more of each of the materials listed below for more lanterns.

Each finished lampshade measures 4cm / 1 ½ inches in diameter, and 3 cm / 1 ¼ inches high, if matching gauge.

Yarn and materials:

Yarn required: any fingering or sock weight yarn.
Samples were made using Performance Cotton Dazzle, 60% cotton, 40% viscose. For a similar appearance in your fairy lampshades, look for a cotton viscose or cotton bamboo mix yarn, but you can use any fibres. The thickness of the right yarn will be described as ‘sock’, ‘fingering’, ‘4 ply’ or ‘yarn group A’. The recommended needle size for the yarn will be 2 – 3 mm needles.

Each individual lampshade uses 11 metres / 12 yards of yarn.

A string of 20 lights will use approximately 220 metres / 240 yards of yarn.

Needle size: 3 mm needles, or as required to match gauge.

Needle type: the body of the lampshades are knitted flat, and the tops in the round. I knit all samples on circular needles, working back and forth in rows for the body, and working with magic loop for the top. You could use straight needles for the body and dpns for tops if desired.

Notions:

A string of LED lights (sample made using a string of 20 lights)

Darning needle for weaving in ends

Optional: 20 tiny buttons, beads, or hook and eye fasteners to attach lampshades to lights

Optional: 3mm crochet hook (or similar size to knitting needles used)

A note about ‘viscose’ – and yarn substitution suggestions

this is a synthetic fibre made from plant based materials.
As a yarn, it is often quite shiny, so perfect for making Christmas tree ornaments or festive decorations. Bamboo yarn is a type of viscose using bamboo as the plant, and Tencel is another type of viscose from wood pulp.
There are mixed opinions about whether viscose is good or bad for the environment. I personally see it as better and less damaging than synthetics made from petrol, such as acrylic, nylon or polyester. It is still synthetic yarn made in a lab, by dissolving the plant fibres and reconstituting them with chemicals. Some viscose is made using excessive amounts of water and polluting chemicals.
To knit with, it can feel exquisitely soft and silky, but it can also be slippy and splitty to work with. Substitute a different yarn fibre if you don’t like those features.

Construction of Fairy Lights Knitting Pattern:

The lampshades are worked flat, and seamed closed into a tube. Stitches are picked up around the top and worked in decreasing rounds to close.

Tension/gauge

Stitch gauge: 10 stitches of Victorian lace pattern = 4cm / 1 ½ inches Row gauge: 10 repeats of Victorian lace stitch pattern = 10cm / 4 inches

Accessibility

This free pattern is written to be as accessible as possible. It is written out first in the traditional format with standard abbreviations for the confident knitter, followed by a photo tutorial where the steps are explained in full words.
You can find out more here about the accessibility features of my knitting patterns.

Stitches used in this knitting pattern:

The body of each lampshade is knitted with traditional Shetland lace stitches. They use 2 repeats of the stitch known as ‘fagoting lace’ with a serrated edging known as ‘Victorian lace’.

Shetland lace knitting is easier than it looks. The stitch pattern is short and easy to memorise. After the first couple are knitted and you have become familiar with the repeats, each one knits up very quickly. They are tiny, fairy sizes after all.

Stitches used and their standard abbreviations:

K: Knit

K2tog: Knit 2 stitches together

P: Purl

Rep: Repeat

Sl st: Slip stitch – used for crochet tab

Yo: Yarn over

Yo twice: Yarn over twice – to create the larger holes for the serrated edge, wrap yarn under the needle, up and over twice, creating 2 loops on the needle.

Fairy Lampshade knitting pattern starts

Body

Set up: Cast on 8 stitches, using a cable cast on, or your preferred method.

Row 1: k1, [k2tog, yo] twice, k2, yo twice, k1. (10 sts)

Row 2: k1, k into front of first yo, p into back of second yarn over, [k2tog, yo] twice, k3. (10 sts)

Row 3: k1, [k2tog, yo] twice, k5. (10 sts)

Row 4: cast off 2 stitches, [k2tog, yo] twice, k3 (8 sts)

Rep Rows 1 – 4 another 11 times (12 repeats in total).

Cast off.

Seam together cast on and cast off edges with yarn tail to form a tube.

Note: I found it easier to knit all the lampshade bodies, before progressing to the next step.

Top of lampshade

Set up: Pick up and knit 24 sts from the little holes around the top edge, join to work in the round.

Rnd 1: knit. (24 sts)
Rnd 2: [k2, k2tog] to end. (18 sts)
Rnd 3: knit.
Rnd 4: [k1, k2tog] to end. (12 sts)
Rnd 5: knit.
Rnd 6: k2tog to end. (6 sts)

Option one for tab (easiest if you have a crochet hook and can create a crochet chain):
Cast off very loosely, do not fasten off last st on needle. Instead, transfer it to crochet hook.

Chain 6, join with sl st to base of chain, fasten off and disconnect yarn, leaving a tail of about 10-15 cm / 4-6 inches.

Using hook, pull buttonhole loop just made to inside of lanterns

Option two for tab, no crochet version:

Cast off very loosely and fasten off yarn leaving a long tail of 20 cm / 8 inches and thread tail to darning needle. Wrap around your finger (or a wooden spoon handle) and weave into the final stitch 3 times. Secure and weave in the remaining end. Pull buttonhole loop just made through to inside of lampshade.

Blocking:

Lampshades knitted in cotton or synthetics should not need blocking, jump to next step. Lampshades knitted from sock yarn or other wool may benefit from blocking to open up the lace. To block, place on top of a used plastic drinks bottle. Lightly spray with water and use sewing pins to stretch down the points of the lace edge, then leave to dry.

Finishing:

To secure lampshades to LED lights, there are 2 options.
The first option is quicker, and doesn’t involve buttons or other fastenings. The lampshades will be permanently attached and are not removable. This is the easiest option.

The second option involves adding a button or similar so that the shades can be removed. Perfect if you may want to use the same string of lights, but put up different colour schemes at different times of year. Or if you want to give the lampshades a wash after a month on a Christmas tree before packing them away for next Christmas.

Option 1: permanently attach to lights.

Push the light through the tiny hole left in the top of the lampshade. Slide the light through all the way, and pull through a little of the electric cable. Use the loop, and pull it between the 2 strands of electric cable. Sew the loop in place so the light can’t slide back off. Weave in remaining end.

Option 2: detachable lampshades.

Using tiny shirt buttons, beads, or hooks from a set of hook and eye fastenings, sew these to the opposite side of the opening to the crochet loop, on the wrong side of the work. Push the light through the tiny hole left in the top of the lampshade. Slide the light through all the way, and pull through a little of the electric cable. Use the loop, and pull it between the 2 strands of electric cable. Fasten it to the closure you sewed in place.

Congratulations, your fairy lights are now complete. Have a wonderful holiday season!

Photo Tutorial and easy read pattern

The pattern is repeated below, using full words without abbreviations. The same text is repeated in each image, and in the alt text for the image.

Thanks and acknowledgements:

This pattern was Tech Edited by Louise Plumridge, my thanks as always. Any errors that remain are my own.

Other Festive decorations:

Looking for other fun, seasonal knitting or crochet projects? Why not try out the crochet Christmas wind spinner, or the festive wind spinner knitting pattern.

Copyright

This pattern, including the wording and the pictures, are my work and copyright. Please do not distribute them in any way except by using the link to this blog post. You may not copy in any way, including by making your own videos, if they are directly based on my work.
This blog is not intended for commercial use. You may sell finished items based on this pattern only if you have made them in your own home, with your own hands. However, selling your own makes from this pattern, especially for charity, is strongly encouraged. I would love to hear about your event, and how it went.