Patterns

Welcome to the TikkunTree’s Pattern page!

When completed, the TikkunTree will be a silent community sculpture, part of a larger exhibit on the olive tree; but its diverse hand-made foliage, doves and candles will speak eloquently of the thoughts and hopes for peace of its many contributors.

The TikkunTree Project needs hand-crafted leaves, many hundreds of them. Here are links to leaf patterns designed specially for this project, links to patterns designed by many others collected from the online fiberarts community, as well as patterns for doves and candles.

The TikkunTree Project Patterns

Since the TikkunTree will be a large free-standing sculpture, sculptural, three-dimensional leaves will be especially useful for it. Here are a few special patterns for leaves that can be made either one or two-sided (or “doubled”), knit either top down (from tip to stem), or bottom up (from stem to tip). They can be made on double-point needles or straights - instructions are available for both (though I prefer knitting in the round on dpns, which eliminates all seams). Their level of difficulty? These are ideal for experienced knitters, and adventurous or courageous peacemakers, or anyone wants to learn to knit in the round with use double-point needles (dpns). They will challenge the novice knitter, but a communal peace project is worth the effort. And, you’ll be an ace with dpns, able to move on to mittens, gloves and socks!

• a “smooth” double-sided leaf, with rounded or scalloped sides (pdf here) (far right)

• a ribbed double-sided TikkunTree “Safed” leaf (right) for dpns (pdf here) or a TikkunTree Safed leaf for straight needles, knit flat with side seam (pdf here)

• cabled leaves, which can be made one- or two-sided, in one or two colors (pdf available shortly).

• note: my samples pictured here have all been made with Peace Fleece yarns, described in detail on the Guidelines page of the project.

Other Leaves

Others’ patterns that will work for the TikkunTree include:

• Tree Undone project’s knitted leaves pattern by Cyntergnomes, for either a veined leaf (link here), or simple garter stitch leaf (link here

• Castoff Club’s simple leaf pattern (link to pdf here) (right)

Those who crochet might look to these patterns for inspiration:

• simple felted leaves (link here); the leaf created with this crochet crown pattern could easily be made larger) (far right) (and even simpler felted leaves can be made by cutting leaf shapes from a felted square of knitted or crocheted wool, such as these)

• The AntiCraft’s Maiden Glory Leaf
• Cylinda Matthews’ Autumn Leaf
• Vintage Venetian Leaf

If you embroider, sew, or quilt, models are plentiful … here are a few that have inspired me (all these images are live and will take you to their original sites)

Doves

Many patterns for birds have been generously shared on the internet. Any of these birds (made in white or cream) would be very welcome to roost in the TikkunTree.

• my favorite: the felted “origami” peace crane pattern from knitnotwar 1,o0o

• a simple dove to knit from the Castoff Knitting Club (link to pdf here) (right)

• and a Dove of Peace Ornament by Angie (link here) (far right)

• a crocheted peace dove by Nanabear97 (link here); I omitted all decoration in the large dove I made (far right) using this pattern

• Marlo’s crocheted “Caroline’s Birds” (right) (link here)

I have been inspired by many of the crafted birds I’ve seen online, forwhich patterns do not seem to be available. If you are inspired to tat or felt white doves like these, they will find a welcome spot on the TikkunTree

• 

Candles

• Castoff Club candle (knit)

• crochet candles and candlesticks (here, here,  here, and here)

• simple crochet candle

• ruffled crochet candle (pdf download from FreePatterns.com)

updated 5.16.08