Knitted Christmas bauble

Here's a pretty decoration from the Paton's Traditional Christmas family front room - a knitted Christmas tree bauble that you could make to co-ordinate with your decor, or Christmas jumpers.

I like these a lot, but won't be making them as the cats will think they are special cat toys and destroy the tree.

Yarn: Use oddments of DK.

Needles: 3 3/4 mm needles.

Tension: 24sts and 32 rows to 10cm in stocking stitch (although let's lighten up here a minute - these are Christmas tree baubles, they don't have to be precisely the same size as the pattern)

With main colour cast on 5 sts and purl 1 row.
Row 2: (RS) K1, *M1, K1; rep from * to end. 9 sts.
Row 3: Purl.
Rep the last 2 rows twice more. 33 sts.
Row 8: Knit.
Row 9: Purl.
Row 10: K3, *M1, K3; rep from * to end - 43 sts.
Row 11: Purl.

Joining in 1st and 2nd colours as required work the 13 rows of chart to make pattern. Continuing in main olour only, purl 1 row.

Row 26: K3, *K2 tog, K2; rep from * to end - 33 sts.
Work 3 rows in st st, starting with a purl row.
Row 30: K1, *K2 tog; reo from * to end - 17 sts.
Row 31: Purl.
Repeat the last 2 rows twice more. Cast off remaining 5 sts.

Join seam, leaving an opening for stuffing. Stiff firmly, and close opening. Sew a hanging loop to top.