Luminares Lightshade

Growing up in San Antonio Texas, I remember setting out luminares: paper bags filled with sand and votive lights to line the street for holidays. Needing a lampshade for my overhead light, I set out to knit a cover that would be reminiscent of those luminares, principally using leftover stash yarn. Despite the large gauge needles, in retrospect, adding more yarn-overs would allow for even more light to pass. I made a frame that allows the cover to hang a bit down from the light (good for letting light through as well as avoiding too much heat on the wool). One of the best parts is that this is a two-days-or-less project (I let the glue set overnight and made the frame the next day). 

This pattern can be downloaded as a .pdf here: 

> download now < 

Width:   10" x 15" x 10" x 15"   (i.e., 50" total circumference)    Height:   ~10"

C1: Manos del Uruguay (red)     C2: Manos del Uruguay (mustard)    C3: Alpaca Drops (green)

# indicates where to thread modeling wire for frame.

With US15 circular needles and C1, cast on 80 st.

Body: Top Border

# round 1: K

# rd 2: P

next 3 rounds: K (St st)

Switch to CC

rd 6: K

Switch back to C1

Next 4 rounds: K (St st)

rd 11: P

Continue in St st. for 2 rounds

Switch to C2, St st. for 3 rounds

Body: Middle Design

round 18: *K2tog, YO. rep.

rd 19: knit to end of round

rd 20: switch to CC, knit to end of round

rd 21: switch to C2, knit to end of round

rd 22: *K2tog, YO. rep.

Continue in St st for 3 rounds

Switch to C1, continue in St st for 2 rounds

Body: Bottom Border

Switch to CC: knit to end of rounds

Switch back to C1, knit 5 rounds

# Next round: P to end 

Base

Next round: in C1, *K2tog, YO*. Repeat to end of round.

Switch to US 9 circular needles

Add tam-style bottom in green alpaca, based on Max's Staircase Tam

Switch to US 5 circular needles for ~3 rounds

BO, leaving hole in middle

 

 

Finishing

Mold a frame with modeling wire (I wanted mine to look a little uneven, like a paper bag, so I didn’t bother measuring exactly). 

• Widths: Cut 4 pieces of wire measuring 11” long and 4 pieces measuring 16” long. The extra inches are for twisting together at the corners.

• Where indicated by the # signs: Weave 2 of each length through the top (total of four) and 2 of each through the bottom (total of four).

• Join corners of wire squares together by twisting and tuck the twists into the knitted work.

• Height: Measure and cut four pieces 15” long. Weave these up at the four corners where you have joined the wire squares width-wise. You should now have a cube

 

 • Drop-Down light bulb frame: Form a smaller square or rectangle, roughly no more than 4”x4”. This is what will surround the light bulb.

• Attach this smaller square to the top corners of the lampshade with four short pieces of wire, measuring about 3”-4” long.

• Stiffen fabric: Once the frame is woven in, spray the knitted work with spray glue. Let dry overnight (or as indicated on the glue bottle).

In the morning, hang with the small top frame over the light bulb, turn on light, shout eureka! and enjoy.