After nearly a year of knitting tiny mittens, stockings and ornaments in festive holiday colors, the Knitwits were proud to finally put their work on display Tuesday.

This is the first year that the Knitwits, a group of knitters who meet every Monday afternoon, decorated a tree for the annual Festival of Trees at the Albert Lea Art Center.

“I was here decorating with the garden club last year, and the Art Center suggested we do something,” said Ann Goodmanson, a Knitwit knitter.

While this group of nine local knitters enjoys honing their craft on everything from purses to sweaters and slippers, they enjoyed the challenge of trying something new and different. They used scraps and leftover yarns to knit up the scarf and mitten sets, strings of cranberry and popcorn garland and even a set of colored knit lights.

Most of the pieces were knit from wool, with a few made of cotton but none from synthetic yarn.

“We’ve tried just about everything and this was just a lot of fun,” said Sandy Petersen. “We encourage each other — that’s the most fun.”

This annual tradition at the Art Center started with 12 trees more than 20 years ago.

According to Grace Skaar, a member of the Festival of Trees committee at the Art Center, 20 businesses and organizations decorated trees this year. Thirty-five decorated trees will be on display in the Art Center Gift Shop and all three galleries.

Something new at this year’s display are the decorated table settings to go with the trees.

“One person did it last year, and we thought it was fun to decorate the tables in the same colors and themes as the trees,” said Skaar. “We are not doing the wreaths this year.”

The Festival of Trees Open House will be from 1 to 4 p.m. on Nov. 28 at the Art Center. The event will include music and food.

The display is open to the public from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Tuesdays through Saturdays, ending Dec. 31.

The Albert Lea Art Center is located at 224 S. Broadway Ave., Albert Lea.