The Jean Greenhowe pattern is not difficult to do but does take a lot of patience and time, not something you can do in a hurry, if you want it for Christmas 2018 you need to make a start as soon as the pattern
I unwrapped my ceramic set one year and the shepherd, carrying a sheep round his neck, had lost his head. He looked like a gruesome hybrid.
My smaller set is made from something like Fimo. Several characters are missing eyes and Joseph did a runner years ago. A knitted set sounds like a lovely idea, but I doubt my skills are up to the task.
Ive still got the one I made when my adult children were little. As they got older I never knew from one day to the next where they would move the figures to or what they would pose them doing! Often the baby was up marys dress and joseph was wearing the kings crown and giving the donkey a piggy back!
A dear friend knitted the complete set for me to use in my Reception class many years ago! My own grandchildren have loved it and we still set it out every year although they are not little now. The loo roll inners are the only part I’ve had to replace.
I have knitted part of one (the craft group I go to undertook the whole nativity set). It turned out very well - but I think it would be quite a task to knit the whole lot; perhaps you are a more dedicated knitter than me
Saw a pattern mentioned on mumsnet and thought I'd give it a go - it's a Jean Greehowe (IIRC). Apparently quite easy! Was going to get a bought nativity for Gdcs but they're still rather little for anything breakable. Now thinking of how to make a stable to put it all in - some of the empty shoeboxes stored in the garage - the ones dh has wanted to chuck a few times - might come in handy.