This started as a project for my friend’s cube “windows” at work, to replace the pumpkins, ghosts, and acorns I’d made for the fall - I tried the original pattern (tree on the far right) but it was far too wide.
That pattern is from a YT video by AnDesign_Craft titled “Crochet Christmas Tree Tutorial | Simple and Cute Holiday Decoration”. ( https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SzwIxwu6xaY) So I started working with the number of increases…
I first tried slimming the tree with an increase in the number of stitched between the increases, but realized that left be with stitch counts at the end of the rounds as 6, 9, 12, 15, 18, and 21. I kinda fudged in the edging, which requires an even number of stitches. This led to the tree that is shown second from the left. I thought it was a little too skinny, and there was the issue with the odd number of stitches on some of the rounds. So I aimed for something between the two (the tree on the far left) and the rounds ended at 5, 10, 14, 20, 26, and 32. These are not at all even increases, though I tried to space out the increases as best as possible, the pattern notes are a bit of a mess.
But then everyone really liked the slimmer tree, so I tried again and ended up with rounds of 5, 10, 14, 20, 24, and 28. I think, but I’m not sure I ever made one exactly like that, I have the notes but I’m out of trees in the picture! The one second from the right is the slim tree with an extra layer at the bottom.
Upshot is, I ended up making a set of the short, 3-layer trees and some snowmen for my friend’s decor, and that tree has round ends of 5, 10, 12, and 14.
Then of course more people wanted them, so I went with the 5, 10, 12, 14, 18, 20, and 22 round ends to make the 5-layer trees. The 18 is the only weird round there that’s not an easy, even increase, and if I’m going to be honest I just wing it and chuck in 4 increases at about the quarter points of the round.
Also pardon the pictures, the “feels like” temp is 1*F and I was too lazy to put on a coat to take pictures, so it was a very quick trip out to the backyard to get some natural light photos! 
