Frankie's Knitted Stuff
The last things to add to the wreath are some bluebells. You would normally see masses of bluebells together in a wood but I have added just six stems to each of my wreaths. Each stem has two bluebell flowers and, again, they come in two sizes. The bigger flowers are 3 cm / 1" long and have a 10 cm / 4" stem, the smaller ones are 2 cm / 3%" long and their stem is 8 cm / 3".
I knitted my flowers with Stylecraft Special DK (295 m / 50g) in Bluebell (what else?) on 3.25 mm / US size 3 needles.
Big Bluebells
Using the long tail method cast on six stitches. Row 1: Purl. Row 2: K1, (m1, K2) twice, m1, K1 (9 sts). Beginning with a purl row, work five rows in stocking stitch. Next row: (Kf&b) nine times (18 sts). Cast off knitwise, leaving a long tail. Darn in the cast on tail. Using the cast off tail, join the side seam and gather the cast on edge. Leave the tail for sewing the flower to the stem.
Small Bluebells
Using the long tail method, cast on four stitches. Row 1: Purl. Row 2: K1, (m1, K1) three times (7 sts). Beginning with a purl row, work three rows in stocking stitch. Next row: (Kf&b) seven times (14 sts). Cast off knitwise and finish in the same way as the big bluebell.
The Stems
I knitted these with Sirdar Snuggly DK (165 m / 50g, shade 0442) and 3.75 mm double pointed needles. Using the long tail method cast on three stitches. Work 30 rows in I cord for the bigger bluebells and 20 for the smaller. The stems should measure either 10 cm or 8 cm. Cast off with the double decrease cast off: slip one stitch knitwise, K2tog and pass the slipped stitch over. Darn in the ends. Sew one bluebell to the side of the top of the stalk with a small vertical stitch. Leave a small amount of yarn between the flower and the stem so that it hangs nicely. Now sew another bluebell a centimetre or two below the top of the stalk. Pin the bluebells in place on the wreath and sew down along the Stalk.
One last thing ...
You will need to sew a small ring to the back of your wreath to hang it up by. I used curtain rings, 20 mm for the big wreath and 15 mm for the small. Attach them quite low down on the back to allow for the knitting pulling up when the wreath is hung.
① Frankie Brown, 2013.
Abbreviations
st / sts stitch / stitches K knit ml make 1 by lifting the thread before the next stitch and knitting into the back of it kf&b knit into the front and back of the stitch I cord Knit every row but don't turn the work at the end of rows, just pull the yarn round from behind the stitches and carry on.
Frankie Brown, 2013. My patterns are for personal use only and should not be used to knit items for sale. Please do not use them for teaching purposes without my permission.
