Learning how to knit flowers is a useful skill to add to your knitting repertoire! It is a great way to use up small odds and ends of yarn, and there are so many things you can do with knitted flowers! Not to mention that these flowers will not fade and die, they are everlasting!
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How to Knit Flowers Tutorial for Beginners
You can use knitted flowers to add a finishing touch to hats, bags, headbands, or scarves. You can use them as a decoration for gifts, as hair accessories, or as brooches.
A beautiful bloom can be added to a headband, sweaters, garments, necklaces, flip flops, or used as fridge magnets. You can use them to top a tea cozy or make bunting, wreaths, or garlands from them. They can also be used to decorate a knitted blanket or cushion.
Now that you have pictured all these pretty possibilities, (and I’m sure you can think of even more!), let’s start with how to make a few attractive flowers.
This tutorial will give you step-by-step instructions for 5 flowers and a leaf. Use them all together to make a bouquet.
- Small Daisy Flower
- Large Flower
- Rose
- Poppy
- Daffodil
- Leaf
Supplies for Knitted Flowers
The size of your flowers will depend upon the yarn and needles you choose. If you want a large, showy flower for a blanket, choose thick yarn and needles. If you want to make a delicate little brooch, for example, choose fine yarn or crochet thread and very thin needles.
- Yarn of your choice.
- Needles to suit the yarn.
- Tapestry needle.
- Scissors.
- Buttons for centers of flowers. (Optional)
Abbreviations
All abbreviations used in this how to knit flowers tutorial are in US terms.
- CO - Cast on knitting
- K - knit stitch
- P - purl stitch
- St(s) - stitch (es)
- Rep - repeat
- St st - stockinette stitch
- Kfb - knit into the front and back of the same stitch
- Skp - slip 1, knit 1, pass slip stitch over
- YO - yarn over
How to Knit Flowers - Step by Step Stitch Patterns
1. Small, Simple, Daisy Flowers
Step 1 - How to Knit a Small Flower
- CO 50 sts.
- * K1, cast off 6 sts, rep from * to end of row. K1. Leave each k1 st on your needle! Don’t accidentally bind off those sts!
- You will now have 8 sts left on your needle, with large loops between them.
Step 2 - Sew Together
- Cut your yarn leaving a long tail of at least 6” (15cm.)
- Thread this long yarn tail into your needle.
- Use the needle to thread the tail through all the sts on the needle. Or you could pull the sts off the needle and thread the tail through the stitch loops.
- Pull tightly.
- Join the first and last petals with the yarn from the tail.
- Shape the loops into petals.
- Sew in ends to keep the petals secure and in place.
- Once you have the flower shape, you can add a small button, a few satin stitches or a few french knots to form the center of the flower.
If you want more petals, cast on more sts at the start. Or, conversely, fewer stitches for fewer petals. It must be a multiple of 7 +1.
2. Large Daisy Knitting Flower Pattern
Step 1 - How to Knit a Flower Petal
For this daisy, each petal is made separately.
- CO 4 sts.
- P 4.
- Kfb into each st. (8 sts)
- P8
- *K2, kfb, repeat, k2. (10 sts.)
- P 10 sts.
- K 2 tog 5 times. (5 stitches)
- P5.
- Cut yarn and leave a long tail.
- Thread the tail through the 5 remaining sts. Fasten off tightly and weave in ends.
Make 5 of these petals.
- Sew the side edges of each petal together with a whip stitch.
Step 3 - Sew the Flower Together
- Cut a length of yarn approximately 12” (30cm).
- Thread this yarn through the base of all the petals. Pull the yarn so that the petals group together to form a circle.
- Join the first and last petals together with a backstitch. Secure your yarn and weave in the ends.
Step 2 - How to Knit Flowers - Center
You can use a small button as the center, or knit a center:
- CO 3 sts.
- K 3 sts.
- Kfb of first st, k1, kfb into last st. (5 sts).
- K2 tog, k1, k2 tog. (3 sts).
- K 3sts.
- Cut yarn, leaving a long tail.
- Pull tail through the 3 sts, secure firmly, and use tail to sew the center onto the petals.
3. How to Knit a Rose
This one actually works out very attractively in a variegated yarn.
Step 1 - How to Knit a Rose Pattern
- CO 50 sts.
- K 6 rows garter st.
- You will have a long, narrow rectangle on your needle.
- Cut the yarn end, leaving a long tail- around 12” (30cm).
- Pull the tail through all the sts on the needle. You can choose to thread the yarn needle through each stitch while they are still on the needle, or, if you are brave, slip the stitches off the needle and then thread the yarn through all of them.
Step 2 - Assemble the Knitted Rose
- Pull the yarn tightly. This will cause your rectangle to ruffle up. Use your fingers to ease it into a neat rosette shape. The rectangle should twist around itself, to look like the swirls of a rose.
- Sew the twisted fabric into place, using a whip stitch across the bottom of the rosette. Secure the yarn firmly so that it stays in place. Use whatever yarn is left over to secure the rose onto your project.
If you would like to have a larger knitted rose, (without using thicker yarn and needles), CO 70 stitches, and work more than 6 rows of garter stitch. Obviously, if you want a smaller rose, cast on fewer stitches, and knit only 4 rows of garter stitch.
4. How to Knit a Poppy Flower
This flower is always bright and cheerful, it can be used for anything, including a pretty brooch all year round, but especially on Remembrance Day in November. (for Commonwealth countries) There are many poppy patterns made with separate petals, but this is a quick and simple version, using the 3D effect of rib knit stitch to form the petals.
Step 1 - Knit the Flower Poppy
- CO 52 sts.
- Row 1: K4, P4, K4 across the row.
- Row 2: P4, K4, P4 across the row.
- Row 3: As row 1.
- Row 4: As row 2.
- Row 5: K 2 tog all across the row.
- Row 6: Skp across the row, k1.
Step 2 - Join the Petals
- Cut yarn, leaving a long tail, about 12” (30cm).
- Thread the tail through the remaining stitches and pull up tight. Secure yarn with a backstitch or two.
- Sew the edges of the poppy together to make a circle. Add a small black button for a center, or sew a few black satin stitches on the center.
5. How to Knit a Daffodil
This one is slightly more complicated, but is worth the effort for a lovely spring daffodil! You will need to work the center and the 6 petals separately.
Step 1 - How to Knit a Flower Center for Daffodils
This uses 2 sizes of knitting needles - size 3 and 6 (3 ¼ mm and 4 mm) with a DK thickness of yarn. Or grade the sizes and yarn up or down accordingly.
- Cast on 14 sts.
- Work 5 rows of stockinette stitch on smaller needles.
- Change to larger needles.
- Row 5: P
- Row 6: K1, (yarn forward, k2 tog.) Repeat to last st, k1.
- Row 7: p
- Row 8: k
- Change back to smaller needles.
- Row 9: p
- Row 10: k
- Row 11: p.
Cut yarn, leaving a long tail. Thread the yarn through the remaining stitches and pull it up tight. Fasten off securely.
Step 2 - How to Knit Flower Petals for Daffodils
Make 6 petals for your knitted flower daffodil.
- CO 7 sts, using smaller needles.
- Work 6 rows garter st.
- K 2 tog at beginning of next row.
- Continue knitting 2 together at the start of each row until 1 st remains. Fasten off, weave in ends.
Step 3 - How To Make Up the Knitted Daffodil
- Sew the center of the daffodil into a tube-like shape.
- Fold back the edge to make a picot edge.
- Secure that fold back with a few stitches.
Arrange the petals overlapping evenly in a circle, and then stitch them into place under the center.
6. How to Knit Leaves
You may feel that your flowers need a few leaves to make your arrangements look more realistic.
- CO 3 sts.
- Row 1: (and all odd numbered rows) P.
- Row 2: K1, YO, K1, YO, K1 (5 sts.)
- Row 4: K2, YO, K1, YO, K2. (7sts).
- Row 6: K3, YO, K1, YO, K3. (9sts.)
- Row 8: K4, YO, K1, YO, K4. (11 sts.)
- Row 10: K5, YO, K1, YO, K5. (13 sts.)
- Then decrease: (Continue p for all odd-numbered rows).
- Row 12: K2 tog, k to last 2 sts, k 2 tog.
- Repeat row 12 until 3 sts remain. After the final p row,
- K2 tog, k1, pass stitch over to bind off. Weave in ends.
Make stems by stitching one or 2 rows of garter stitches.
How to Knit Flowers - In Conclusion
There are many, many free patterns available for knitted flowers of every description. And there are so many things you can do with knitted flowers! A lovely idea for those who enjoy seasonal decorations is to knit a long tube, stuff it and form it into a circle.
You can include wire in the center of the tube to help it keep its shape. Then add flowers appropriate for the season to this wreath as entrance, living room, or kitchen décor.
For example, you could add spring blossoms and daffodils for spring, roses and daisies for summer, leaves made in autumn colors for fall, and poinsettias with holly leaves and red beads for berries for winter or Christmas.
I hope you have lots of fun creating a whole greenhouse full of everlasting flowers for yourself!
More Free Knitting Patterns
More Free Flower Patterns
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