how to make roses

flora
Originally uploaded by hitbyabus.

each flower is 6 petals: 2 large, 2 med, and 2 small.
petals are knit separately and then stitched together to make the rose.

large petal
cast on 7 sts and work in stockinette for 16 rows. cast off, leaving about a 3" tail at both ends.

med petal
cast on 6 sts and work in stockinette for 16 rows. cast off, leaving 3" tail at both ends.

small petal
cast on 5 sts and work in stockinette for 12 rows. cast off, leaving 3" tail at both ends.

to make up:
weave cast off tail through cast off row so both tails are at bottom. use other tail to make a large running stitch through the long side of petal and gather so that it turns your little rectangle into a petal (it will look like a little cup). double knot the ends to secure. repeat this for all your little rectangles, so that you have 6 little cups, each with the double-knotted tails hanging down from them. starting from the inside of the rose, hold together and stitch the two littlest cups. hold the medium cups around and secure those. repeat with large petals on the outside. separate all the tails in half and tie them all into a double knot.

experiment with different yarns and needle sizes for different sizes and textures of flowers.

you can make a whole bunch of these roses in all different colors and sizes then stitch them all together to make a beautiful rose boa...or sew onto a sweater or purse or wristlets...or whatever!