Knitty Gritty Pattern: Maggie Pace’s Poinsettia Wreath

Poinsettia Wreath, by Maggie Pace

Materials (enough for 7 poinsettias):

Cascade 220 yarn: 475 yd. red (9404), 50 yd. green (9430), 15 yd. yellow (7827) (or any 100% wool or wool-blend yarn that will felt)
double-pointed needles, US size 10
yarn needle
1/4″ ribbon (seven 18″ lengths)
14 safety pins
18″ florist wires (seven 18-gauge, to hold up flower and stem)
1 yd. 26-gauge thread wire
needle-nose pliers
12″ wire wreath frame

Note: Remember that many yarns are seasonal and could be discontinued. If the specific yarn called for is not available, purchase a substitution yarn that comes closest to the specified gauge in your pattern. And be sure to make that all-important swatch to see whether the yarn works for your particular pattern.

Note on shaping:
Our poinsettia is created in four sections: a green stem and three large outside petals; a second group of large outside petals; a medium-sized group of inside petals; and a small group of inside petals. The four sections are knit and felted separately and then placed on top of one another to create the final flower. You will need seven poinsettias to make the wreath.

Create flower stem:
Using two size-10 double-pointed needles and green yarn, co 4 stitches (figure A). *K one row. Without turning work, slide stitches across needle. Pull the yarn tightly from the end of the row and repeat from *. Do this 45 times. Inc 1 st in the middle of every row over the next 5 rows (9 sts).

Note: You are still sliding stitches after every row as you increase. Break green yarn, leaving long tail.

Distribute the 9 green sts evenly over 3 dpns (3 per needle). Using red, work 7 rounds on dpns. Keep 3 sts on needle and slide the remaining 6 sts onto a holder.

You are now going to work only these 3 sts; you will work them as if they are on straight needles, by turning your work after each row. Orient your work so the p side is facing. You will start out in k, even though p side is facing. This breaks the St st pattern, but it is correct. The goal is to have the k side of the petal face upward as it comes out of the I-cord tube. If necessary, break red yarn and pick up a new strand of red (it may not be necessary, depending on which stitches you slid on the holder).

Petal Group 1

First trio of outside petals:
(Use a bar increase, where you create 2 sts by knitting in the front and back of one.)
**Row 1: Knit, increasing one st at each end (5).
Row 2: Purl, increasing one st at each end (7).
Row 3: Knit, increasing one st at each end (9).
Row 4: Purl, increasing one st at each end (11).
Row 5: Knit, increasing one st at each end (13).
Rows 6-12: Work in St st.
Row 13: Knit, dec 1 st at each end (11).
Row 14: Purl.
Rows 15-20: Repeat rows 13 and 14 three times (5).
Row 21: K1, K2 tog twice (3).
Row 22: Purl.
Row 23: K 2 tog, K1 (2).
Row 24: Purl 2 tog (1). Break red yarn. Thread end back through last st and weave in end.**

Second petal:
Remove next 3 sts from the holder. Place on dpn. Orient work so p side is facing. Using a new strand of red yarn, follow pattern between **s.

Last petal:
Remove last three sts from the holder. Place on dpn. Using a new strand of red yarn, follow pattern between **s. When you are done with this first grouping of petals, weave in all ends.

Petal Group 2

Second trio of outside petals:
In red, co 9 sts on a dpn and distribute sts evenly over 3 dpns (3 per needle). Join yarn to work in rounds. Work 7 rounds. Keep last 3 sts on needle and slide the remaining 6 sts onto a holder. Orient work so p side is facing. Next, repeat instructions for Petal Group 1.

Petal Group 3

Medium petals
In red, co 9 sts on size-10 straight needles (you can use dpns if you’d like.) Use a bar increase, where you make two st by knitting in the front and back of one st.

Row 1: Working in k, inc 1, k 1, inc 1 (5). Stop! Place the remaining 6 sts on a holder. Now turn your work and continue in the pattern below.

*Row 2: P1, inc 1, p1, inc, p1 (7).
Row 3: K1, inc 1, k2, inc 1, k2 (9).
Rows 4-7: Work in St st.
Row 8: P1, p2 tog, p3, p2 tog, p1 (7).
Row 9: K2, k2 tog, k3 (6).
Rows 10-11: Work in St st.
Row 12: P1, p2 tog twice, p1 (4).
Rows 13-14: Work in St st.
Row 15: K1, k2 tog, k1 (3).
Row 16: P2 tog, p1 (2).
Row 17: K2.
Row 18: P 2 tog. Break red yarn. Thread end back through last st and weave in end.*

Second petal:
Remove 3 sts from holder.
Working in k, inc 1, k 1, inc 1 (5).
Stop! Turn work and work pattern between *s.

Third petal:
Remove last 3 sts from holder.
Working in k, inc 1, k1, inc 1 (5).
Stop! Turn work and work pattern between *s.

Weave in all ends. As you weave in the co tail, sew the first and last petal together at their bases so they form a trio of petals.

Continuing the process for making the knit poinsettia, you are now ready to begin work on the fourth and final group of petals. After this group is finished, you will prep the pieces and felt them before assembling the bloom.

Petal Group 4

Small petals:
In red, co 9 sts on size-10 straight needles (you can use a dpn if you’d like.) Use a bar increase, where you make two stitches by knitting in the front and back of one stitch.
Row 1: K1, inc 1, k 1 (4).
Stop! Place the remaining 6 sts on a holder. Now turn your work and continue in the pattern below.
*Row 2: P2, inc 1, p1 (5).
Row 3: K2, inc 1, k2 (6).
Rows 4: Purl.
Row 5: Knit.
Row6: P2, p2 tog, p2 (5).
Row 7: Knit.
Rows 8: Purl.
Row 9: K1, k2 tog, k2 (4).
Row 10: Purl.
Row 11: K1, k2 tog, k1 (3).
Row 12: Purl.
Row 13: K2 tog, k1 (2).
Row 14: P 2 tog. Break red yarn. Thread end back through last st and weave in end.*

Second petal:
Remove 3 sts from holder.
Row 1: K1, inc 1, k 1 (4).
Stop! Turn work and work pattern between *s.

Third petal:
Remove last 3 sts from holder.
Row 1: K1, inc 1, k 1 (4).
Stop! Turn work and work pattern between #s.

Weave in all ends. As you weave in the cast-on tail, sew the first and last petal together at their bases so they form a trio of petals.

Finishing

Prepare flower stem for felting:
Working with a petal group 1 and an 18″ length of thin ribbon, thread the ribbon through the center of the flower and its stem. Secure the ribbon to any petal and to the bottom of the stem.

Warning: If you skip this important step, the I-cord will fuse to itself during felting and the wire won’t thread through.

Felting and drying:
Set the washer to hot, on a heavy-duty cycle with low water. Add all four flower segments after the water begins agitating. You may have to run the flower segments through more than one cycle before they’re done–but don’t let them go through the spin cycle. The pieces are done if all the stitches have disappeared and they are noticeably stiff to the touch. Shrink these a lot. Once they are the desired consistency, pull them out and squeeze them in a towel. Dry all segments flat on a table.

Wiring the stem of the flower:
Once the pieces are dry, remove the pins and ribbons. Thread the I-cord of petal group 1 through the center hole of petal group 2. Push petal group 2 snugly up against group 1’s petals. The more you push up the underside petals, the less floppy the flower will be. Arrange all six petals so that they are evenly staggered.

Thread the wire through the I-cord channel, leaving wire exposed on each end. Thread the wire through petal group 3’s center. With a pair of needle-nose pliers, bend the top of the wire into a 1/2″ eye-hook, making sure petal group 3 is caught in the middle of the hook. Pull the wire down so all three petal groups come together and the eye-hook is buried in the center of the flower. With a needle and red yarn, securely tack the eye-hook to petal group 3. Next, tack the eye-hook from the underside of the flower at the base of the petals to keep the wire from riding up.

Work lots of French knots all over the center of the smallest petal group, piling the knots on top of each other to give them dimension. (Alternatively, you can glue-gun yellow beads to the center.) Sew the last petal grouping to the center to complete the poinsettia.

Flip the work, so the bottom of the stem is facing you. Trim the wire so it is slightly longer than the I-cord. Make another small hook so you have a surface to sew. Bury the hook within the cord, and sew to secure.

Wiring the petals:
You’re going to run some light wire through the six petals of petal groups 1 and 2 so you have more flexibility in shaping. Thread a long needle with a 10″ length of 26-gauge thread wire. Place a running stitch down the center and on the underside of each petal. Make sure to use a light touch so the wire doesn’t show through on the top.

Make six more poinsettias, following the same method.

Attaching flowers to wire wreath:
Evenly distribute the flowers onto the indented side of a 12″ wire wreath base. Secure by weaving the green stems through the base. Play with the arrangement until you like the way it looks.

This pattern was reposted courtesy of the designer. Please contact him/her directly with question.