We now begin the flowers!

Your assignment for this week is three-fold:

You may still be working on finishing your wrap or you may already have completed it. Nevertheless, let’s start working on flowers. Here is what you need to do even before you start knitting the flowers themselves.

1. Figure out how many fuchsias you want to have dripping from your wrap. I have 3 peduncles for every end of the wrap: 6 peduncles total.  One of those peduncles has two pedicels–two flowers on one stem.

Once you have the number of stems figured out, you need to do a little swatching. So, get out your size 1 double pointed needles and your stem yarn. Try working the stem with a single strand. . . now a double. What feels and looks best to you? After a bit of swatching, you need to make a decision:

2. Decide if you want your flowers to be made using a single strand or a double strand.

Above you can see the difference between a stem made using a single strand of lace-weight silk mohair (left) and a double strand. Both were worked on the size 1 needle. Both look lovely, but the single-strand fuchsias are more delicate. You could even mix and match. Knitter’s choice.

3. Now, Make All your Little Stems.

Once you have decided how many you want to make and whether to use a single or double strand, set to work making all your stems. I have my waiting stems on markers.

My recommendation is to make all of your stems slightly different lengths. This is easy to see if you work them all just to the point before you will start increasing for the shaping of the flower.  It was asked on Ravelry in the forum for this wrap how long I made my own stems for the wrap. I would say to vary the lengths between 3 and 6 inches. But the real test is your own eye: work those little stems and then curl and twine them on the end of the wrap the way you think you will want them when the wrap is finished. . .

If you find that one seems too short, add some rounds. . . If you find that you don’t really like the look of the green stem against the wrap, there is no reason you shouldn’t start your flower with the wrap color and just keep on going, making the stem short or long to your heart’s dictation. This way, the stem will create a tone on tone design. You can use your green yarn to make a sweet little necklet with fuchsias or other flowers decorating it.

Next Monday: we will move on to the next part of the flower.

Happy stem knitting – the foundation of most flowers!