Jolie’s recipe for Nicky Epstein’s Knitted Buttercup
This is a significant variation of the flower on page 22 of Knitted Flowers (New York: Sixth&Spring Books, 2006). The changes:
- specified cast on
- in the round not back and forth with seam
- centered and straight rather than slanted decreases
- threaded center rather than bound-off center
- bead instead of french knot
- felted instead of not felted
Use size 9mm/US 13 needles
Samples made with Cascade 220, color 8555 (black)
Yarn held double throughout
Each flower uses about 6-7 grams/13¼-15½ yards
Makes a 7-petal flower
Flower is worked in the round on double-pointed needles, two-circulars, or a magic loop.
Special techniques:
dec 5 into 1 (worked over a group of 5 stitches)= slip first stitch knitwise, slip second stitch knitwise, knit third stitch (middle stitch of the group); place middle stitch back on left needle and pass fourth stitch over middle stitch, slip middle stitch to right needle and pass second stitch over middle stitch, slip middle stitch to left needle and pass fifth stitch over middle stitch, slip middle stitch to right needle and pass first stitch over middle stitch. Adjust tension of middle stitch before proceeding.
centered double dec (worked over a group of 3 stitches) = slip first two stitches together knitwise, knit third stitch, pass first two stitches over.
Using crochet cast-on, cast-on 43 stitches.
Round 1: Knit first & last stitch of the cast-on together to join. Knit all remaining stitches in the round. (42 stitches total)
Round 2: *k1, yo, dec 5 into 1, yo; repeat from * across round. (28 stitches total)
Round 3: *k1, centered double dec; repeat from * across round. (14 stitches total)
Round 4: *k2tog; repeat across round. (7 stitches total)
To end: Break yarn. Thread yarn end into blunt needle. Run end through all 7 stitches. Pull tight. Run through all 7 stitches again. Run through first three or four of the seven. (Yarn has circled the 7 final stitches 2½ times.) Plunge end to back of work.
Thread needle with yarn end from cast-on. Weave end through stitches on back of work. Try to have end come out near center of flower.
You should end up with both yarn tails on the back and near the center of the flower. This is handy if you wish to use them to attach your flower to something.
My flowers were about 3½ inches across before felting and 2¾ inches after felting.
If you want to experiment with more or fewer petals, cast on 6 stitches per petal, plus one extra to join.
Add beads or knots in contrasting color to create centers. I used wooden beads from the local big box craft store.
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