May 2020 – Flowers

Here in Alta, Wyoming we don’t have many May flowers, most of them show up for us in June and July. So I comfort myself with photos, paintings and knitted flowers!

I designed this pattern, Crystal Meadows Shawl a few years ago during the month of April because I was yearning for some flowers in my life! The asymmetrical lace shawl is beautiful on it’s own, but I wanted to embellish it with some knitted, beaded flowers.

Handmaiden sent me some Lino to sample and I fell in love with the lace weight yarn of 65% Mulberry Silk and 25% Fine Linen and I thought it would be perfect for some flowers.

If you would like the kit for the Crystal Meadows Shawl using 2 skeins of Handmaiden Mini Maiden (50% Mulberry Silk, 50% Extrafine Merino) with the flower option (enough Handmaiden Lino and Miyuki Delica 8/0 beads to make 20 flowers). You can purchase it here available in 3 color choices.

In honor of May flowers, I’ve written out the pattern for these elegant flower embellishments! Scroll to the end of the post for May Flower Pattern.

I lots of fun offerings this month. I have been a vendor for yarns from The Buffalo Wool Company for four years now. Recently, they stopped producing their yarn line and are now selling bison down blend socks, hats, and other fabulous bison stuff.

I have two shawls that I designed using The Buffalo Wool Company lace weight yarn, Sexy. Each shawl uses Miyuki Delica beads and two skeins of the Sexy, (50% bison down, 50% mulberry silk, 400 yds.).

Each of the kits will be discounted deeply while supplies last at at clearance price of $70.00 (regularly $114 and $125). This includes two skeins of The Buffalo Wool Company, Sexy in the color of your choice, Miyuki Delica beads and a free Ravelry download coupon for the shawl pattern.

Find the Indian Paintbrush and Lily of the Valley kits HERE.

Each of these patterns are 50% off on Ravelry through May with the coupon code

May50

Indian Paintbrush Shawl

Lily of the Valley Shawl

Tiam Safari of Knit Safari Designs is releasing a brand new kit this month! Her stunning new design, Viola, is knit up in WayfaringYarns Arcadia DK and will be available in four different colors. Pfeiffer Beach (shown on sample), Alta, Pink Sands Beach and Rockaway Beach. Kits will be on sale through Sunday, May 24th.

The May yarn offering will be my best selling lace weight yarn, Shangri-La Lace. Each gorgeous, hand-dyed skein is $36.

Shangri-La Lace (75% extra fine merino, 25% mulberry silk, 870 yards, 100 grams)

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Shop Shangri-La Lace

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May Flower Pattern

You will need a small number of yardage of lace weight yarn, US #1 circular needle, 6 Miyuki Delica beads size 8/0, floss threader or small crochet hook to thread beads onto yarn, needle for weaving in ends.

RS – right side, WS – wrong side, kfb – knit into the front then back of one stitch, k – knit, p – purl, k2tog – knit 2 stitches together, p2tog – purl 2 stitches together.

Using US #1 circular needle and lace weight yarn for flowers, cast on 4 stitches using long-tail cast on method.

PETAL

Row 1 – (RS) kfb, k3. (5 sts.)

Row 2 – (WS) kfb, p4. (6 sts.)

Row 3 – kfb, k5. (7 sts.)

Row 4 – kfb, p6. (8 sts.)

Row 5 – k8.

Row 6 – k2, p4, k2.

Row 7 – k8.

Row 8 – k2, p4, k2.

Cut yarn, leaving a 4″ tail and slide 1st petal onto cable.

Cast on another 4 stitches and repeat rows 1-8, cut yarn and slide petal onto cable.

Make 3 more petals for a total of 5 petals. DO NOT CUT YARN ON LAST PETAL.

Row 1 – Using yarn from 5th petal, knit across the 5 petal.

JOINING PETALS

Prepare to join 4th petal to 5th petal by sliding 4th petal back to LH needle.

Holding working yarn and tail from 4th petal, k2.

Drop 4th petal tail and continuing with working yarn only, k6.

Repeat steps for joining petals until all petals are joined. (40 sts.)

Row 2 – p2tog to end of row. (20 sts.)

Row 3 – k2tog to end of row. (10 sts.)

Row 4 – purl to end of row.

Row 5 – k2tog to end of row. (5 sts)

Cut yarn, leaving a 12″ tail.

Thread needle with tail and draw thread through each stitch, removing stitches from circular needle.

Pull yarn tight, drawing the petals into a circle.

Using 2-3 stitches, stitch the 1st and 5th petal together at the bottom of the petals.

Weave the yarn on the WS of the flowers to the center of the flower and draw yarn up through the center of the flower to the RS.

Weave in all ends and trim EXCEPT FOR YARN END IN MIDDLE OF FLOWER.

Using your favorite technique to string beads onto yarn (I use a small crochet hook, but floss threaders work great, too!) string 3 beads onto yarn in center of flower.

Draw yarn through center of flower to the WS to secure beads.

Draw yarn back up to RS of flower and repeat to secure 3 more beads.

Draw yarn back to the WS and use this tail to attach flower to garment.

Block your lovely flower!

Have fun and keep knitting, my friend! Selena