Colorful flowers play an important part in Kristin’s home and farm. Every year, she and her husband plant a sunflower field with several different varieties of multi-colored blooms. Alongside the vegetable garden, rows of Benary’s Giant Zinnias bloom with abundance. In the farmhouse during the growing season, there is always a jug full of blossoms on every surface available.

Kristin wanted to immortalize the beautiful blooms in wool. These knitted and felted flowers are easy and quick to knit in garter stitch. The shaping is done by working “short rows,” a knitting technique where you work only part of the way across a row (which is why it’s called “short”), then turn and work back the way you came. Felting is done in the washing machine.

The pattern includes instructions for zinnias with 4 different types of petals, sunflowers with 3 different petal shapes, and a variety of centers and embellishments to choose from. The directions are presented so that once you have mastered the basic flowers you will be able to design your own flowers by mixing and matching the different elements.

Skill Level: For beginners; includes over 50 project photographs with 11 close-ups (before felting), 7 how-to embroidery illustrations, and additional tips and suggestions.

Finished Sizes: Flower sizes will vary depending on the yarn, needles, and degree of felting. Note: You must use a wool yarn that will felt (not superwash treated) for successful results.

link text