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Terminology

Knitted Remembrance Poppy

A simple knitted poppy made from one small strip that curls into shape as you knit. A lovely quick make for Remembrance or a splash of colour on a coat or bag.

Finished Knitted Remembrance Poppy, a free knitting pattern

Yarn needed

Scraps of red + black DK

~15g red + a little black · ~35 metres red

Time

About 1 hour

Easy

Finished size

Approx. 8cm across

Wendy Supreme Aran 100g

Get the yarn

Wendy Supreme Aran 100g

A soft red wool that shows off the petals beautifully — one ball makes lots of poppies for just £2.25.

What you'll need

  • Small amount of red DK yarn (about 15g)
  • A little black DK yarn for the centre
  • A pair of 4mm (UK 8 / US 6) knitting needles
  • A wool/darning needle
  • A brooch pin or safety pin (optional, to wear it)

Tension: Tension is not important — knit fairly firmly so the petals hold their shape.

Abbreviations

kknit
ppurl
kfbknit into the front and back of the stitch (an increase — makes 2 stitches from 1)
k2togknit two stitches together (a decrease)
cast on / cast offstart / finish your stitches
st(s)stitch(es)

Step-by-step instructions

1. Knit the petal strip

  1. 1With red yarn, cast on 10 stitches.
  2. 2Row 1: knit every stitch.
  3. 3Row 2: *kfb* into every stitch to the end. (20 sts)
  4. 4Row 3: *kfb* into every stitch to the end. (40 sts)
  5. 5Row 4: knit every stitch.
  6. 6Cast off loosely. You will have a long frilly strip that naturally ruffles.

2. Form the poppy

  1. 1Cut the yarn leaving a 30cm tail and thread it onto the wool needle.
  2. 2Run a line of running stitch along the straight cast-on edge of the strip.
  3. 3Gently pull the thread to gather the strip into a tight circle — the ruffled edge becomes the petals. Curl the strip round on itself so it forms a flower and stitch the base together firmly.

3. Make the black centre

  1. 1With black yarn, cast on 8 stitches.
  2. 2Row 1: purl.
  3. 3Row 2: *k2tog* to the end. (4 sts)
  4. 4Cut the yarn, thread it through the remaining 4 stitches, pull tight and secure into a little bobble.
  5. 5Sew the black bobble firmly to the centre of the red flower.

4. Finish

  1. 1Weave in all ends on the back of the poppy.
  2. 2Add a brooch pin or safety pin to the back to wear it, or stitch it onto a hat, scarf, bag or wreath.

Top tip: For a bigger, blousier poppy, cast on 12 stitches to start and work one extra kfb row — every extra increase row makes the petals frillier.

Ready to cast on?

Get everything you need for this project — quality yarn, needles and accessories — from Mandy Bond Wool & Yarn.