Spring fling
FLOWERS
Hook Lucy Croft’s beautiful bouquet as a stunning centrepiece or gift of lifelike blooms that’ll never wilt or fade
• DROPS Alpaca (100% alpaca, 50g/167m), 2 balls of each: Dark Olive (7238), Dark Pink (3770), Navy Purple Mix (6736), Green Turquoise Mix (7815), 1 ball of each: Coral (9022), Light Pink (3140)
• DROPS Baby Alpaca Silk (70% alpaca, 30% silk, 50g/167m), 2 balls of Green (7820), 1 ball of each: Pistachio (7219), Blue Purple (6347), Heather (4088), White (1101)
• A 3mm (US C/2 or D/3) hook
• Glue
• 11m floristry wire, 22 gauge
• 5m floristry wire, 0.5mm
• Hat
• Starch (optional)
TENSION
Tension is not critical for this project, but it may affect the yarn quantities required
MEASUREMENTS
All sizes are approximate
Lavender measures 8.5cm (3¼in) excluding Stem
Carnation measures 7cm (2¾in) in diameter
Rose measures 6cm (2¼in) tall excluding Stem
Anemone measures 7.5cm (3in) in diameter
Cornflower measures 7cm (2¾in) in diameter
ABBREVIATIONS
picot Ch3, ss in third ch from hook
For a full list, see page 94
NOTES
Pattern is written to make one bouquet of Flowers and one Hat arrangement. All Flowers for the Bouquet are made with a long stem. The flowers for the Hat are made with short stems or no stems depending on the flower. Each long-stemmed flower uses 35cm of 22 gauge floristry wire and each short-stemmed flower uses 17cm of 22 gauge floristry wire. The 0.5mm floristry wire is used for the Leaves only.
Some parts of the pattern are worked in a continuous spiral without closing off each round with a slip stitch. You may find it helpful to mark the first stitch of the round, moving the marker up as you work.
There is a Stitch Diagram for the Anemone Leaves on page 22.
BOUQUET
LONG-STEMMED LAVENDER (MAKE 7)
Using Heather, ch35.
Row 1 Ss in third ch from hook, dc in next ch, (htr, picot, htr) in next 10 ch, (tr, picot, tr) in next 10 ch, (htr, picot, htr) in next 10 ch, dc in final ch.
Fasten off.
Cut a 35cm length of floristry wire and weave through every other stitch of foundation ch so the top of the wire reaches the top of the flower. Twist the flower to form the Lavender shape. You can use the image as a guide. Using Green and working over the tails of Heather, wrap the yarn around the wire stem to the base of the wire.
Fasten off.
Glue the tail into place and add a dot of glue at the top of the wire to keep the flower in place.
CARNATION (MAKE 4)
Using Green Turquoise Mix, make a magic loop.
Round 1 (RS) Ch3 (counts as tr throughout), 7tr into ring, ss to top of beg ch-3 to join. [8 tr]
Rounds 2-3 Ch3, tr in each st around, ss to top of beg ch-3 to join.
Fasten off and stuff tails inside Rounds 1-3.
INNER PETALS
Join Light Pink in bl of first st.
Round 4 (Working in back loops only) Ch3, tr in st at base of ch-3, 2tr in each st around, ss to top of beg ch-3 to join. [16 tr]
Round 5 Ch3, tr in st at base of ch-3, 2tr in each st around, ss to top of beg ch-3 to join. [32 tr]
Round 6 Ch5 (counts as tr, ch2), tr in st at base of ch, (tr, ch2, tr) in each st around, ss to third ch of beg ch-5 to join.
Fasten off.
MIDDLE PETALS
Join Light Pink in unused fl of first st from Round 3.
Round 7 (Working into unused fl from Round
3) Ch3, 2tr in st at base of ch-3, 3tr in front loop of each st around, ss to top of beg ch-3 to join. [24 tr]
Round 8 (Working in bl only) Ch3, tr in st at base of ch-3, 2tr in each st around, ss to top of beg ch-3 to join. [48 tr]
Round 9 As Round 6.
Fasten off.
OUTER PETALS
Join Light Pink in unused fl of first st from Round 7.
Round 7 (Working into unused fl from Round
7) Ch3, tr in st at base of ch-3, 2tr in each st around, ss to top of beg ch-3 to join. [48 tr]
Round 9 As Round 6.
Fasten off.
STEM
Cut a 35cm length of floristry wire.
