Jubilee Bunting!!

Hello fellow knitters,

For the past few weeks the whole of Britain have become obsessed with red, white and blue and Jubilee fever has swept across the land. Apart from the lovely four days off we all received, the street parties, and of course the Queen, people also went a bit mad with bunting. This inspired to make my own bunting, and by make I of course mean knit!

Knitted bunting is quite a fashionable and kitsch thing to do and takes you back to the old times gone by where communities worked together and women wore house coats to do the cleaning. It is such an easy and colourful way to make a statement, get people knitting and contributing together and showcasing your skills and different yarns.

But I digress, knitted bunting is one of the first patterns I learnt when I first began knitting and it is a brilliantly simple way of learning to increase a row. 

First of all the pattern: 

You complete the bunting in Garter stitch (or knit stitch), the reason you do this is because the Garter stitch is a sturdy one that can hold a shape like this. If you used Stocking Stitch it would curl at the ends, however you could use stocking stitch for the majority but would have to border the flag with Garter or Moss stitch to make sure it keeps its shape.

You will need:

Kneedles size 4

Size 4 wool in any colour you like, I chose red, white and blue (of course!)

Ribbon as long as you need it

Sewing needle and thread

Decorative items- any buttons, sequins, ribbons you have lying around.

Pattern:

1) CO 3 Sts 

2) Knit 2 rows

3) increase the first and last stitch of row 3 ( to get 5 stitches)

repeat steps 2 and 3 until you have the size of bunting required, I aim for 29-31 depending on the wool.

See, told you it was easy I can make a bunting flag in about 1 hour- 90 minutes. Once you have the first few rows down you can move easily between each rows increasing every third row, and with it being a knit stitch it is easy to gain speed.

Once your triangles are finished you can attach them to ribbon using you sewing needle in a running stitch, I also then sew a stitch into the middle of the flag to the ribbon for extra security. Then decorate them, or go bare, I used buttons, beads, and ( very basic) embroidery and a string of pearls I had kept off my wedding cake (never through away anything decorative it will always come in handy!).

I made them as a gift for my Mother for her Jubilee party and I have to admit they did look pretty good.

Here is my jubilee bunting, I've used red, white and blue for the jubilee theme, and attached it to silk red polka dot ribbon. I attached a string of pearls to one (for the Queen), a ribbon rossette, buttons and an embroidered crown. The rosette worked really well and I will show you how to make a rose out of ribbon as it is such a quick and easy way to decorate knitted gifts.

Bunting can be used for so many things, imagine it as decoration at Christmas in red and green with gold motifs, or for a baby's room with their name written on it (for that you would have to use stocking stitch). They're also a great gift for birthdays and parties.
I'm mad about bunting! nearly as much as I am about knitting!!!

Happy Knitting!!





Love, 
BoMo Knitting

BoMo Knitting

Dear future knitter:

I have spent my life telling people that I'm one of those creative arty types without actually having or doing anything to show for it or any actual artistic talent. Last September I had a hit a point in my life when I had finished years and years of education and was looking for the all important job. I was at a low point, and then suddenly came across knitting lessons for beginners in my local area, and went along. I bought some cheap plastic 6mm needles and some pink yarn and began with casting on and the garter stitch and within a few lessons I was suddenly clacking away like an old pro.

I had spent my childhood at my grandmother's in Scotland and watching her knitting my sister and I, toys and clothes, and although I was amazed by her talent I never asked her to teach me, just to make me things, such as my beloved knitted Bagpuss and Paddington Bear. Sadly, she passed away before she could pass on her gifts. Knitting for me came into my life very quickly, that Christmas I made Christmas presents for all the family and suddenly felt a lot closer to my Grandmother and my family past. Also it is the most fun I have ever had, and suddenly I had a hobby and a creative outlet for years of wanting one.

So I have spent the last few months learning new stitching techniques, collecting wool, books, needles, storage boxes and making presents for people. I rarely make anything for myself, the joy is seeing someone else enjoying a home made present, marveling at your rows and rows of tiny loops and learning the new techniques for myself. The other fun section is the shopping. I can spend hours in knitting and fabric shops staring at a million colours and textures of yarn and picturing what it could be woven and tugged into.

I am a believer that anyone and everyone can become a knitter, and that the first steps is to pick up a set of needles and get going. You Tube is a brilliant resource for knitting, I learnt a lot of my skills from a basic video and the tips off other crafty knitters.

It is now my dream to build this love of wool, into a future for myself, and it all begins here with my little blog and BoMo Knitting. Which is a word for the type of knitter I am and the type of knitters coming into the woolly limelight, Bohemian-Modern Knitting.

I will show you what I'm working on, what hasn't worked, what I'm getting requested to make, my failures and triumphs and I will record them all here in the hope that someday my dreams of knitting full time will come true! needles crossed.

Happy Knitting,

Love
BoMo Knitting