Saturday, January 8, 2011

Knitting! Danish Flag Garland - Danske Flag








When I was a kid, going to my best friend's house for any sort of celebration meant going to experience their rich Danish culture. Just about every occasion was an excuse to hang the beautiful garlands of Danish Flags around the house and yard.
When I was living in Mexico over Christmas, she sent me down a garland of flags and they still grace my Christmas tree every year. So, I wanted to create a knitting pattern that would replicate these garlands.

Danish Flag Garland

You need: light fingering yarn in red and white and 3.5mm needles
Gauge: 7 stitches = 1inch worked in stockinette stitch

Cast on 16 stitches in red yarn.
1st row: knit 7 in red, k2 in white, k7 in red
2nd row:purl 7 in red, p2 in white, p7 in red

repeat rows 1 and 2 until 6 total rows have been finished.

Knit 1 row in white.
Purl 1 row in white.

K7 in red, k2 in white, k 7 in red.
P7 in red, p2 in white, p7 in red.
Repeat last 2 rows until a total of 8 rows have been completed, ending on a purl row.

Now it is time to work the points on the flag. You will be working the right first, then the left.

Right Point

Knit 6, slip slip knit (ssk), turn work. (At this point, you can slip the unworked stitches onto a different needle, or just leave them on the needle, leaving them unworked. I left them on the needle).
P7
K5, ssk, turn.
p6
K4, ssk, turn.
P2tog (purl 2 together), p3
K2, ssk, turn.
P2tog, p1
K2tog (knit 2 together), bind off. Reattach yarn on left side.

Left Point

K2tog, k6
P7
K2tog, k5
P6
K2tog, k4
P3, ssp (slip slip purl)
K2tog, K2
P1, ssp
K2tog, bind off.

Weave in ends and block. This will help them to keep from curling too much, although some curling is inevitable. Knit a few other flags and then tie them together on a string. Hang them up at your next celebration!

Note: You can change the colour to make other cross-flags. Reverse the colours to make the cross of England. Do blue and yellow for a Swedish Flag, etc...

P.S. Are you on Ravelry? Friend me! I am honeynutbrown.
P.P.S. Check out my other patterns : Cowichan Toque design

4 comments:

  1. Hahaha! I love it - great job Kristen :)
    Gobble Gobble - Louise

    ReplyDelete
  2. These flags are fantastic! Great job, Kris :)
    Cheers!
    Kim aka treblemaker

    ReplyDelete
  3. Thanks Kim!
    Haha, Louisa, keep a look out- there might be some heading your way for a certain celebration in April. :)

    ReplyDelete
  4. I have been looking for a cross flag pattern to knit the Saint George's flag (white background, red cross) EVERYWHERE! This is going to come in very handy. Thank you ever so much

    ReplyDelete

Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...