The hibiscus, a member of the mallow family Malvaceae, is an exquisite flower. Not only are the flowers beautiful, with an astonishing array of colors and color variations, but all parts of the flower are also edible. Petals make a sweet tea, leaves a more tannic one. The blossoms can also be found in exotic drinks, jams, and jellies, and as a sculptural addition to beverages.

In this knitted version of the tropical beauty, I dissected actual flowers in order to represent the architecture of the blossoms as accurately as possible. The result is a flower that is as bold as it is beautiful and almost perfectly actual size when worked in worsted weight wool or silk. It is stunning on the front of a handbag such as 6, 8, 10 or Grace Kelly's Overnight Bag, spectacular on a cloche hat, unexpected on the wide lapel of a winter coat.

The flower pictured here has been wired so as to hold its life-like shape. If you love this flower and would like to make more of less or similar complexity, see 40 more knitted flowers and 6 projects in my book, Noni Flowers.

Click the Additional Details tab below for information about gauge, needed yardage, and other necessary materials.

Pattern Difficulty

While this flower requires a certain level of commitment and resolution, the skills required are known by most knitters. Your dedication will be rewarded with the resulting beautiful, life-like hibiscus flower. Intrepid knitters should know how to knit and purl, increase and decrease using several methods, be comfortable working in the round on double-pointed needles, and be able to execute the simple sewing techniques required to weave-in ends, wire petals, bead the finished flower by hand if desired, and sew the flower to a bag or other item.

Gauge

While gauge is not exactly important for this pattern. To make the flowers in the size pictured, use the recommended needle size(s) and yarn weight. For smaller or larger flowers, change your gauge by going down in yarn gauge and needle size, or up, respectively.

Yarn Requirements

250 yds (228.5m) each Spring Green, Fuchsia, Christmas Red or Red, and Spring Chick Yellow or Christmas Red
10 yds (9m) Crystal Palace Fizz in bright red or dark red

Needles and Other Materials

Size 6 (4mm) double-pointed needles (set of 5)
Seed beads and nylon beading thread (optional)
Sharp sewing needle to hand-bead and sew your flower onto a bag or other item.
Sharp needle with large eye for weaving in ends and wiring
26 gauge beading wire for wiring petals (optional)

Pictured Sample

The pictured sample was created using Stonehedge Fiber Mill Shepherd's Wool in Spring Green and Spring Chick Yellow, Tilli Tomas Flurries in Raspberry (unfortunately, no longer available), and Crystal Palace Fuzz in Hibiscus

Inspired by Wild Geraniums & Forsythia, these flowers are elegant through their simplicity and the classic flower shape. Beautifully dazzling when wired and embellished with a sparkle or cabochon rivet in the center, these easy-to-make and quick-to-knit flowers are lovely scattered across the front of a bag, as decorations on your latest Ella Coat, or sewn onto Noni Flower Clips and then worn in your hair.

They are also the perfect gift-knitting flower: sew to Flower clips and then fasten onto a ribbon that decorates the neck of a wine bottle, clip them to the neckline of your sweater or t-shirt, or onto your ballet slipper flats. 

Felt or wire and leave unfelted as you desire. Noni prefers worsted weight Shepherd's Wool for these flowers because the colors render flowers life-like. Add beads and the flowers look as though just opening on a dewy morning. 

Look at the Additional Details page for more information and a list of required materials.

Pattern Difficulty

Intrepid Easy to Intermediate: requires knowledge of knitting and purling, increasing and decreasing, picking up stitches, working in the round on double-pointed needles, and some simple hand-sewing.

Gauge

Work each felted flower with a single strand of worsted weight, feltable yarn held throughout. To make the flowers in the size pictured, use the recommended needle size. For smaller or larger flowers, change your gauge by going down in yarn and needle size, or up, respectively.

Yarn Requirements

Each large flower requires approximately 10 yds (9m) of worsted weight, feltable yarn; small flowers require slightly less.

Other yarn fibers also work well for unfelted flowers but make the flowers harder to work: silk makes beautifully glossy flowers, embellished yarns can add sparkle and depth, and hand-dyed silks are particularly pretty if the color gradation is long enough to allow all petals to begin at the same point in the grade (see my Cactus Flowers as an example).

Needles and Other Materials

Size 6 (4mm) double-pointed needles (set of 5) for flowers
Locking stitch markers as stitch holders
Sharp large-eyed needle for weaving in ends and optional wiring
Beads and Nylon beading thread for optional hand-beading and sewing flowers onto bags or other items
Noni Sparkle Rivets to decorate the flower centers
Noni Flower Clips so flowers can be clipped to virtually anything (optional)

Pictured Samples

Pictured felted flowers were made with Stonehedge Fiber Mill Shepherd's Wool in Zinnia Pink and Pink with pink sparkle rivet centers.