Poppy: a needlework chart for any craft

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The random number generator picked Poppy from the suggestions for this post, suggested by Enting, one of my Patreon supporters. When I came upon this particular layout in the possibilities, I knew I had to use it, because it looks like flowers (if not exactly like poppies). I don’t try to make my stitches look like the words they’re derived from, but it’s fun when they do.

I decided to go ahead and make the sample look like stranded knitting even though it’s a little more challenging than usual as shown: there’s a couple rows that use three colors. It’s common enough that there’s a number of tutorials to be found online. (Look up three color knitting). I chose gold for the flowers because the first time I saw golden poppies in the western US, I was utterly charmed.

I developed a lace stitch pattern for Poppy but I also like to provide a basic chart for any craft that’s worked on a grid: beads, cross stitch, whatever. I try to provide at least some digital art of the pattern repeated all over not as a chart. It doesn’t necessarily look like a finished object for any particular craft, but I want to give a sense of it in use. (I try to make it look like knitting when it’s got floats short enough for easy stranded knitting.)

How Poppy needlework might look as stranded knitting.
Chart showing how to work the Poppy needlework chart using dark and light squares. Written instructions in blog post.
Click chart to enlarge
  • Poppy has a repeat of 8 columns and 16 or 16 + 8 rows. (End after either row 8 or 16.)
  • In the written instructions, color A is the light squares above, and color B is the dark.
  • The written instructions below are formatted for stranded knitting, but it is my hope that they could be translated into instructions for other crafts. For instance, if working filet crochet, 1A could be one open square and 2B could be two filled-in squares.
  • Designers, please feel free to use this in your patterns (no need to ask). I’d like credit but won’t be offended if people don’t give it.
  • My blog posts and free stitch patterns are supported by subscriptions on Patreon or donations to my Paypal tip jar in the sidebar. If you appreciate my work, please consider helping out. Thanks!

Round 1 : work knit as follows; *3A, 2B, 3A; work from * .

Round 2 : work knit as follows; *2A, 1B, 2A, 1B, 2A; work from * .

Round 3 : work knit as follows; *2A, 1B, 2A, 1B, 2A; work from * .

Round 4 : work knit as follows; *1B, 2A, 2B, 2A, 1B; work from * .

Round 5 : work knit as follows; *1A, 1B, 4A, 1B, 1A; work from * .

Round 6 : work knit as follows; *(1B, 1A) x 2, (1A, 1B) x 2; work from * .

Round 7 : work knit as follows; *1A, 1B, 4A, 1B, 1A; work from * .

Round 8 : work knit as follows; *2A, 1B, 2A, 1B, 2A; work from * .

Round 9 : work knit as follows; *1B, 6A, 1B; work from * .

Round 10 : work knit as follows; *1A, 1B, 4A, 1B, 1A; work from * .

Round 11 : work knit as follows; *1A, 1B, 4A, 1B, 1A; work from * .

Round 12 : work knit as follows; *1B, 2A, 2B, 2A, 1B; work from * .

Round 13 : work knit as follows; *2A, 1B, 2A, 1B, 2A; work from * .

Round 14 : work knit as follows; *1A, 1B, 1A, 2B, 1A, 1B, 1A; work from * .

Round 15 : work knit as follows; *2A, 1B, 2A, 1B, 2A; work from * .

Round 16 : work knit as follows; *1A, 1B, 4A, 1B, 1A; work from * .