How to Knit a Bow
Complete Size - Small Bow - 5.5cm width x 3cm height
Complete Size - Large Bow - 9cm width x 4.5cm height
What you will need...
Total time - From 1 Hour 20 Minutes Each Knitted Bow
4mm knitting needles (UK 8, US 6)
Chunky Double knitting yarn - any desired colour
Sewing up needle
Scissors
Stuffing/Toy Filling
Before You Start...
Abbreviations
K = Knit P = Purl St = Stitch Sts = Stitches
Cast On - I use the thumb method.
St-st = stocking stitch. Alternating a row of knit stitches (right side), with a row of purl stitches (wrong side).
Inc = Increase - by knitting into the front and the back of the same stitch, to make two stitches out of one.
K2tog = Decrease by knitting two stitches together, making one stitch from two.
Cast off - P wise. US - bind off.
TOP TIP
'Chunky' yarn is recommended - This results in a firmer bow, that is also a bit larger (less effort, more bow!)
How to Make it...
Made up of two knitted pieces oversewn together, with various designs to add your own little twist.
Small Bow
Make 2 for Each Bow
Time - 30 Minutes Each Piece
Size 5.5 cm
Needles 4mm
Yarn Chunky Blue
Cast on 8sts
Beginning with a K row, St-st 4 rows
Next Row *K2tog, K to end, K2tog
Next Row P**
Continue from * to ** until 2sts remain
Next Row ***Inc Kwise, K to end, Inc Kwise
Next Row P****
Continue from *** to **** until 8sts present
St-st 2 rows
Cast off P-wise.
Large Bow
Make 2 for Each Bow
Time - 40 Minutes Each Piece
Size 9 cm
Needles 4mm
Yarn Chunky Blue
Cast on 12sts
Beginning with a K row, St-st 6 rows
Next Row *K2tog, K to end, K2tog
Next Row P**
Continue from * to ** until 4sts remain
Next Row ***Inc Kwise, K to end, Inc Kwise
Next Row P****
Continue from *** to **** until 12sts present
St-st 4 rows
Cast off P-wise.
Piece it Together...
Oversew row ends of the two bow pieces, with right side of st-st on the outside.
Stuff the bow lightly with stuffing/toy filling into both ends, before oversewing cast-on edges and cast-off edges of the two bow pieces.
Sew onto a hairband, headband or any other desired object!
Make it Different!
Garter stitch may be easier for children or those who are learning. This will still result in a good bow, but it will be smaller and less sturdy.
Instead of chunky yarn you could use two strands of regular yarn, and if doing so, using two different colours can also have a nice two-tone effect.
Make your bow even bigger by casting on extra stitches and adding more rows to the decreasing and increasing parts of the pattern.
Add stripes by changing yarn colour every 2 rows. Or add a strip of colour to the end of each bow.
Behind the Scenes!
These patterns are all made up as I go along, learning from mistakes along the way. Every time I create a new pattern, I record it in the Updates part of this site (effectively my blog…) There is a story behind each creation, and this can help give you some more ideas and inspiration.
All done?
Feel free to share your successes or any other tips or suggestions by emailing me. If it's all gone swimmingly and you're ready for you next challenge, have a look at what to try next!