Just Pootling

♥

Summer Bunting

A little bit of sunshine in the garden definitely calls for all the bunting to be hung out 
and so I have designed these colourful flags to match the rest of my Summer garden set, 
which includes cushions, tablemats and nightlight jars.

For my bunting I used Rico Creative Cotton Aran in:
 Rose 00, Candy Pink 64, Sky Blue 37 and Light Pistachio 44. 

In total I made 12 flags and this took approx. 1 ball of yarn in each of the colours.

To join the flags together I used a length of white cotton cord.

I worked with a 3.5mm hook.

Using a mixture of the four colours I made 4 plain flags, 4 striped flags and 4 bobbly flags.

To make the plain flag:

Chain 2 and then work 3 DC in to the second chain. Ch 1 and turn.

Row 1: Work a row of DC. 3 sts. Ch 1 and turn.

Row 2: ( Increase row )DC, working 2 DC in to the first and last stitch. 5 sts. 

Ch 1 and turn.

Row 3: ( Straight row )Work a row of DC. 5 sts. Ch 1 and turn.

Row 4: DC, working 2 DC in to the first and last stitch. 7 sts. 

Ch 1 and turn.

Row 5: Work a row of DC. 7 sts. Ch 1 and turn.

Continue working alternate rows of straight DC and then an increase row
 until you have 31sts.

Work a further 3 rows of DC, without any further increases,
 remembering to Ch 1 and turn at the end of each row. 31sts. 
Finish off and sew in ends.

Using a contrast colour, with the RS facing, 
rejoin your yarn and work a round of DC all the way around the flag, 
working 2 DC into each corner stitch to stop the flag misshaping. 

Finish off and sew in the ends.

To make the striped flag:

The striped flag is worked to exactly the same pattern as the plain flag, 
with a total of 8 rows being worked in each of the two colours 
and with each stripe being 2 rows of each colour.

 I found it easiest to join the new yarn colour in when making the chain at the end of the row,
 and rather than cutting the yarn each time I looped it up the side of the flag, 
so as to avoid having lots of ends to sew in.

When you have reached 31 sts, work a further 2 rows of DC without the increase.

If you are working your edging in the same colour, work a final row of DC 
and continue all the way around the flag in DC, working 2 DC in to each corner stitch.

If you are changing to a different colour for your edging, 
rejoin your new yarn and work a row of DC along the top and then continue around
 the flag in DC, working 2 DC in to each corner stitch. 
Then working this final round of DC ensure you work in the loops of yarn at the edges of the flag. 
Finish off and sew in the ends.

To make the bobbly flag:

 The bobbly flag is worked to exactly the same pattern as the plain flag, 

                                   with rows 5, 11,17,23 and 29 being the bobble rows.

For the bobble row ( RS ): DC 3, work your bobble in to the next stitch
 by joining in your second colour in the yarn over, 
working 4 TR all in to the same stitch leaving the last loop of each TR on the hook, 
yarn over in your main colour and pull through all 5 loops. 
Work 5 DC, repeat bobble.

For each row of bobbles start with 3 DC, make a bobble, 
work 5 DC between each bobble and after the last bobble of the row work 3 DC.

I found it easiest to cut the yarn after each bobble, 
leaving a tail long enough to sew in the ends neatly.

After your final bobble row work 2 further rows of DC without increases. 31 sts. 

Finish off and sew in the ends. Sew in the ends of the bobbles.

Work a final round of DC in your contrasting colour all the way
 around the flag working two DC in to each corner stitch.        

Once you have made all your flags simply join them together by threading

 a length of cotton cord through the top of each flag.

♥