In this post, you’ll find 3 free poppy knitting patterns you can make for Remembrance Day. These patterns will show you how to knit a poppy in easy steps that beginners can use.
Either knit a poppy for yourself and your family to wear or knit lots of them to donate to a charity to raise funds for Remembrance Sunday. If you have spare bits of red and black wool this pattern is a good way of clearing out some of your stash.
Simple Free Poppy Pattern from Susan Simms
You will find the written pattern HERE
Marly Bird’s step-by-step video (below) walks you through each stage of making this poppy pattern.
Watch this video from Marly Bird to find out how to knit a poppy in easy steps
I’ve put this one first as I feel it is basic and easy for beginners to tackle. As with all of these designs you need to be able to do a decreasing knitting technique to create the shape of the flower. With Susan Simms’ design, the decreasing knitting stitch involves two different methods –
- k2tog = knitting 2 stitches together and
- (S1, K2tog, psso) = left leaning double decrease method
What is (Sl1, K2tog, psso)?
If we break this down, it means you slip 1 stitch in a purlwise fashion, i.e., from the front, and then knit the next 2 stitches together—that leaves 2 stitches. You then pass the first slipped stitch over the other. This means you decreased the number of stitches from 3 to 1.
Here’s a video that illustrates this method
Please note that in this video, from Wool and the Gang, she slips the first stitch knit wise, whereas this pattern from Susan Simms recommends that you slip the first stitch purl wise.
Here are some of my own images of each of the stages in making this flower.
First Stage After casting on the stitches you will knit 8 rows which are made up of 2 row repeats. Then you break off the red yarn leaving a long tail – which you will use later to sew up the flower.
Second Stage Now you change the yarn to black, again leaving a long tail, and do 3 easy rows which involve the decreasing techniques of knitting 2 together = k2tog and also the (Sl1, K2tog, psso) method.
Third Stage Once you have done the 3 rows in black yarn you pull the thread through the stitches using a blunt-ended large-eye sewing needle and pull it tight to close. Then sew up the side edges using the red and black yarn long tails that you left.
After that it’s done – your completed knitted poppy should look something like the image above. The tails of yarn that are left can be used to secure the poppy to a safety pin. Then you can attach it to your lapel or clothing.
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If you’re not keen on a safety pin you could purchase brooch backs online which may look more pleasing.
Time to Complete & Difficulty
Including reading the pattern, searching for my yarn and taking photos, this project only took just under an hour to complete and it’s really easy!
Cirencester Parish Church Basic Poppy Pattern
This is another basic and simple knitting pattern that was supplied by the Cirencester Parish Church when they were on a mission to knit thousands of poppies to support their local branch of the Royal British Legion
This design is perhaps a little easier as you don’t need to change the yarn colour to black for the centre. A black button is sewn on instead.
For this one you’ll need some scraps of red and black DK yarn, 4mm knitting needles – single-pointed ones are fine – and a black button for the centre of the poppy.
Just like the first pattern highlighted above this one also requires a decreasing technique. This design is done with a decreasing method that neither leans to the left nor right but remains in the centre. It’s called a central decrease or s2kpo for short and also sometimes referred to as a CDD central double decrease
What is a s2kpo or CDD Central Double Decrease?
s2kpo meaning –
s2 is to slip two stitches off together – to do this part make as to knit the 2 together then just push them on to the right hand needle. Then knit one stitch and finally pass those two slipped stitches both over the single knitted one – ie you go from 3 stitches to one.
Libby Summers’ Free Poppy Knitting Pattern
If you’re looking for a design that looks more like a real poppy with separate petals, then you might prefer this pattern from Libby Summers. Click HERE to get the instructions.
In this pattern, you make 2 petals and a black circle (for the centre of the flower) all separately – then they get sewn together in the centre to form the flower. The petals are knitted by starting from the outer edge of the petal and making a couple of increases, followed by several decreasing rows before casting off. The black centre of the flower is made by knitting a small circle.
When I made this poppy it came out a little smaller than the other 2 designs which I preferred.
So there you have 3 easy knitting patterns to use when making poppies for Remembrance Day or to use as decorations in other projects.
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