Plant-inspired knitting patterns – leaves, vines and flowers in colourwork and cables

 A look at 13 of my knitting patterns that have been inspired by plants. Some have stranded colourwork vine motifs, others have cable patterns inspired by leaf textures, and they all have some kind of botanical detail. 

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13 plant inspired knitting patterns to include in  your autumn and winter knitting plans

I love plants and I love knitting so, as a knitting designer, it's almost inevitable that some botanical inspiration would make its way in to my pattern designs. Since Autumn is fully gracing us with her presence, I thought I would give you a whistle stop tour of my plant inspired knitting patterns to inspire your autumn and winter knitting plans. 

1. Boskular - colourwork yoke jumper

Boskular is a colourwork yoke jumper, worked seamlessly from the top down. It features stranded knitting in two colours on the yoke, hem and cuffs. The neckband, hem and cuffs are worked in the contrast colour.

Gauge:

For the stockinette: 22 sts and 30 rounds = 10 cm / 4” in the round on larger needle, after blocking
For the colourwork: 24 sts and 30 rounds = 10 cm / 4” in the round on larger needle, after blocking

Knit this in:

I knit this sample using Garthenor Organic Number 2 in Shale as MC and Pentland in Willow as CC. It's easily one of my most worn knits and the yarn has held up really nicely. 

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Find the Boskular knitting pattern on my website

Find the Boskular knitting pattern on Ravelry

2. Weod - botanical colourwork beanie

Named after the Old English word for "weed," Weod is a nice, toasty colourwork beanie designed with a little bit of slouch. The stranded design uses two colours and features a stylised leaf and branch motif.

The Weod hat is worked in the round from the bottom up, with a tubular cast-on and ribbed brim.

Gauge:

24 sts and 29 rounds = 10 cm / 4” in colourwork pattern in the round on larger needles, after blocking

Knit this in:

This ever so slouchy colourwork hat uses my own hand-dyed yarn, Mendip DK. I used Sheep (Cloudy) for MC and Fern (Cloudy) for CC which makes for a low contrast combo. However, I'm very tempted to make another using Yew which is a much darker green...

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Find the Weod Hat knitting pattern on my website

Find the Weod Hat knitting pattern on Ravelry

3. Weod - botanical colourwork yoke jumper

For ages after I designed the Weod hat, I wanted to turn it into a yoke pattern so that's exactly what I did. Weod is a DK-weight jumper with a stranded colourwork yoke, hem and cuffs, with similar branchy motifs. I originally intended the main design to represent fern fronds, but it also works as pine trees or fir trees too.

Weod is worked from the top down in the round with a double folded collar.

Gauge:

For the stockinette: 20 sts and 30 rounds = 10 cm / 4” in the round on larger needle, after blocking

For the colourwork: 21 sts and 24 rounds = 10 cm / 4” in the round on larger needle, after blocking

Knit this in:

Like the Weod Beanie, this neutral colourwork jumper uses my own hand-dyed yarn, Mendip DK. I used Sheep (Cloudy) for MC and Beech (Cloudy) for CC. 

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Find the Weod Yoke knitting pattern on my website

Find the Weod Yoke knitting pattern on Ravelry

4. Galdor - a v-neck, open cardigan with colourwork edges

Probably my second most popular knit design, Galdor is an open cardigan with drop shoulders and mid-length sleeves, with stranded colourwork bands round the front edge and sleeve cuffs. The design is nicely symmetrical which I really like, so the leaves go upwards on both sides rather than up one side and down the other. I think she's a lovely summer knit, perfect for layering.

Galdor is knit bottom-up in the round with v-neck shaping and steeks for the front and armholes. Stitches are picked up to create the front band, which is worked in the round in stranded colorwork with a contrasting stockinette facing. The bottom of the front band is steeked, and the facing is stitched to the inside to neatly conceal the edges. For the sleeves, stitches are picked up and knit in the round in stockinette. The cuffs are then finished with stranded colorwork and a contrasting stockinette facing, matching the style of the front band.

Gauge:

For the stockinette: 23 sts and 36 rounds = 10 cm / 4” in the round on larger needle, after blocking

For the colourwork: 24 sts and 30 rounds = 10 cm / 4” in the round on larger needle, after blocking

Knit this in:

I used Woolly Mammoth Fibre Company 4Ply to knit my Galdor Sample. I chose Blue Texel/Cheviot 4Ply for MC, Dorset Horn 4Ply as CC1 and Jacobs 4Ply as CC2.

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Find the Galdor knitting pattern on my website

Find the Galdor knitting pattern on Ravelry

5. Plicatum - a cable knit hat

‘Plicatum’ is the Latin word for ‘pleated’, and is used to describe the crinkly leaves of the viburnum plant that inspired the main cable pattern. This knit design combines alot of my favourite knitting techniques; you've got some ribbing, some cables, some moss stitch, making it an exceptionally enjoyable knit. 

The Plicatum Hat is worked in the round from the bottom up, with irregular ribbing for the brim, which flows up into a textured cable and moss stitch pattern. The crown decreases are worked in pattern to give a satisfying finish to the top of the hat. 

Gauge:

25 sts and 28 rounds = 10 cm / 4” in charted pattern in the round on larger needles, after blocking

Knit this in:

This cable knit hat is knit using my own hand-dyed Marina Skua Mendip 4-Ply in Rose (Stormy) held with my (now discontinued) Caia Baby Alpaca in Pandora.

However, you can knit it up using a DK yarn so I've been meaning to make up a sample hat (and matching mittens) using my hand-dyed Mendip DK as I think it would work beautifully. Sadly personal knitting time is very few and far between right now so that might be a project for next year.

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Find the Plicatum Hat knitting pattern on my website

Find the Plicatum Hat knitting pattern on Ravelry

6. Plicatum - cable knit fingerless mittens

Designed alongside the matching Plicatum Hat, the Plicatum Mitts have a lovely, long ribbing at the top to keep your fingers warm. To make it more of a practical knit, I also quite like folding the ribbing back to give you full use of your fingers. You'll notice it has a slightly uneven ribbing on the back of the hand so that the ribbing detail flows in to the knitted cable pattern perfectly.  

Gauge:

21 sts and 30 rounds = 10 cm / 4” in stockinette in the round on larger needles, after blocking

Knit this in:

Again, just like the Plicatum Hat, this uses my hand-dyed Mendip 4Ply held with a lace weight, so a DK yarn would be a great substitute if you have some to use up in your stash.

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Find the Plicatum Mitts knitting pattern on my website

Find the Plicatum Mitts knitting pattern on Ravelry

7. Dryopteris - a fine knit, sleeveless top

The name "Dryopteris" comes from a native British fern, known for its fronded leaves that resemble the flowing columns of traveling stitches along the sides of this garment. Dryopteris is a lightweight, sleeveless top, knit from the bottom up, with diagonal travelling stitches that run up the sides and around the armholes to the shoulders.

You'll begin by working two sections of hem ribbing flat, which are then joined in the round to create a split hem. The body is knit in the round, then divided for the front and back, which are worked flat. After shaping the armholes and neckline, the shoulders are joined with a three-needle bind-off. Stitches are picked up to add ribbed edging to the neckline and armholes.

Gauge:

21 sts and 30 rounds = 10 cm / 4” in stockinette in the round on larger needles, after blocking

Knit this in:

I knit this delicate knit top using Wool Decanted Vintage 20 – 4-ply in Natural. It's a very fine yarn which has created a really lovely lightweight top that you can use for both layering underneath other things during the colder months, or on its own as the weather gets warmer. 

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Find the Dryopteris knitting pattern on my website

Find the Dryopteris knitting pattern on Ravelry

8. Rimeflower - a floral colourwork hat

The Rimeflower Hat was inspired by early morning frost on the dried-out hydrangea flower stalks in winter fields. I think they look so beautiful and delicately pretty amongst the other plants in my garden at winter, so this knit design recalls flower stalks and blooms on the main body of the hat. 

Rimeflower is worked in two colours, in the round from the bottom up, with corrugated ribbing for the brim flowing into the stranded colourwork.

Gauge:

26 sts and 24 rounds = 10 cm / 4” in colourwork pattern in the round on larger needles, after blocking

Knit this in:

I love my Rimeflower hat so much. I knit my beautifully fluffy sample using my limited edition Paddock Alpaca which I sadly don't have anymore of, but it would work nicely with any sport weight. Since it's a hat, though, there is a little more flexibility with yarn choice depending on what you'd like the knitted fabric to look like.

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Find the Rimeflower knitting pattern on my website

Find the Rimeflower knitting pattern on Ravelry

9. Rosafolia - a cableknit hat

Inspired by freshly merging rose leaves, the Rosafolia hat is a cosy beanie with a close fit and leaf-like cables. These repeated motifs flow up into columns of knits on a purl background, all converging in satisfying crown decreases. The name, Rosafolia, comes from a sort of made up Latin word meaning "rose leaf".

Rosafolia is worked in the round from the bottom up, with a tubular cast-on for a neat, stretchy edge to the ribbing. 

Gauge:

For the charted pattern: 36 sts and 36 rounds = 10 cm / 4” in the round on larger needles, after blocking, unstretched

For the 1x1 ribbing: 32 sts and 37 rounds = 10 cm / 4”  in the round on smaller needles, after blocking, unstretched

Knit this in:

I chose to knit this sample using John Arbon Textiles Yarnadelic Sport in shade Les Fleurs. It's a sport weight yarn knitted at a very dense gauge to make it a really warm and cosy hat that's perfect for winter.

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Find the Rosafolia knitting pattern on my website

Find the Rosafolia knitting pattern on Ravelry

10 and 11. Et Hedera - matching hat and cowl with ivy colourwork

Hopefully you appreciate the fun I had naming this lovely knitted hat and cowl set...! ‘Hedera’ is the Latin name for ivy, which takes centre stage in this stranded colourwork design, inspired by vines of ivy leaves creeping up a wall or the trunk of a tree.

Both the Et Hedera hat and cowl are worked in the round from the bottom up, and begin with corrugated ribbing. A band of stranded colourwork is followed by stockinette stitch in the main colour. The hat is then decreased for the crown. The cowl has another band of colourwork, and finishes with more corrugated ribbing.

Gauge:

30 sts x 34 rounds = 10 cm / 4” in colourwork and stockinette in the round on larger needles, after blocking

Knit this in:

I knit the sample set in Cygnet Truly Wool Rich 4-ply which is a superwash merino sock yarn and not necessarily to my taste. I would love to make up some samples using my hand-dyed Mendip 4-ply because I have some kits available on the website using a couple of my colours, but so far I only have the original swatch I knit using it!  

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Find the Et Hedera set knitting pattern on my website

Find the Et Hedera set knitting pattern on Ravelry

12. Hedgebind - a drop sleeve jumper with dramatic colourwork

Hedgebind is a knit design I created for Making Stories Issue 12 and is easily the most complex knitting chart I have ever designed. Inspiration for this jumper came from bindweed; something which, as a gardener I hate, but as a child I always loved becuase the flowers are so pretty and delicate. 

The body of Hedgebind is knit bottom up in the round. The large colorwork chart is worked on the front, bordered by a smaller motif that extends onto the back. Stitches are cast on for steeks at the armholes, front neck and back neck and then cut once the body is complete. Stitches are picked up around the armholes for the sleeves, which are knit in the round with a tapered finish at the wrist. To finish, stitches are picked up for the neckband, which is then folded double and stitched down for a neat finish.

Gauge:

24 sts x 24 rounds = 10 x 10 cm / 4 x 4” (in the round, in stranded colourwork pattern, on larger needle, after blocking)

Knit this in:

My sample is still in Germany, but I knit this botanical colourwork jumper in Telling Yarns Steadfast DK. I used Mrs Coulter for MC and Meg for CC.

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Find the Hedgebind knitting pattern in Making Stories Issue 12 on my website

Find the Hedgebind knitting pattern on Ravelry

13. Tree Hay - a drop sleeve jumper with dramatic colourwork

Now, I can't give you all the details as this knitting pattern hasn't been released yet, but Tree Hay is part of my West Country collection of knitting patterns which is currently in development and due for release in mid December.

Each knit design in my Westcountry Collection is inspired by the yarn it is knitted in and the farm where the British wool has come from. The collection exclusively uses yarn from the Westcountry, meaning the fibre has been grown, processed, and spun in the South West of England and all the yarns are in their natural, undyed colours, just as the sheep grew them. 

The yarn for Tree Hay was from Gutchpool Farm which is about a 20 minute drive from me and is inspired by all the brushwood and pruned branches used both as winter fodder for the sheep and as an aid in creating a wetland corridor on the farm.

Tree Hay is a v-neck tank top, and the naturally coloured Dorset Down and Shetland yarn used for the colourwork details recall twigs and branches that have lost their leaves. 

The tank is worked from the bottom up, with stranded colourwork on the body and steeks for the neck and arms. There’s contrasting ribbing to finish the edges, with an optional split hem and short-row shaping on the neckband and armholes.

Share your favourite plant-inspired knits with me

That rounds up my collection of plant-inspired knitting patterns, but what about yours? Are you a botanical lover? Do you love knitting designs inspired by nature? If you have any favourite plant-inspired knit designs, I would love to hear them to create a follow-up list of recommendations from other knit designers.  

Intro and outro music is Dead from the Beginning, Alive to the End by Doctor Turtle.