How to Knit a Cherry

Red yarn is easily transformed into a knitted cherry with easy knitting stitches.

Knitted cherries are great ways for knitters to show off their skills in a cute little package. All a knitter needs to know to knit cherries are the basic knit, purl and knit two together stitches. Knitting cherries is also a way to use up scrap yarn and fabric. You can knit cherries for earrings, pins, necklaces, gift wrapping decorations, holiday tree ornaments or anything else you can imagine.

Things You'll Need

• Red yarn, weight of your choice
• 2 knitting needles, corresponding to the size of your yarn
• Scissors
• Tapestry needle
• Stuffing, red scrap fabric or gift wrapping tissue
• Crochet hook or pin
• Green embroidery floss
• Glue
• Spray starch

Instructions

Knit the Cherry

1. Cast on seven stitches with the long tail cast on method. Make sure you have a yarn tail of 4 inches after casting on. Turn.

2. Knit into the front and back of the first three stitches. Knit the stitch normally, but do not drop the stitch off the left knitting needle. Knit back loop of the same stitch. Drop the stitch off the left knitting needle. Knitting the front and back of a stitch is also called a bar increase.

3. Knit the next stitch.

4. Knit into the front and back of the last three stitches. You have 13 stitches. Turn.

5. Purl the row of 13 stitches. Turn.

6. Knit into the front and back of the first four stitches.

7. Knit the next five stitches.

8. Knit into the front and back of the last four stitches. You have 21 stitches. Turn.

9. Purl the row of 21 stitches. Turn.

10. Knit the row of 21 stitches. Turn.

11. Purl the row of 21 stitches. Turn.

12. Knit two stitches together four times.

13. Knit the next five stitches.

14. Knit two stitches together four times. You have 13 stitches. Turn.

15. Purl the row of 13 stitches. Turn.

16. Knit two stitches together three times.

17. Knit the next stitch.

18. Knit two stitches together three times. You have seven stitches left.

19. Cast off the stitches. Knit two stitches. Pull the first stitch on the right knitting needle over the second stitch and off the knitting needle. Knit another stitch, pull the first stitch on the right knitting off over the just knit stitch and off the needle. Continue to use this casting off method until you have one stitch left total.

Finish the Cherry

1. Make the loop of the working yarn larger by pulling the working yarn up through the last stitch.

2. Cut the working yarn leaving 6 inches.

3. Thread the 6 inch yarn tail through a tapestry needle.

4. Sew the seam of the cherry, pulling the yarn tight to create a circular shape. Make sure the purl side of the knitting is on the inside of the cherry.

5. Stuff the cherry as you sew up the seam.

6. Remove the tapestry needle when you reach the end of the seam. Tie the two yarn tails together, making a double knot. Pull the yarn tails into the cherry with a pin or crochet hook and cut off the excess yarn with scissors.

7. Tie three strands of green embroidery floss around one of the stitches at the top of the cherry. Leave a 1 inch tail of embroidery floss.

8. Braid the three strands of green embroidery floss together, making a braid of 2 inches.

9. Tie a knot in the top of the embroidery floss braid. Cut the floss as close to the knot as possible without cutting the knot or allowing the knot to come out.

10. Dab a bit of glue on the knot to keep it in place.

11. Pull the 1 inch tail of embroidery floss at the top of the cherry into the cherry with a crochet hook.

12. Spray the embroidery floss braid with liquid starch for stiffness.

Tips & Warnings

• Use a small piece of red gift wrapping tissue to stuff the cherry, if other forms of stuffing are not to be had. Instead of braiding the stem for the cherry, you can knit an I-cord with brown yarn. As Mind's Eye Yarns notes, there are many ways to make an I-cord using "a knitting machine, a spool with four nails hammered into one end, or a special gadget" but you can also use two double-pointed needles. Cast on and knit two stitches. Do not turn. Push the stitches to the right end of the knitting needle and knit the stitches again. Repeat until the cord is the length you want.

• The small size of knitted cherries poses a choking danger. Therefore, knitted cherries are not playthings for pets or children.

References

• Mind's Eye Yarns: How to Knit I-Cord

Resources

• Craft Yarn Council: Standard Yarn Weight System
• Knitting Help: Casting On Stitches
• Knitting Help: Bar Increase
• Knitting Help: Casting Off
• Knitting Help: I-cord