Birthday gifts ideas: Knitted cupcake decoration

  
Materials:
a few oddments of yarn in cream, chocolate, pink and red
I use 4ply cotton yarn with 2.25mm needles (size 1 US, UK/Canada 13)
seed beads / sequins / decorations

Pattern:

Cast on 15 stitches with the cream colour for the cake case
Row 1:   (K1, P1) 7 times, K1
Row 2:   (P1, K1,) 7 times, P1
Row 3:   as row 1
Row 4:   as row 2
Row 5:   as row 1
Row 6:   as row 2
Row 7:   as row 1
Row 8:   as row 2
Row 9:   K1, (P1, wrap yarn once around needle* K1) 7 times      * to make a stitch
Row 10: (P1, Knit into the front of made stitch, K1) 7 times, P1
Row 11: (K1, P2) 7 times, K1
Row 12: cast off, keeping ribbing correct

Row 13: With chocolate cake coloured yarn pick up and knit 15 stitches from the back of the finished case (around 1 row down from the cast off edge) taking 1 alternately from the purl rib and 1 from the knit rib.
Row 14: purl a further row in cake colour
Row 15: change yarn to pink colour for the icing and knit 1 row
Row 16: knit a row
Row 17: purl a row
Row 18: knit a row
Row 19: P2tog, P 11, P2tog through the back
Row 20: K2tog through the back, K9, K2tog
Row 21: P2tog, P 7, P2tog through the back
Row 22: K2tog through the back, K5, K2tog
Row 23: P2tog, P 3, P2tog through the back
Row 24: cast off remaining stitches

Cherry on the top:
Cast on 4 in red yarn
knit 1 row
(P2tog) twice, pass 1st stitch over the second and pull end through to secure.

alternatively you could use a fabric flower instead of the cherry or cut a small circle of red felt.

To Finish:
Sew cherry on to top. Sew in ends neatly on reverse. Sew on beads / sequins and attach to T-shirt / tea cosy / greeting card etc...

Copyright © Julie Williams 2006.

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