Dog roses - inspiration for cardigan and gloves

I love the delicate nature of dog roses and how pretty they look all over this hand knitted cotton bolero.

Hand knit cotton Dog Rose bolero

Below is a photograph of a 4ply wool hand knitted cardigan with the body in a patchwork pattern of squares, each containing a dog rose or textured lacy leaf pattern.  The roses and lace panels are vertical along the sleeves.

Madder Rose and lace patchwork hand knit wool cardigan

I have not got any photos of my own of real dog roses, but have added a public photograph taken from the internet.

Dog Roses

The design is now on a pair of hand knitted fingerless mitts.  The knitting pattern is available from my Ravelry shop - TwistedClassics.  The gloves, hand knitted in bluey-grey with rose and pink intarsia Dog Roses, are available from TwistedClassics shop on Etsy.

Dog Rose mitts - right hand

Hand knitted Dog Rose fingerless mitts

http://www.ravelry.com/designers/twisted-classics

Christmas roses and roses on designer hand knits

Model wearing Rose waistcoat and running along the Long Border

I love using floral images on my knitwear designs.  I am very fond of roses, but can’t grow my own as I don’t have a garden.  I do have a small roof terrace, which is over-populated with plants in containers, and now have a lovely collection of delicate-looking Hellebores (Christmas Roses).  Though not in such vibrant colours as garden roses, they do a great job of brightening my life and, when they first started flowering, reminded me that Spring was just around the corner - probably wishful thinking!

Christmas rose - mottled hellebore with double centre

Rose designs have been used on several hand knits in the past such as these vintage cardigans and waistcoat in 4ply weight mercerised cotton or wool.

Rose design white cotton hand knit cardigan with leaf-shaped pointed hem

Rose and lacy floral pattern panelled cardigan - navy cotton background

Cream rose pattern wool waistcoat

I have added roses to a pair of fingerless mitts, which can be knitted by anybody who can do intarsia.  

Rose hand knit fingerless mitts

Rose fingerless mitt - left hand

The PDF pattern is available from Twisted Classics shop on Ravelry - rose mitts