Easy Knitted Leaf Motif That Looks the Same on Both Sides
A single knitted leaf with a neat centre vein that looks the same from both sides, so there's no wrong side. Make a pile in different colours.
This leaf looks the same on both sides, so there's no right or wrong side. Put whichever side you like on the front. I knitted several in exactly the same size in different colours, and they look lovely together on a garland, a toran, a cushion or a gift wrap.
What you'll need
- Acrylic yarn (or any yarn you like) in leafy colours
- Size 10 needles
- A sewing needle to finish
Cast on
Using a single strand, cast on 19 stitches. For a bigger or smaller leaf, use another odd number (15, 17, 25, 27…). The centre stitch is always one knit stitch, with an equal number of stitches on each side of it.
Growing the leaf (rows 1–14)
- Row 1:
Purl 9, take the yarn back, slip the centre stitch, bring the yarn forward, purl 9.
- Row 2:
Knit 9, purl the centre stitch, knit 9. Don't slip the first stitch on these rows.
- Row 3:
Knit into the front and back of the first stitch (increase), knit 7. Slip the 8th stitch together with the centre stitch, then knit them together with the next stitch, 3 into 1, just like the centre of a V-neck. Knit 7, pick up the strand and knit it to increase, knit the last stitch. You're back to 19.
- Row 4:
Purl all 19.
- Rows 5–14:
Repeat rows 1–4, then rows 1–2 once more.
Narrowing to the tip (rows 15 to the end)
Now stop increasing at the edges, and keep the centre 3-into-1 decrease. You lose 2 stitches every fourth row.
- Row 15:
Knit 8, 3 together, knit 8 (17 stitches). Row 16: purl all.
- Rows 17–20:
Purl 8, slip 1, purl 8. Knit 8, purl 1, knit 8. Knit 7, 3 together, knit 7 (15). Purl all.
- Rows 21–24:
Purl 7, slip 1, purl 7. Knit 7, purl 1, knit 7. Knit 6, 3 together, knit 6 (13). Purl all.
- Rows 25–28:
Purl 6, slip 1, purl 6. Knit 6, purl 1, knit 6. Knit 5, 3 together, knit 5 (11). Purl all.
- Row 29:
Purl 4, 3 together, purl 4 (9). Row 30: knit 4, purl 1, knit 4.
- Row 31:
Knit 3, 3 together, knit 3 (7). Row 32: purl all.
- Row 33:
Purl 2, 3 together, purl 2 (5). Row 34: knit 2, purl 1, knit 2.
- Last
Knit 1, 3 together, knit 1 (3), then slip and twist the last 3 into 1.
Finishing
Cut the cast-on tail. Thread the working yarn on a sewing needle and weave it down through the centre vein, one stitch at a time, so it doesn't come loose. Then trim it.
- knitted leaf
- leaf motif
- knitting for decor
- knitted garland
- reversible knitting
- acrylic yarn
- hand knitting
- handmade
