Bee SAFE wall plaque

Bee SAFE Wall Plaque by Benenden Craft

Project Overview

The Bee SAFE wall plaque is a decorative knitted design created by independent designer Benenden Craft. This intermediate-level knitting project produces a finished wall hanging measuring 18cm x 10cm, perfect for displaying as a home decoration. The plaque combines colorwork techniques with embroidery details to create a charming bee-themed piece suitable for craft enthusiasts with some knitting experience.

What Is Being Made

This downloadable PDF pattern provides instructions for knitting a rectangular wall plaque featuring a bee design. The finished piece is designed to be mounted on a wooden support (bamboo, garden stick, or wooden pole approximately 22cm in length) and hung using ribbon or string. The plaque serves as a decorative wall accent with a nature-inspired theme.

Techniques Used

The Bee SAFE plaque employs several key knitting techniques appropriate for intermediate-level crafters:

• Stocking Stitch: The foundation stitch used throughout the plaque, created by alternating knit rows and purl rows to produce a smooth, flat fabric with a distinctive V-pattern appearance.
• Colorwork and Stranding: The pattern incorporates multiple yarn colors (cream, grey, yellow, and black) worked into the design. Wool is carried at the back of the work when not actively being knitted, a technique known as stranding, which keeps unused colors ready for use without cutting and rejoining.
• Embroidery Finishing: After the knitted base is complete, embroidery work adds fine details to complete the bee design, requiring an embroidery needle and additional yarn oddments.

Stitches Used

The pattern focuses on fundamental stitches suitable for intermediate knitters:

• Knit Stitch (K): The primary stitch used to create rows of the plaque.
• Purl Stitch (P): Alternated with knit stitches to form stocking stitch, the main fabric structure.
• Embroidery Stitches: Used for adding detailed elements to the bee design after the base knitting is complete, though specific embroidery stitch types are not detailed in the pattern excerpt provided.

Materials and Tools Required

The Bee SAFE plaque is worked in DK weight yarn, a medium-weight option that creates a balanced fabric suitable for detailed colorwork. The pattern requires:

• Yarn: 25 grams of cream wool as the primary yarn, with oddments (small quantities) of grey wool, yellow wool, and black wool for colorwork and embroidery details.
• Needles: 2¾ needles, appropriately sized for DK weight yarn to achieve proper gauge and fabric drape.
• Additional Tools: An embroidery needle for finishing details, scissors for cutting yarn, a length of bamboo, garden stick, or wooden pole approximately 22cm long to serve as the plaque's mounting support, and ribbon or string for hanging the finished piece.

Pattern Construction Notes

The pattern begins with casting on 52 stitches using cream wool and establishing the base fabric in stocking stitch. Colorwork is introduced early in the pattern, with grey wool sections worked alongside the cream background. The pattern specifies carrying yarn at the back of the work to maintain tension and manage color transitions efficiently. Vertical borders in grey wool are created using extended lengths (approximately 150cm) to frame the design. This methodical approach to colorwork and stranding makes the project suitable for knitters ready to advance beyond simple single-color projects while remaining accessible to those with intermediate-level skills.