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American Flag Throw Pattern for Machine Knitters-Pattern Courtesy of Bond-America

We've all searched the stores for American flags but to no avail. But there's plenty of red, white and blue yarn in the stores and you have your Sweater Machine, so knit a flag. The 13 stripes and blue background for the stars are done in stripes and intarsia respectively. The stars are duplicate-stitched after the flag has been knitted. This pattern includes two options for finishing: a hem (or casing) on both top and bottom (through which you can also insert dowels to hang your flag) with a backwards crochet at the ends. Or you can work a backward crocheted edge around all sides (in either gold or the flag colors).

Note that this pattern requires having two Sweater Machine beds bolted together since you will need 192 needles.

Remember that you are knitting mirror image, so the blue background will be on your right as you knit. Start your knitting on the left so the cut ends from the stripes are on the LHS so the yarn ends will be at the left edge rather than abutting the blue section. Option A gives instructions for the stars in the blue section to be knitted in using the Fair Isle or intarsia technique. (Remember to catch in the long floats between the stars if you are using Fair Isle.) Option B gives instructions for the stars to be duplicate-stitched after the throw has been knitted.

FINISHED DIMENSIONS: 30"x 48"

MATERIALS: Caron One Pound (worsted-weight yarn): 1 skein each red, white, navy.
Optional: gold color for crocheted edge. "H" crochet hook, yarn darner tapestry needle.
NUMBER OF NEEDLES REQUIRED: 192
HELPFUL: 3-prong transfer tool.
INSTRUCTIONS
Step 1:
Option #1: Hem or casing edge:

1. Bring forward 192 needles to HP and cast on as many stitches with WY.
2. COL. K 4 R. Break off.
3. With red, K 12 R.
4. Using 3-prong tool (1-prong tool is optional), lift up stitches from first row MY to needles across row.
5. K 8 R. Break off.
6. With white, K 14 R. Break off.
7. With red, K 14 R.
8. Repeat steps 6 & 7 until a total of 6 stripes have been knitted, ending with white stripe.

Option #2: Crocheted edges:

1. Bring forward 192 needles to HP.
2. Using closed-edge, CO loosely with red.
3. K 14 R. Break off.
4. With white, K 14 R. Break off.
5. Repeat steps 3 & 4 until a total of 6 striped knitted, ending with white stripe.

Step 2:
Option #1 or 2: Blue background:

1. Using intarsia technique, K 84 sts in blue, 108 in red.
2. Option #A: For stars knitted in Fair Isle or intarsia methods: maintaining 108 in red and 84 in blue and following the chart for the placement of stars, K until 14 R of red knitted. Break off red.
3. Option #B: For stars to be duplicate-stitched after throw has been knitted: maintaining 108 in red and 84 in blue, K until 14 R of red knitted. Break off red.
4. Maintaining 108 in red and 84 in blue, K until 14 R of red knitted. Break off red.
5. Maintain the stripes on the LHS and the blue section on the RHS.
6. After a total of 13 stripes from the beginning have been knitted, finish throw using a hem/casing or crocheted edge as follows:

Step 3:
Option #1: Hem or casing:

1. Maintaining stripes and blue section, K 6 more R. Break off, leaving a 3-ft. end.
2. K 4 R WY.
3. Remove work from machine.

Option #2: Crocheted edge:

1. BO across loosely in chain stitch or backstitch.

>FINISHING
Steam or wash the throw.
Option #1: Hem or casing:

1. Fold over top edge of extra 6 rows to wrong side.
2. Slip stitch through last R MY and back of flag.
3. Work 1 row sc along one end and work 1 row backward crochet along row of sc.
4. Repeat step 3 along opposite end.

Option #2: Crocheted edge

1. With gold (or changing colors to match flag colors), work 1 row sc around entire edge.
2. Then work 1 row backward crochet along row or sc around all edges.

Stars

1. Work stars in duplicate stitch, following chart. 

©2007 Craft Yarn Council of America