How to Sew a Button on Knits

This seems simple, but sewing a button onto something made of yarn can be much trickier than just a regular piece of fabric. Here is a step-by-step guide...

Start with threading decent size needle and doubling up the thread. Tie an overhand knot at the end of both threads together. Now you have a double-thick piece of thread through the needle you will be sewing with.

1
Decide where you need to have the button align and then on which stitch you want to attach the thread.

2
Bring the needle under the knit stitch, but only pull it through halfway. Then take the needle through the loop sticking out at the end, where your knot is from tying the thread together. This attaches the thread to the yarn before you add the button.



3
Thread the button hole and align the button where it needs to be. Sew the button on as normal, around and around through the holes.


4
When you've done this 10 times or so and it feels secure, bring the needle down through one button hole, but NOT through the knit. Your needle will pop out in the space between the button and the knit item.



5
Wrap thread around and around the base of the button 4-6 times (depending on how much thread you have left) and thread needle through all of the rounds you made into the knit item.


6
Knot the thread as usual on the back side of the knit (similar to how you attached the yarn in step 1) 2-3 times.

Done!

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Cutie Baby Kit [ Hat + Socks ]

This soft gray yarn was so great to work with that I made a baby jacket (coming soon) my first pair of socks and a beanie hat.

I used about three 50g balls of Classic Yarns "Cashsoft DK" in a cool gray color for all the items, or about 430 yards.


Hat

CO 72 sts on size 5 circular needles.
Join the work in the round, careful not to twist the stitches.
Start with a rib pattern: *K2, p2* until work is about 2"
Then start to K all sts until work measures 5"

Start to decrease:
Row 1: *K6, K2tog* 9 times
Row 2: *K5, K2tog*
Row 3: *K4, K2tog*
Row 4: *K3, K2 tog*
Row 5: *K2, K2tog*
Row 6: *K1, K2og*
Thread needle through remaining stitches and pull tight.
Weave in loose ends.

The fun part is adding on the two buttons (even though they do not serve a purpose aside from looking cute) which I just happened to have and matched the gray color. I think sewing on a tiny bow would also be really cute if it were for a girl.



Baby Socks

These socks were knit on two needles and then seamed up the back in one long seam when finished. SO much easier than trying to deal with DPNs! This pattern is based on one that I had found, but is changed enough to be different. It should fit 6-12 months (?), but really I have not tried them on any babies, so am not 100% sure.

Keep in mind that after the ribbing section, the whole thing is worked in stockinette stitch so you need to make sure you alternate your knit and purl rows accordingly.

Abbreviations:
st(s): Stitch(es)
K: Knit
P: Purl
st st: Stockinette stitch
K2tog: Knit 2 sts together in order to decrease 1 st.
P2tog: Purl 2 sts together in order to decrease 1 st.
skpo: slip 1 stitch as if to knit, knit 1 stitch, pass the slipped stitich over the knit stitch. This will decrease 1 stitch.
turn: Instead of completing the row as normal, stop after the designated stitches and flip the work over to work only this section.


With size 5 needles, CO 36 sts

Work a rib pattern *K1, P1* for 6 rows
Row 7: K all
Row 8: P all
Row 9: K5, K2tog, K to last 7 sts, skpo, K5
Row 10: P all
Row 11: K5, K2tog, K to last 7 sts, skpo, K5
Row 12: P all
Row 13: K5, K2tog, K to last 7 sts, skpo, K5
Row 14: P all
Row 15: K4, K2tog, K to last 6 sts, skpo, K4
This leaves 28 sts

Row 16: P all
Row 17: K all
Row 18: P all
Row 19: K all

Shape heel:
Next Row: P8 sts ONLY, then turn.
Work these 8 sts ONLY in st st for 9 rows.

Then, making sure you're on the wrong side:
Next Row: P2, P2tog, P1, turn
Next Row: Sl 1, K3
Next Row: P3, P2tog, P1, turn
Next Row: Sl 1, K4
Next Row: P4, P2tog

Break (really, just cut it with a tail left to weave in later) and leave those 5 sts on a stitch holder.

Now with the wrong side facing, slip the center 12 sts onto a stitch holder, rejoin the yarn to the remaining 8 sts and P to the end.
Work 8 rows in st st on these 8 sts ONLY

Next Row: K2, skpo, K1, turn
Next Row: Sl 1, P3
Next Row: K3, skpo, K1, turn
Next Row: Sl 1, P4
Next Row: K4, skpo, turn
Next Row: Sl 1, P4

Shape instep:
K5, pick up and K8 sts evenly along inside edge of heel, K12 sts from stitch holder, pick up and K8 sts evenly along inside edge of heel, and K5 from stitch holder.
38 sts total

Next Row: P all
Next Row: K11, K2tog, K12, skpo, K11
Next Row: P all
Next Row: K10, K2tog, K12, skpo, K10
Next Row: P all
Next Row: K9, K2tog, K12, skpo, K9
Next Row: P all
Next Row: K8, K2tog, K12, skpo, K8
30 sts total

Work 13 more rows in st st

Shape toe:
Next Row: K1, [skpo, K5] 4 times, K1
Next Row: P all
Next Row: K1, [skpo, K4] 4 times, K1
Next Row: P all
Next Row: K1, [skpo, K3] 4 times, K1
Next Row: P all
Next Row: K1, [skpo, K2] 4 times, K1

[P2tog] 7 times

Thread needle through remaining stitches and pull tight.
Use the mattress stitch to sew up the back for the seam.
Repeat for other sock.

Mock Honeycomb Baby Hat

Yep, it's been awhile. But I'm back knitting up a storm...


This is a fun little baby hat to make in the round. I made mine too small, but have adjusted the pattern below to be a more realistic baby size. To fit ages approx. 0-3 months (6+ months).

Needles: US #8, circular and dpn, or two circular
Malabrigo, Pure Merino Wool
Less than half the ball (ball total is 216 yards)

Abbreviations:
st(s): Stitch(es)
K: Knit
P: Purl
M1: Make one st by knitting the stitch, then knitting it again before dropping it from your needle.
Sl: Slip the stitch
wyif: With yarn in front (as if to purl)

With 16" circular needles, cast on 64(72) sts
Join in the round, careful not to twist sts
K2, P2 until the piece measures 2"

M1 st
Now you have 65(73) sts

Begin mock honeycomb pattern:
(Multiple of 4 + 1)
Rows 1, 3 and 5: Knit all
Rows 2 and 4: k1, *sl 3 wyif, k1; rep from *
Row 6: k2, *insert needle under all the slipped stitch strands below and knit the next st bringing the strands over and off the right needle, k3; rep from *, end last rep k2
Rows 7, 9 and 11: Knit all
Rows 8 and 10: k3, *sl 3 wyif, k1; rep from *, end k2
Row 12: k4, *insert needle under all the slipped stitch strands below and knit the next st bringing the strands over and off the right needle, k3; rep from *, end k1 Rep Rows 1-12

Once the work measures 5.5" start to decrease starting on row 1 or 7:
Row 1: K2tog, K all 64(72) sts
Row 2: *K6, K2tog* 8(9) times
Row 2: *K5, K2tog*
Row 3: *K4, K2tog*
Row 4: *K3, K2 tog*
Row 5: *K2, K2tog*
Row 6: *K1, K2og*
Thread needle through remaining 8 stitches and pull tight.
Weave in loose ends.

If you knit this pattern, will you please let me know how the size turned out? Mine was very small when I CO 56 sts, but I want to make sure the larger sizes are appropriate. Thanks!

Divi Knit Hoodie

One more post before we leave for Asia (yay!).... This super cute (and free) sweater project is the Divi Toddler Hoodie, found here on www.naturallycaron.com

I wanted to try this pattern since I loved the texture, and especially wanted to learn how to add a hood. Turns out this was a little tricky since the pattern did not specify that you actually need to fold the hood in half and seam it up the bound-off edge. Then you attach the cast-on edge to the sweater. Would have been nice to know before I was up till 2am trying to figure it out!


In the end, it all worked out and I learned how to do a basic crochet chain stitch as well. I decided not to use the Caron yarn recommended, although I like the Spa yarn and have used it for blankets in the past. Instead, I bought some Samp'a Naturally Dyed Organic Cotton by Mirasol which I really loved. It is so super soft, and what could be better than organic for a baby? This happened to be very reasonably priced online at www.yarn.com but I barely had enough to finish the 12–18 month size with 4 balls.

This is a great pattern since you don't have to pick up and knit anything and the pattern is really fun. One thing I should mention, I did alter the texture. For:
Row 1 (RS): * P1, p2tog, yo, k1, yo, p2tog, p1; repeat from * across.
I decided I wasn't up for any extra purling, so I changed it to:

Row 1 (RS): * K1, k2tog, yo, k1, yo, k2tog, k1; repeat from * across.
Because wouldn't we all rather have more knits than purls?
I was happy with the way it looked in the end, but probably looks a bit different from the original design.

Rainy Day Project

With all the rainy weather we've been having, this could be a perfect fall project. If you have a pair of cute wellies, like the hunter ones shown here, you can make these adorable cable-knit cuffs that fold over the top of the boot. It would be nice and soft on the top edge, and look great too.