Buttonhole Tutorial

Some questions came up regarding buttonholes for a test knit, so I thought I'd make a photo tutorial. This describes a two-stitch, one-row buttonhole, made in the purl section of a K2P2 rib, like one might find on a cardigan button band. These instructions are based on Maggie Righetti's "the Neatest Buttonhole."

Five rows of K2P2 rib have been knit. Begin by knitting to the place where you want the buttonhole, in this case, to the P2:

1. Slip 1 stitch knitwise, then move yarn to front:

2. Slip 1 stitch knitwise, and pass first slipped stitch over second slipped stitch and off needle. Repeat step 2, for as many times as desired stitch length of buttonhole, in this case once:

3. Slip last stitch on right needle to left needle:

4. Turn work, and move yarn to front:

5. CO 3 using twisted purlwise CO. To do this, insert right needle purlwise into first stitch on left needle:

P1:

and place purled stitch on left needle:

3 stitches CO with this method:

6. Turn work:

7. Slip first stitch on left needle to right needle:

8. Slip last CO stitch over this stitch:

9: Then slip this stitch to left needle:

10. Continue knitting in pattern, in this case K2P2 rib:

Short Row Rave

Short rows are a kind of Magic to me. They can shape, curve, and create a bit of needed extra space, in a spot where it's, well, needed.

With short rows, anything is possible. In my Elysium, they allow you to knit an entirely seamless sweater, just short-rowing around the body:

In Eldora, they make a fitted beanie:

I'm working on some matching mitts, to be released soon - perfectly fitted around the hand:

And I just finished this very clever sweater, Pole by Joji Locatelli, available on Ravelry. The peplum and collar are shaped in a giant circle with short rows; it's like wearing a big cocoon. I used short rows on the sleeve caps as well, because that shoulder/upper arm area is another oddly shaped place which benefits from bit of extra space:

Short rows are easy; they just mean turning around in the middle of a row before you reach the end. If you've ever unintentionally done just that, then you know it leaves a hole at the turning point. Typically, to help fill up that hole, the stitch before the turning point is wrapped with the working yarn.

In stockinette, you knit to one stitch before the turning point, then:

On the knit side, slip the stitch purlwise to the right needle; move yarn to front, slip the stitch back to left needle, move yarn to back, turn your work. Voila, ready to continue on the other side.

On the purl side, slip the stitch purlwise to the right needle; move yarn to back, slip stitch back to left needle, move yarn to front, turn work. Ready, again.

Whenever you get back to that wrapped stitch and are ready to knit it, you might want to disguise the wrap - it's virtually invisible in garter stitch, but not in stockinette. One way is to knit (or purl) the wrap together with the stitch:

On the knit side, insert the right needle under the wrap then through the stitch as usual - knit.

On the purl side, lift the wrap from the back and place it on the left needle, insert right needle through both - purl.

Then continue on, confident that you will have a shapely and well fitted garment or object.

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