Hello
Just want to check on this before I go ahead.
Left and right button bands are picked up and knitted separately, not traveling around the neck edge. Then neck edge is picked up and knitted, longer than the bands, and turned in and sewn to make a double thickness neck.
What I’m not sure about is how the top of the button bands join to the collar.
Do I pick up and knit across the top of the right button band, then across the right neck, back neck, left neck and then across top of left button band?
Button band and neck edge
Typically the neckband is picked up across the tops of the button bands. You can see what that looks like on this project on Ravelry.
https://www.ravelry.com/projects/ljsvir/47-9-childs-cardigan-with-borders-hat-and-socks
Fabulous. Thank you.
I had not looked at the projects on ravelry - the colours are more sedate than mine!
I notice on one of them the top button is in the neck band and I think this looks more ‘normal’ (for want of a better word) but the pattern does not detail this, it only says to place button holes evenly spaced on the band. Do you think once I pick up for the neck band I could just drop in a button hole there judging the distance for it? Do 2 in the neck band section so they line up and then stitch them together after folding the neck band over?
You could do that and as you say, the buttonhole would have to be doubled then stitched together. It depends on how likely your son is to use a top button in the neckband. My children were unlikely to button a cardigan, period.
He likesnhow it looks with the top button jn the neck band so I’ll give it a try even if it never gets done up.
Thanks for your help.
Another button band question.
The button holes are made by bind of 2 sts and cast on 2sts on the return row.
For buttons positioned well on the band width is it better to have an even number of rows or odd number of rows? The pattern states 3cm band, no row count and I can be flexible by a row if it helps the buttons position well.
Also is there a “go-to” method for deciding band width based on button width? For example maybe the band is twice the width of the button so that the button does not look like it overwhelms the band and has good proportion?
I’m going to swatch a rib band to check the bind off 2 cast on 2 sized hole worked well for the buttons I am using, but having some idea of how many rows to work and how many cm to work would be great.
Thank you
The bind off/cast on method will certainly work but there are better, neater buttonholes. This is the one row buttonhole.
Usually these vertical buttonholes are placed after a few rows have been worked (say 3 rows out of 7rows) and then more rows are worked to the cast off. I usually look at the row placement and decide whether for that particular yarn and gauge, I like the look of the placement. This can easily be tested out on a swatch.
Thank you.
Yes, I like that button hole method, looks good. I’m going to try it out. Thanks again.
I’ve tried about 8 different swatches for the button holes, I couldn’t get the method you suggested to look nice with my 1x1 rib and the size of the buttons. I could get a neat finish with a 4 stitch cast off but i need a 3 stitch cast off for this size button and the 3 stitch cadt off made all the rib columns look bad.
It was still well worth while as it got me to look for other methods. I decided on a 3 row method i saw (roxanne richardson) which sits in the purl column. I’m able to do this method more neatly.
But in swatching I tried a small section of the neck and realise I don’t know what to do with the open edge.
I will pick up and knit rib for 6cm, fold at 3cm and sew to the wrong side. I understand that. But there will be an open edge each side at the front, what do I do with this? It needs to be sewn shut does it? How do I do that?
A couple of stitches are all that’s needed to close that opening at the open edges of the neckband. If you can use a tail of yarn to do this so much the better but if not a short length of yarn will work. You can weave in and hide the tail within the neckband.
I’m glad you’ve worked out a good buttonhole for your ribbing. I’m sure it’ll look neat and finished. Looking forward to seeing this cardigan!
Thank you.