Button Bands

#1

I’ve knitted a cardigan and now I need to decide how to do the button bands. The pattern says to knit them separate and then attach, however I have only done it that I pick up stitches and knit them that way. When I tried this it pulled too much and I ripped it out.

How do I decide how many stitches to pick up or is it better to knit them separate and attach??

:knitting:

#2

Do a swatch.

Your button bands are likely perpendicular to the sweater body (thus you are putting stitch gauge against row gauge), and may also be in a different pattern stitch (garter/seed to stockinette.)

Figure out your stitches per inch on the button band. Then “pick up” that number of stitches every inch along the sweater fronts and knit away.