Stuck on 1x1 ribbed buttonhole band!

#1

I hope somebody can help me with this! I’ve tried numerous times using various methods of cast-ons/offs, but every time my ribbing pattern comes out garbled, and I have yet to see anything remotely resembling a buttonhole appear…Waaaaaaaaaah!!!

Instructions say:
With rs facing, using 8mm needles pick up and knit 4 sts evenly along rib and 41 sts evenly along front edge (45 sts)
1st Row: P1, *k1, p1, rep from * to end.
2nd Row: Rib 2, cast off 1 st, (rib 6, cast off 1 st) 5 times, rib 1.
3rd Row: Rib 2, cast on 1 st, (rib7, cast on 1 st) 5 times, rib2.
Work 2 rows in rib.
Cast off in rib.

This all sounds/looks like it should be simple enough, but for whatever reason I’m seemingly not getting correct results. Any help with hand-holding or picture-drawing would be greatly appreciated!! Thanks to anyone who responds :0) Karen

#2

How have you been casting on and of?

I would try it like this:

Say in ribbing “mode” so knit your knits and purl your purls (they alternate 1 by 1)

When the instructions say:

cast off 1 stitch: that means: slip the stitch that comes up purlwise to the right needle. Then work the next stitch in rib pattern, lift the slipped stitch over that next one.

cast on: do a cable cast on (video in the section here on the page).

That should keep everything in order.

Important: do not cast off or on too tightly. In casting off, that means to keep some slack in that stitch that you slip. If you are a very tight knitter, there won’t be any slack, most likely. Then you SHOULD work that stitch (loosely) and work the next and then slip the one over the other(stitch 2 on the right needle over stitch 1, counted from the tip).

Have fun!

#3

Instead of casting off just one stitch you might try a ssk instead, then cast on with the backwards loop.

#4

Fleece Corps,

I cast on 45 stitches and worked the 5 rows of button hole band doing it just as it said. This is it explained a little more:

1st Row: P1, *k1, p1, rep from * to end.
2nd Row: K1, p1, *k1, p1, lift over to BO1, k1, p1, k1, p1, k1, p1; rep from * 5 times, k1.
3rd Row: P1, k1, *CO1 (by using a backward loop over the right needle), k1, p1, k1, p1, k1, p1, k1; rep from * 5 times, end CO 1 (as before), k1, p1.
4th Row: (K1, p1) across, end k1.
5th Row: (P1, k1) across, end p1.
Cast off in rib beginning K1, p1, etc.

This works but it makes a very small buttonhole. If you are planning to use buttons that work for that small a hole this will work nicely, and give holes for 6 buttons.

If you need a bigger hole here is one way to do 2 stitch buttonholes across the 45 stitches, but you will only have 5 buttonholes and the spacing will not be 100% even, but I think it will look okay. Do the cast on stitches as backward loops over the right hand needle. (I’ve heard people say it is nice to have an odd number of buttons for the most pleasing look.)

Row 1: As above.
Row 2: K1, p1, *k1, p1, lift over to BO1, k1, lift over to BO1, p1, k1, p1, k1, p1, k1, p1; rep from * 2 more times, finish k1, p1, lift over to BO1, k1, lift over to BO1, p1, k1, p1, k1, p1, k1, p1, k1, lift over to BO1, p1, lift to BO1, k1.
Row 3: P1, k1, CO2, p1, k1, p1, k1, p1, k1, p1, *CO2, (k1, p1) 4 times; rep from * 2 more times, end CO2, k1,p1.
Row 4: As above.
Row 5: As above.

You may find you want to do a buttonhole stitch (like in sewing) around the buttonholes or to do an overhand or whip stitch around them.