In my previous post, about knitting the bobble cardigan using FIBRA NATURA Kingston Tweed – Ochre and UNIVERSAL YARN Penna – Manuka held together and my panic when I noticed I ran short of yarn! I finished the sleeves first, and knitted the sleeves’ ribbing with just one strand of yarn using the Kingston Tweed and LANTERN MOON Destiny Circular Needles 32 (80cm) – Size 3 (3.25mm). I used size 6 needles (4mm) for the body and the sleeves. Today I’m finishing the button band and sewing on the buttons.
Picking up stitches for the button band using ¾ ration
Button band – continued
The pattern has 4 buttons on the cardigan, but somewhere in my knitting brain, I stick to the idea that a cardigan needs an odd number of buttons: 3 or 5. So I must choose my buttons and decide how many buttonholes I need.
I settle for 3 buttons, and I must mark on the button band the placement of my buttonholes. The stitch markers help me find the right place. I counted the stitches twice, making sure the buttonholes were evenly spaced.
Button band with stitch markers for buttonholes and positioning buttons
After completing the button band, it’s time for the last finishing touches.
There are not too many ends to weave in, thanks to the top-down raglan construction. I also need to sew the buttons on.
I can use the elegant KNITTER’S PRIDE Mindful Wood Darning Needles – Teal. They have a wooden storage case and a storage bag. I have two larger ones and two smaller ones from which to choose.
Wooden sewing needles with case and storage bag
Finally, I wet the cardigan and laid it flat to dry. It seems to me it’s little use for blocking a raglan top-down cardigan with a lot of bobbles.
And here it is, another finished project!
The finished Roberta Bobble Cardigan!
What I learned
- Holding two strands of yarn together gives a new structure to the knitted fabric.
- The bobble stitch uses up a lot of yarn! Buy an extra ball of yarn.
- The ribbing for the cardigan should have used two strands of yarn held together but I had to improvise as I was running out of the UNIVERSAL YARN Penna.
- The knitting technique of knitting backward when knitting the bobble stitch saves time.
- I think the bobbles will look even better in a less fuzzy yarn, but I still like them on this cardigan.
AND…
- I’m still waiting for spring, the sun, yellow crocus buds, and blooming forsythia.
FIBRA NATURA Kingston Tweed – Ochre and UNIVERSAL YARNS Penna – Manuka, worked together, to make up an ideal fabric for a spring or fall cardigan. I hope you enjoyed learning about my knitting journey.
UNIVERSAL YARN Penna alpaca lace yarn and FIBRA NATURA Kingston Tweed yarn
This is part 5 of 5 in this series
Go back to part 4: Knitting 2 yarns held together and deciding on the button band
