Creating texture with knitting needle changes: the Bubble Sleeves take shape

Yesterday I took a moment to talk about the knitting needles I’m using for knitting the Bubble Sleeve Shrug, in particular, the KNITTER’S PRIDE The Mindful Collection and how they enhance the knitting experience. In today’s knitting step for the Bubble Sleeve Shrug, we finally dive into the part that gives this design its whimsical charm: the bubble sleeves. I was struck by how dramatic the sleeves look, yet how simple the technique really is once you understand how it’s done. And knitted with UNIVERSAL YARN Bella Bounce, the texture is plush, springy, and full of personality.

These sleeves are worked in the round, starting at the cuff and expanding outward using a combination of strategic increases and alternating needle sizes. The magic is in the contrast: tighter fabric gathers into soft ruching, while the larger-needle sections bloom into rounded, airy “bubbles.”

How Alternating Needle Sizes Creates Dimensional Texture

One of the reasons this pattern is so clever is the use of two needle sizes:

• US 9 [5.5mm] to gather and tighten the fabric
• US 11 [8mm] to open the stitches and create volume

Switching between the two mimics a gentle puff-and-gather effect. After a few rounds on the smaller needle, the fabric naturally pulls in. When you return to the larger needle, the stitches expand again, creating the signature Bubble Sleeve texture.

TIP I find it helpful to place the non-working end of the smaller needle inside the sleeve when transferring over stitches to the larger needle.

Bella Bounce really shines here. Its soft wool/polyamide blend gives you:

• elasticity (so the bubbles pop!)
• bounce (living up to its name!)
• smooth definition without sharp ridges

Increasing for Shape: Watching the Sleeve Expand

You begin by casting on at the cuff and immediately doubling your stitches with kfb increases. This sets up the first “bloom.”

Then, throughout the sleeve, you’ll see sequences like:

• K1, m1L… knit to last stitch, m1R, K1
• Alternating rounds of increases and plain-knitting rounds
• Occasional K2tog decrease rounds when you switch back to the smaller needles

These controlled increases and decreases shape the sleeve without creating hard seams or ridges.

I found that Bella Bounce’s smooth elasticity made the increases seamless and the decreases neat, no gaps, no tugging.

TIPS for Keeping Your Bubbles Even

A few small things make a big difference:

1. Use ring markers
   Every shaping repeat is easier to manage when you mark your increase points.
2. Keep your tension relaxed on the larger needles.
   Bella Bounce opens beautifully, let the yarn do the work.
3. Don’t skip the plain knit rounds.
   These rounds help the bubbles “settle” instead of turning into accidental cones.
4. Check length as you go.
   The sleeve looks deceptively short until it’s relaxed and blocked.

Seeing the Texture Come to Life

I love this stage of the project. The moment I switched from the smaller needles to the US 11s for the first time, the fabric began rounding outward in the loveliest way. This is where UNIVERSAL YARN Bella Bounce truly lives up to its name; every stitch seems to spring back with a little joyful energy.

In the next post, I’ll take you into the cuff-to-cuff construction as we move from the sleeves into the back section of the shrug. Once the sleeves are done, it’s smooth sailing across the body.

Until then, happy stitching. The bubbles are just beginning to bloom!

This is part 3 of 5 in this series

Go back to part 2: The Mindful knitting needles that elevate every stitch

Go to part 4: Knitting the Body of the Bubble Sleeve Shrug: Cuff to Cuff Comfort