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August 13, 2005
Buttonholes
edited to include better pics.
The pattern for Claude describes ‘Best Buttonholes’ from Maggie Righetti’s Sweater Design in Plain English (although of course you can use any buttonhole method you choose).
I have a long history of trouble with buttonholes, so I was interested to try this method. It doesn’t leave me with a perfect buttonhole (see below), but at least the ‘hole’ seems to retain its ‘holeness’. Maybe someone reading will share the wisdom for creating the really perfect buttonhole.
So for your buttonhole edification, here is a 13-step (!) pictorial tutorial for the ‘Best Buttonhole’. I’ve put a stitch marker on the right side so you can tell which is which. Pictures are below the text referring to them. I hope this helps.
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1. With the right side facing, I work the required number of stitches before starting the buttonhole: in this case, two.
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2. Slip one stitch knitwise, from left needle to right, with yarn at the back.
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3. Between the tips of my needles, bring the yarn to the front.
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4. Slip one more stitch. I now have 3 sts on my left needle and 4 on my right.
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5. Pass the 1st slipped stitch (2nd stitch from last on right needle) over the second slipped stitch (last stitch on right needle). In this picture I have just lifted the stitch over with my left needle and am about to drop it off the tip of my left needle. I’ll be left with 3 sts on each needle. You can continue slipping and casting off stitches in this way until the buttonhole is as wide as you need it.
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6. Slip the last stitch on right needle back to left needle.
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7. Turn work so the wrong side is facing.
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8. Cast on two sts (or however many you cast off in step 5, plus 1 more). In this picture I have just made my second cast on stitch. When I put it back on my left needle, I’ll have 4 sts on each needle.
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9. Turn work round again so that the right side is facing.
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10. With yarn at the back of work, slip one stitch knitwise from left needle.
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11. Pass the last cast on stitch over the slipped stitch (this casts off 1 stitch). In this picture I have just lifted the stitch over with my left needle and am about to drop it off the tip of my left needle. I’ll be left with 3 sts on my left needle and 4 on my right.
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12. Slip the last stitch on your right needle back to your left needle. I now have 4 sts on my left needle and three on my right.
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13. Work across stitches on left needle keeping stitch pattern correct.
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Continue in pattern until you’re ready to repeat steps 1-13 all over again!
Posted by Anna at August 13, 2005 01:19 PM
Comments
Thanks for posting this. I have it bookmarked for future use.
Posted by: Amy at August 13, 2005 02:27 PM
I have had success with this: after the buttonhole is made, work buttonhole stitch around a buttonhole with needle and matching thread. This makes it firmer, stronger and helps to define its shape so the button won't slip out when you want it to stay in.
Posted by: B. at August 13, 2005 04:56 PM
This is very similar to Elizabeth Zimmermann's One-Row Buttonhole in the Knitter's Almanac. Except Zimmermann's technique involves k2tog in the corners.
Posted by: Jessica at August 13, 2005 05:20 PM
thanks for the tutorial!! the first thing i notice is really not the technique but how beautiful your hands are. i need to stop biting my nails!
Posted by: blossom at August 14, 2005 01:42 PM
Thank you for this. I have a button hole looming in a WIP, so this will be very handy!
Posted by: Noo at August 15, 2005 09:43 AM