There are several methods that allow us to join vertical button bands to our projects as we knit, without any sewing. In this tutorial, we’ll discuss a way that forms a flat and elastic join that looks the same on both sides of the work. It is a perfect solution not just for cardigans and jackets, but also for modular blankets, wraps and other reversible projects.
This method works best when the side edges of the project are decorated with slip-stitch selvedges. To make the edges of the swatches featured in the photos, I slipped the first stitch and purled the last stitch of every row.
To make it easier for you to see how the band is attached to the project, I used a yarn in a contrasting colour to make the swatch that represents the main fabric.
Now, that we’ve sorted out these details, let’s see how this method works step by step.
If you want to use this method to attach a band to a project that has no selvedge stitches, join every two rows of the band to every other edge stitch of the fabric. That means that every time you work step 1, you would skip one edge stitch of the main fabric and insert the tip pf the right needle under two legs of every other edge stitch.
The join won’t be as clean as the result we get when we work with slip-stitch selvedges, but the band will be securely attached to the project without any additional bulk or unpleasant-looking wrong side of the work.
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If you enjoyed this tutorial,
here’s something else you might find helpful:
“Neat Side Edges” Book
Learn twelve ways to make side edges of a knitted project nice and tidy. Plus, ways to fix side edges, and a way to improve edges of finished projects.
Happy knitting!
