Sewing Button Tips with thick knit

Since we are working with Double Knit, sewing on buttons may require  a little different techinique from sewing onto thin  knit or material.   The button hole with bulky knits can be very thick when placed onto the button.  

When sewing the button onto a thick piece of knitting, you want to use the yarn whevever possible and leave some space between the knitting and the button.   That way, when you button up, the knitted buttonhole will lay nice and flat and not ‘bunched’.

Lace the yarn thru the button, pull the ends of the yarn thru the knitting.   Leave enough space between the button and knitting for the thickness of the buttonhole piece.   Bring one strand back up to the button and wrap the yarn around the  sewing yarn  that secures the button, so that the button ‘stands up’ and retains the spacing.   Pull the yarn tail back into the knitting and knot the 2 ends of yarn to secure.  

Now, no bunching-it lays nice and smooth.

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FINALLY I have finished the rug. Actually it has been finished for a while but I was having trouble taking a good picture of it. I must have taken over 50 photos but I just can’t get the camera to cature the lustrious color and texture. I just absolutely adore this yarn, raliwool. It is great to work with and really shows the benefit of the double knit.

Ok here’s another shot….

This is the rug we showed on QVC. It was really a quick shot as we tried to get a lot of samples in.

It feels  really good to be back home.  On-air presentations  are  very trying and exhausting!! I get so nervous and worked up and I am not even the one that goes on air. That’s Pat. She always does a good job, a true expert with the knitting board. But that place is so crazy and you never know who is going to be watching. It takes me about a week to recover. Now I am back and will be writing in our blog more often.  

4 Comments

• Dora Renee' Wilkerson January 12, 2007 at 6:53 pm

  Your rug looks GREAT!
  You also sold out on QVC how cool!
  Glad your back home safe and I am looking forward to seeing more on your blog.

  Dora Renee’ Wilkerson
• Pat January 12, 2007 at 9:20 pm

  Our blog is kind of a creation in progress. I am going to try to post more often. I think we will be doing features on certain stitches and also in depth look at some patterns with more pictures to easily explain the process. Let me know if you have any questions or patterns that you would like detailed here on the blog – kim@knittingboard.com
• Pat January 20, 2007 at 4:27 pm

  Hi, yes, QVC aired on Jan 3. It’s an exciting place to be. It’s hard to realize that all the talented folks that get the job done are there 24 hours of every day of every year. It’s fascinating to see: it’s like being on a movie set. Every one is extremely friendly and so helpful that they put one at ease. It was really fun. I think the only hard part of doing something like that, is all the preparation that goes into it and then it’s over in a fast 8 min. Kinda like, ” You’re On, you’re Done”. I love it and hope many of our friends and fellow KB knitters were able to catch some of it. Maybe next time, we’ll earn a daytime spot. But, like I said, it really doesn’t matter once you’re there-it all just continues around the clock.
  I’m working on the Crisscross stitch vs the Box Stitch right now. i want to let everyone who has asked about them, to know what the difference really it- not much, but some. More later. Pat
• jacqui December 13, 2011 at 9:20 pm

  Hi Pat could you tell me were i can buy the yarn to make this rug .I have just brought a Authentic Knitting board and i dont seem to be able to get this yarn .I live in the uk and find getting the yarn difficult ,please help xxx

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First Rug with Rali Wool

I have been working on my first rug with the Rali Wool and I wanted to show some photos of the progress. There are so many options of design that I could incorporate into the rug.  But, I decided to start rather simple and see how it goes.  Actually part of the fun is designing as you go along. I am using the Rali wool -Spring  for the frame and the Blue Midnight  for the base color. The stripe is knit in Sunset. I am pondering the idea of adding another narrow stripe of color, but there are so many awesome colors it’s hard to decide.  I’m using the 28″ knitting board and the rug will be approximately 32″ wide using 82pins of the board.

Some tips in creating the frame around the base color:

• Use 2 seperate skeins. Don’t tie in color.
• When you are ready to change colors just twist yarn around the other color just to attach the yarns together. Otherwise you will be creating 2 stripes that aren’t attached. (photo below)

4 Comments

• Faith November 30, 2006 at 2:33 pm

  The rug looks beautiful!!! Now that I’ve finally finished my last Christmas gift I can make something that I want to make!!!!
• Gloria Jackson December 10, 2006 at 8:35 pm

  This is a beautiful rug. I was wondering do you have a pattern for this
  rug, and how many skeins of yarn would i need to use.
• Pat December 11, 2006 at 4:13 pm

  I am still working on the rug. We have been so busy with the Christmas rush that knitting has been rather slow. As soon as I finish I will get it photographed and give all the details. But it is looking really cool!!
• Connie Haney January 4, 2007 at 1:20 pm

  Hi Pat,
  I saw your spot on QVC and you did an awesome job of explaining the advantages of KWON! I loved the rug and I know that I will be trying a rug of my own very soon.
  Thanks for sharing and inspiring us, Connie

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I can’t believe Summer is gone and Winter is fast approaching. I live in Boston but I should live somewhere much warmer like North Carolina. I can’t seem to deal with really cold weather. It chills me to the bone and it gets soooooo cold up here in the winter.

But one good thing about it, I do get to wear my cozy sweaters. My favorite  is the  goncho sweater. It is so cozy and oversized. I wear it in the house and it is the only  thing that keeps me really warm.

 For all the new knitting board knitters, here are  a couple very SIMPLE FREE PATTERNS and they will help keep you warm this winter. This luxurious blue shawl  with tassels  is knit with a ribbing stitch throughout.

With the 28″ knitting board, you start your casting on using all the pins, 84 needles on each side and then just keep knitting until length desired.

 Simple BASIC SLIPPERS are made in a few hours!  Great starter pattern too.

1 Comment

• Sheila October 16, 2006 at 1:32 pm

  Love the Basic Vest and the Goncho Sweater is uber cool… I am an avid crocheter… I recently purchased a 10″ knitting loom and currently working on a scarf… I am hoping to incorporate knitting pieces into my crochet designs… Once I get the hang of the 10″ loom, I am looking forward to purchasing a 28″ loom and purchasing your pattern for the Basic Vest.

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Jupiter, our newest model

Jupiter just had her first photo shoot. She is  a 5 year old really cool GREAT DANE. She loves to wear knit creations and so far, she has had a lot of patience with wardrobe changes.

Jupiter wearing her favorite scarf. She’s waiting for me to knit her a cozy sweater to match.   I told her that there’s a lot of other good doggies out there that are waiting for a knitted sweater, too.   That’s something we’re working on.   She’s so patient-what a sweetie.

Jupiter wearing a doggie cape.   Well, it’s not exactly a sweater, but she thinks she’s really styling.  

Jupiter dressed and ready for an outing.  

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We’re learning all the time.

Our site is so new, that I wonder what everyone is feeling about it.   We want to keep adding new stuff, but not sure if we are on the right track.   So, did you know that you can make comments on each entry-see the ‘comments’ box below the entry.   I would love to hear from some other knitters.   This is the time to really say ‘what you think’.   Ha, not often do you get to say exactly what you have on your mind.

Well, I have lots on my mind—I just finished developing the pattern for the Great Goncho Sweater.  

Also, I  re-wrote the Newbury sweater to be easier to follow-need some volunteers to test them out for us.

The next new items for patterns will be a button front vest, some great home decor items, and some men’s stuff.   What else-Oh the wooly jacket is in the works also.  

Of course, my yard is also a big project that I’m currently working on.   Digging, hauling rock, seeding, and putting in some 6′x6′ timbers.   But I love to dig in the dirt and plant stuff.   Need some ideas for shady gardens other than Hostas. What would you plant?

6 Comments

• Chris July 22, 2006 at 3:27 pm

  The sweater is beautiful!!! I haven’t made anything on my board yet, as the gauge seems a little loose even when I wrap fairly tightly using worsted weight yarn. I’m going to try and take out the spacer and just use washers and see if that will help.
• Jackie July 27, 2006 at 12:27 pm

  Having lately become a fond fan of fresh, organic vegetables, I’d plant an edible garden!

  It will cost the same as planting flowers, but the wonderful benefit – fresh, organic, delicious herbs, veggies, and perhaps fruits – is IMHO many times more beneficial than any other use for the garden.

  Good luck, and love your website!
• Janice July 27, 2006 at 3:30 pm

  Try clematis, epimediums, heucheura, astillbe, oxalis, arum, solomon seal, jack-in-the-pulpit, columbine, bleeding heart…there are so many variations of hosta try this website: plantdelights.com…I volunteer there and they specialize in hostas.

  annuals = impatiens

  Enough?…not sure of my spelling…
• missa August 2, 2006 at 9:22 pm

  i love that sweater!
• John August 6, 2006 at 3:27 pm

  Hi!

  I had a sneak preview of a knitting board last year and was really taken with the idea as it looked so easy (or at least a lot easier than knitting – I can crochet!).

  Am really excited about the prospect of being able to make menswear (being a bloke and all that!).

  Haven’t yet got round to buying a board but will definately be interested to see what you come up with in the mens range – it may just be the incentive to dig out the credit card and get knotted – I mean knitting! lol.

  Regards
  John (United Kingdom).
• ANABEL October 2, 2006 at 6:51 am

  Hi I’m new into knitting but I love the sweter were can I get instruction of how to do it?

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