Nupps and Bobbles: Adding Texture to Your Knits

Do you love textured knits? Projects full of different stitch patterns and and three dimensional textures have always been popular but recently knits with bobbles, those fun little balls integrated into your knitting, are making a comeback. Today we’ll talk about some of the ways to add texture to your knitting, including how to create nupps and bobbles, and the differences between the two techniques. Let’s dive in!

Nupps

Nupps originate from Estonian knitting where the word “nupp” translates to bud. These small buds, or nupps, are created in the space of a single stitch and are generally more delicate than bobbles. They are also worked within the knitting and tend to sit flush with your knitting, rather than on top of your knitting (as bobbles do, which we’ll discuss below).

To create a nupp, work your knitting to the stitch where you want to place it.

 

Work the nupp by creating knit stitches (abbreviated as a k) and yarnovers (abbreviated as yo) into the same stitch. Nupps can come in any size, but common sizes are 5 or 7 “loops.” In the swatch shown below, we have created a 7-stitch nupp by k-yo-k-yo-k-yo-k into the same stitch.

Hint: Take care to leave the loops loose enough that you can work them on the return row.

Next, slip the original stitch off of the needle and continue working to the end of your row.

 

On the following row, resolve the nupp by working all 7 loops as one stitch. In this case, we will purl the 7 stitches together into a single stitch.

Hint: If you find purling the nupp difficult with your knitting needles, many knitters use a crochet hook to help pull the working yarn through all 7 stitches.

Bobbles

Bobbles are similar to nupps in that they add texture to your knitting, but the difference is that they sit more prominently on top of your knitting. Bobbles are created within a single stitch, but they are worked back and forth a few times before resolving (as opposed to resolving these stitches on the next row as described above). Bobbles can be any size, and for comparison we’ll make ours using the same number of stitches as above.

To create a bobble, work to the stitch where you want to place it.

Then, knit into the front (abbreviated as f) and back (abbreviated as b) of the same stitch repeatedly. In this case, that means we will knit f-b-f-b-f-b-f, creating 7 loops on the needle.

 

Rather than continuing to work the current row, you will now turn your work and build up the bobble. Begin by purling all 7 stitches, then turn your work again. Knit the 7 bobble stitches, and turn the work. For the final row, purl all 7 stitches across, and then turn your work so that you are ready to resume work on the right side of your project. Resolve the bobble by knitting these 7 loops together.

Once you have finished knitting the bobble, you can work to the end of the row.

Knitting Patterns with Nupps & Bobbles

Now that you’re armed with two new techniques for adding texture to your knits, there’s a whole world of patterns you might enjoy! For your first bobble project, try the January Hat by Courtney Kelley, which is a free hat pattern that will give you a chance to test your newfound knowledge of bobbles, or try the Leni Hat by Isabell Kraemer. Love to knit shawls? Aeolian by Elizabeth Freeman is a free Knitty pattern that combines nupps with lace for a beautiful effect, or check out the Echo Flower Shawl by Jenny Johnson Johnen. Go big on yarn and texture with the Bobble Throw by Jen Geigley, or stitch some wearable bobbles with the Faded Neve sweater by Andrea Mowry. 

Note: These patterns links, except Aeolian, go to Ravelry . 

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4 Super Stretchy Bind Offs for Knitters

You’ve come to the end of your knitting project and it's time to bind off. When you’re making items like hats, shawls, socks and sweaters, a slightly stretchy finished edge may be desired - but you also want to avoid having a bind off that’s too loose and floppy. Today we’ll explore 4 super stretchy bind offs that will give you the perfect edging to finish your next project!

Note: In all of the below examples we use our brand-new SmartStix needles and two contrasting colors of yarn so that you can see the technique more clearly.

Jeny’s Surprisingly Stretchy Bind Off

Jeny’s Surprisingly Stretchy Bind Off is a technique named for Jeny Staiman and immortalized (with great visuals!) in this Knitty article. This bind off combines the standard bind off with an extra yarn over which adds a bit of extra elasticity. The steps are simple.

For knit stitches:

Step 1: Yarnover in reverse (wind your yarn over the needle in the opposite direction that you usually do).

Step 2: Knit 1 stitch.

Step 3: Insert left needle into yarnover stitch and pull it over the stitch you just knit.

Step 4: Yarnover in reverse.

Step 5: Knit 1 stitch.

Step 6: Insert left needle into yarnover stitch AND previous stitch and pull both over the stitch you just knit.

Repeat Steps 4-6 until you have completed binding off all stitches.

For purl stitches:
Repeat the processes above EXCEPT yarnover in the regular direction and purl the working stitches as appropriate.

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Icelandic Bind Off

The Icelandic Bind Off is a super stretchy bind off that is particularly suited for garter stitch. Not only is it fast, easy and stretchy, but it mimics the bumps in the garter stitch so it matches the garter stitch. Beware that this will make your edges roll if you’re knitting in stockinette, so you may want to pick another one of the other stretchy bindoffs we’ve discuss here if that’s what you’re knitting.

To complete the Icelandic Bind Off:

Step 1: Knit 1 stitch.

Step 2: Transfer stitch from right needle back to left needle.

Step 3: Reach right needle through the first stitch as if to purl, and knit the next stitch, pulling the loop through both stitches.

Repeat Steps 2 and 3 until you have completed binding off all stitches.

For additional visuals on the Icelandic Bind Off, Very Pink Knits has a wonderful tutorial video here.

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Elastic Bind Off

The Elastic Bind Off is a gorgeously stretchy bind off for lacy shawls, sock cuffs, necklines and sleeve cuffs. In this bind off you’ll be working a stitch, and then knitting it together with the previous stitch to create an extra elastic edge.

To work the Elastic Bindoff:

Step 1: Knit the first 2 stitches as normal.

Step 2: Knit the 2 stitches together through the back loop. (Insert left hand needle through the front of the two stitches, wrap yarn around and pull through.)

Step 3: Knit the next stitch as normal.

Step 4: Repeat Step 2.

Repeat Steps 3 and 4 until you have completed binding off all stitches.

For additional visuals, check out this Simple Stretchy Bind Off tutorial from Very Pink Knits, which also includes how to work the Elastic Bindoff in ribbing!

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Elizabeth Zimmerman’s Sewn Bind Off

The sewn bind off was immortalized by Elizabeth Zimmerman, who was looking for a stretchier alternative to the traditional bind off. The advantage of the sewn bind off is that it makes a nicely matched edge to the edge created by the long tail cast on, so your project will look neatly matched. Unlike the other bind offs, this one is worked with a tapestry needle and more sewn than cast off with needles. This bind off is also worked from left to right, the opposite of your knitting.

To work the Sewn Bind Off:

Step 1: First cut a long tail, 3-4 times the length of the section you’re binding off. Thread your tapestry needle with this end.

Step 2: Insert the needle into the first 2 stitches on the knitting needle as if to purl and draw the yarn through.

Step 3: Reinsert the needle into the first stitch on the knitting needle as if to knit, draw the yarn through and slip the stitch off.

Repeat Steps 2 and 3 until you have completed binding off all stitches.

For additional visuals, check out the Sewn Bind Off Tutorial from Very Pink Knits.

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We hope you've learned a few new techniques to add super stretchy edges to your projects!

August Blog Winners

Congratulations to our winners for this month's #KPwinyourwish contest: @lemiller26 on Instagram, Miki E. on Facebook and @curious_cusp on Instagram. We will be in touch with you shortly to arrange for the delivery of your prizes!

Fixing 3 Common Mistakes in Knitting

If you’re a newer knitter (or even if you’ve been knitting for a while) one of the toughest things to master is how to fix common mistakes that everyone makes in their knitting. Today we’re highlighting some tips and tricks for how to avoid tinking or ripping back every time you find an error.

For most of your repairs, you'll need just a few items that are typically found in your knitting bag: removable stitch markers, darning needles, and a crochet hooks or repair hook (our laminated birch repair hooks are pictured below, and are perfect for stashing in your notions pouch!).

Dropped Stitches

By far, the most common problem in knitting is that pesky dropped stitch. You’re knitting along, getting into the rhythm and enjoying yourself and all of a sudden your knit has a run in it! Don’t panic - just follow the steps outlined here.

1. Catch the stitch. If you’ve got a locking stitch marker or a safety pin handy, the best thing to do is to catch the loop of the stitch as best you can, keeping it safe until you can repair it. In a pinch, a length of waste yarn threaded through the loop will also do the trick.
2. When you’re ready to repair, work your knitting up to the column where you dropped the stitch. We usually find it easier to repair dropped stitches from the right side of the work, but it can be done from either side, depending on your comfort level.
   
3. Using a small crochet hook or a laminated birch crochet hook, snag the stitch that’s on your stitch holder, remove the stitch holder, and gently begin to crochet the loops in formation back up to your working needle. When you get to your working needle, slide the stitch back onto your left needle and continue working in pattern. After you complete your fix, the tension in that column of stitches may be a little off (either a little loose or a little tight), but that should even itself out in washing and blocking. Congratulations! You fixed your dropped stitch!
   

What happens if you find a dropped stitch while you’re blocking a finished knit? This is every knitter’s nightmare, but it does happen every so often. Some of the steps here are similar to save your newly-finished project:

Use a locking stitch marker, safety pin or waste yarn to catch the stitch as soon as you find it. Then you have two choices:

Option #1: Let your knit dry (working with a wet knit is near impossible!) and, once dry, pick out your bindoff, return the stitches to the needle and repair the stitch using the methods outlined above.

Option #2: Secure the dropped stitch into your knitting and leave it as-is. If the dropped stitch is far enough back in your project, it may be difficult to pull the dropped stitch all the way up to the finish because there isn’t enough yarn in the dropped stitch column to add the stitch in each row. Rather than ripping back, you can pull the yarn through the stitch (removing the locking stitch marker) and thread each end of the yarn through to the wrong side of your work. Weave in each end of the length of yarn into your project, securing the dropped stitch in place to prevent further damage.

Stitch Mistakes

Occasionally you’ll look down at your work and find that you knit when you were supposed to purl or vice versa. If it’s just one or two stitches and you’re not knitting an intricate pattern, you can fix them using the method above. Otherwise, here are the steps you should follow:

1. When you’re ready to repair, work your knitting up to the column(s) where you spot your errors.
2. Drop the column of stitches all the way down to your error.
   
3. Using your crochet hook, fix the errant stitch, and work your way back up the column of stitches, much like you did in the previous instructions. When you get back up to your working needle, slide the stitch back onto your left needle and continue working in pattern. Again, after you complete your fix, the tension in that column may be a little off (too loose or too tight) but that should even out in washing and blocking.
   

What if the error you find is in a lace pattern or something that is quite intricate? While the thought of ripping back to fix it might seem scary, it can be done! Here are some tips that may help:

Lifelines. These can be a knitter's best friend! A lifeline is a piece of yarn threaded through a row of stitches that can make it easier to rip back to the beginning of a pattern repeat. Your lifeline can be inserted either before or after you’ve discovered a mistake (oh hindsight!). As the name implies, they can make ripping back considerably easier, especially if you need to fix a mistake that is several rows down.

Here's how to insert a lifeline into your knitting:

1. Thread a tapestry needle with some lightweight waste yarn (we usually use fingering weight) or dental floss (yes! You read that correctly!) and carefully thread it through a single row of stitches. You can put a lifeline into your knitting at any time: either when the stitches are on the needle, i.e. right after you’ve finished your repeat, or later, after you’ve discovered a mistake.
   
2. Once you have your lifeline in place, you can take your knitting off the needles, and rip back to your lifeline. This is much faster than tinking one stitch at a time! 
   
3. When you’re ready to begin knitting again, simply thread your knitting needle back through the live stitches and start knitting. You can leave your lifelines in as you continue to knit giving you safe points to rip back to if you need to.

Mis-Crossed Cables 

As you get more adventurous in your knitting and move on to knitting cables, you’ll probably end up miscrossing a cable sooner or later. Building on the tools we’ve already learned in fixing mistakes above, here is one approach to fixing a mis-crossed cable (hint: this is also a great technique for fixing mistakes in lace knitting!):

For this repair, we definitely find it easier to work on the right side of the work. You can use a lifeline in this process if you wish - place it just below where the error is. However, sometimes it’s hard to find the correct row of stitches where the cable starts. If this is the case, don't worry - just take a deep breath and make your best guess.

A few additional supplies will make this process easier: we like to have our Lace Blocking Mats and T-pins handy.

1. When you’re ready to repair, work your knitting up to the column where the miscrossed cable begins. 
   
2. Pull the appropriate number of stitches off the needle. If you have a 4 stitch cable, this will be all 4 stitches. If it’s a 6 stitch cable, this will be all 6 stitches, and so on. Intentionally drop these stitches down to where the mistake occurs, pulling one row out at a time and secure the loop above your work using a T-pin. Work carefully down the rows sequentially, pinning each loop above your work so you can reknit them in the correct order.
   
3. Once you have reached the mistake row and pulled out that row of stitches, use a DPN or cable needle to knit back up to your working row. Remember to follow your pattern carefully. In this case, there is a cable row, followed by a return row where we knit the knits and purl the purls.
   
4. Continue in this manner until you have reached your working row and place the stitches back on your left needle to be worked in pattern. Reworking cables definitely creates some tension issues, but these should be resolved with a good wet blocking.
   
   
   

What if your mis-crossed cable occurs in a more complicated pattern and affects a larger number of stitches? Here is a very clever video tutorial showing how to use duplicate stitch to "correct" any mis-crossed cables.

Like many things in knitting, your approach to fixing a mistake will come down to personal preference. Some knitters will do anything to avoid ripping back and re-knitting, while others may find the thought of dropping stitches and doing battle with mis-crossed cables anxiety-producing. Our goal with today's post is to five you a few more tools to fix common fixing mistakes, and the confidence to use all of these techniques without fear!

Also Read: How to use Interchangeable Knitting Needles

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Let’s Learn Brioche Knitting

We can’t get enough of the brioche knitting trend - although it’s an older technique, brioche is seeing a resurgence in tons of new designs for hats, cowls, shawls and sweaters. In today’s post we’re going to show you the basics so that you can give this technique a try.

First, let’s talk about what brioche actually is: this technique creates a lofty, reversible, ribbed fabric created by accomplished by slipping stitches and creating yarnovers in one row that are then knit together with stitches in the following rows. Many patterns use two colors of yarn, which can be easier especially when you’re first starting out, but you can also knit 1-color brioche as well.

Knitting a Brioche swatch with needles from our new Ginger Special Interchangeable set.

For the purpose of today's discussion, we’ll focus on 2-color brioche so that you can clearly see the technique. Brioche has its own language so we’re going to first define a few abbreviations and terms:

Sl1yo stands for slip 1, yarnover, and it is a stitch you’ll be using on every row. You’ll need to slip the next stitch from your left needle to your right needle, while simultaneously wrapping the yarn around your needle from front to back. This slipped stitch and its corresponding yarnover will be treated as 1 stitch in the subsequent row.

Brk stands for brioche knit, and you’ll sometimes hear it referred to as the “bark stitch.” When you see a brk stitch, you will be knitting the next stitch together with its corresponding yarnover that was created on the previous row.

Brp stands for brioche purl, and you’ll sometimes hear it referred to as the “burp stitch.” When you see a brp stitch, you will be purling the next stitch together with its corresponding yarnover that was created on the previous row.

The second slightly tricky thing to understand about 2-color brioche is that to create a reversible fabric, each row is actually knit twice: once with Color 1, and once with the Color 2 - so for each 2 rows of knitting, you are actually knitting 4 rows.

Essentially, each side of your piece will have a color that is dominant on it. If we’re talking about Color 1, a light color, and Color 2, a dark color, let’s say that the Right Side of your work will have Color 1 as the dominant color and the Wrong Side of your work will have Color 2 as the dominant color.

On each Right Side row, you will first knit and slip stitches across in Color 1. Then, without turning your work, you will slide the stitches back to the beginning of the row you just worked and you will purl and slip stitches across in Color 2. You have now completed the first, Color 1 dominant side of your brioche.

Right Side of brioche swatch - Color 1 dominant

On each Wrong Side row, you will first purl and slip stitches across the row with your Color 1. Then, without turning your work, you will slide the stitches back to the beginning of the row you just worked and you will knit and slip stitches across with your Color 2. You have now completed the second, Color 2 dominant side of your brioche.

Wrong Side of brioche swatch - Color 2 dominant

Now that we have defined the terms, and talked about the order in which the rows are knit, we hope you’ll begin to understand what the following rows signify:

Row 1 (RS/Color 1): *Sl1yo, brk; repeat from * to end.
Row 2 (RS/Color 2): *Brp, sl1yo; repeat from * to end.


Row 3 (WS/Color 1): *Brp, sl1yo; repeat from * to end.
Row 4 (WS/Color 2): *Slyo, brk; repeat from * to end.

You may see patterns written slightly differently, or using slightly different abbreviations, but these are the basic stitches that make up all brioche patterns.

Brioche Knitting Pattern Inspiration
As we mentioned at the beginning, there are hundreds of brioche knitting patterns to choose from these days! Here, we’ll spotlight a few favorites to try, starting with Lisa Hannes’ All About that Brioche. This triangular shawl combines garter stitch blocks with sections of brioche knitting to create a wearable accessory that is also a great introduction to the technique!

If you’re looking for a free pattern on Ravelry to practice your brioche, we recommend Emma Galati’s Brioche for Beginners cowl. Emma uses slightly different abbreviations than we have here, but her pattern is a simple 2-color brioche cowl designed for beginners, and because it’s knit in the round, you may have an easier time mastering the technique without becoming confused about which side is the right or wrong side of your fabric.

Once you’ve conquered the basics, there are even more fun patterns to try, such as Andrea Mowry’s Ramble (below left) or Leslie Ann Robinson’s Sizzle Pop (below right).

You can find more information about brioche knitting on Nancy Marchant’s wonderful site Brioche Stitch. For a few tips and tricks about brioche, check out this post from Ann Shayne of Mason Dixon Knitting.

We look forward to seeing your brioche knitting projects on social media - don’t forget to tag us in your post!

Also Read: Knitting Short Rows in the Round   

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How to Use Lifelines in Your Knitting

This guest post was written by Jody Richards, founder and editor of Knotions Magazine. She’s been a knitter and crocheter for over 30 years and is one of the original users of Ravelry. 

Jody shares even more great tutorials here on the Knotions site, and you might be interested in the latest eBook on shawls from Knotions – ShawlStar. 

All patterns are free on Knotions and it’s mobile-friendly for both tablets and smartphones. Don’t miss the PDFs of every pattern as well!

Not just for Lace Knitting

Lifelines aren’t just for lace knitting. Read on to learn how they’re helpful for all knitting!

Regardless of your experience level, lifelines can be a great time-saver and sanity-saver if anything ever goes wrong. 

And let’s be clear – something WILL go wrong. You might: 

• mis-read a chart
• start on the wrong row after putting your work down
• just forget where you are in the sequence.

If any of those things happen and you realize it several rows later, a lifeline can be a real lifesaver.

Great for laundering, too

Another reason for a lifeline is so you can launder the work before you’re done. I’m actually a big fan of this with top-down designs because yarn has a tendency to bloom and who wants to knit more than is needed?

After an important section

I also use lifelines after I’m done knitting a section and it looks good. It’s a way to say “things are good through this point”. 

I personally HATE knitting ribbing, so I’ll often add a lifeline once I’m done with ribbing. This way, if I do have to rip, I won’t rip into the ribbing. Because seriously, I don’t need to knit that ribbing a second time.

Putting in a Lifeline

It’s actually a pretty easy thing to put a lifeline in.

Once you’re done with a row:

Thread a blunt needle with smooth yarn (I use a smooth cotton for this step). Make it easier on your eyes and use a contrasting color.

Weave the yarn in through the whole row SKIPPING ANY STITCH MARKERS. I use the knitting needle and cable to help guide me. The important thing is that you DON’T miss any stitches. It’s easy to miss a yarn over or do something wrong around increases, so if your pattern has rest rows, I recommend doing this on a rest row.

Now that your lifeline is in the entire row, make sure that the lifeline yarn doesn’t pull the work in and make it tighter. Then, cut the yarn to be a length of more than the width of the work so you can knot the ends together and, again, avoid it from pulling the work in at all.

Knot the ends together.

IMPORTANT: Once you’re done, make sure you remember what row it’s on. An easy way to remember this is if you do it after you’ve knitted the last row of a repeat. But that may not be convenient, and you might need to do it at another time. If so, just make sure you note the row number. A couple ways you can do this:

• Indicate it on the printed chart.
• Take note of it in your Ravelry project.
• Keep track of it on your cell phone.

These are just ideas – the important thing is that you DO it.

If you need to use the Lifeline

If you find yourself in need of ripping down to deal with an error, have no fear because that’s why you put in the lineline!

Just take your needle out of your work and rip down. As long as you caught every stitch when you added the lifeline, the ripping won’t go beyond that row.

Now that you’ve ripped down, you need to put the work back on the needles. Just follow the opposite process this time. 

Once you’ve put the work back on the needles, you’re ready to start knitting again! Just make sure you start working on the appropriate row (you took note of that as I suggested above, right?) and that you don’t catch the lifeline while you’re knitting that first row.

An Alternate Way to Thread a Lifeline

Just like people prefer to knit in different ways, there are multiple ways to thread a lifeline.

If you have interchangeable needles with the little tightening holes, you might want to try this way instead.

In order to do this, you need to knit the work using a pair of interchangeable needles.

Step 1: Scoot all the work onto the metal part of the needle

Step 2: Fish the lifeline yarn through the tightening hole. Knot it loosely (I say loosely because you’ll need to undo it in Step 4 below.

Step 3: Scoot the work down the needle and onto the cable to it’s all on the lifeline yarn.

Step 4: Untie the knot at the tightening hole. Knot the lifeline yarn together.

Step 5: Continue knitting regularly, being careful not to catch the lifeline yarn when knitting.

Give a Lifeline a Try

I gave you two ways to add a lifeline to your work and steps on how to remove it.

I also gave you a variety of ideas on ways to use a lifeline in your work because it’s more than just for lace.

Make sure you give them a try! They’ll likely save you time and make your work nicer!

Also Read: Health Benefits all Stitched Together

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