Button Band

I'll tell you why I had a hard time with this, I never really knew the rules for picking up stitches along a side. Since this needed a certain number of stitches I needed to figure it out. One rule which you should know and what I've tried to indicate from the photo above is to pick up stitches from a row just like when we were sewing the sleeves on. The row above the ruler is the row we're going to pick up from.

The next rule I learned was that a row of stitches are shorter than their length. So when picking up from the side you need to skip some stitches so your band doesn't knit up longer than your piece. You can use different calculations for different pieces but I picked up 2 stitches and skipped 1. I make sure I always get the first and last stitch so I'm even at the ends.

We're starting on the left front piece. With the front facing me I've picked up the 19 stitches. This is the button hole side, we'll start hard. Remember my sweater is 4 1/2" long with the collar knitted on.

Left Button Band
Pick up 19 stitches(by method above)
Row 1 (WS): P1, K1 to the end

Row 2 (RS): K1, P1, yo, P2 tog, K1, P1 3 times, yo P2 tog, K1, P1 2 times, P2 tog, K1

This is the button hole pattern and I've demonstrated the yarn over P2 together in the next 3 pictures.

Yarn over making sure yarn is in the front because the next stitch is a purl.

Purl the next 2 stitches together.

1 yo, 1 purl and the next stitch is a knit.

This is what it will look like.

Row 3 (WS): P1, K1 to the end

The yellow pins are where the button holes are.

Row 4 (RS): BO in pattern

Not too bad!

Right Button Band
RS facing pick up 19 stitches(by method above)
Row 1 (WS): P1, K1 to the end
Row 2 (RS): K1, P1 to the end
Row 3 (WS): P1, K1 to the end
Row 4 (RS): BO in pattern

All your loose yarn needs to be secured and woven in the back of your work. Sew on 3 buttons! I'll post mine tomorrow.