A Super Simple Way to Correctly Place Buttons on a Cardigan

I have this knit coat (a Tilted Duster, if you remember that long-ago pattern) that’s been finished where the knitting is concerned for about a month now. I sewed up the sleeves and everything.

It needs to be blocked before I can wear it, but it also needs a few buttons sewn on, and I just haven’t worked myself up to doing it quite yet.

Knitting patterns usually tell us exactly where and how to place the buttonholes on our projects, but they aren’t so great about detailing where to put the buttons.

This post from Ashley Little on the Craftsy blog offers great tips on how to place buttons on a cardigan so that they line up perfectly with the button holes. It’s not actually that hard to do and that little extra effort will make your finished garment look that much better.

[Photo: Craftsy.]

Looking for more knitting patterns for knitted Cardigans? Check out these Knitting patterns we found on Etsy.

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It’s been well documented that I love a knitting pattern with a bit of whimsy, so when I saw the Mine! Pullover from Sarah L. Kelly recently I knew I had to share it with you.

I mean, who wouldn’t want to knit a sweater with a yoke full of seagulls? And another seagull at the waist? Chasing little crabs?

The story behind the sweater (and you knew there had to be one, right?) is that while Sarah was traveling around Europe there were a lot of cheeky seagulls about. They reminded her of the scene in Finding Nemo where the seagulls say “mine, mine, mine” and thus the Mine! series of patterns was born.

Oh yes, there’s a whole set. It was the sweater I saw first but there’s also a pair of socks (and the pattern says there’s a cowl, too, but I couldn’t find it as of this writing. If you see it let me know and I’ll add the link here!) so you can totally deck yourself out in pesky seabirds if you want.

But back to the sweater for now. This is worked in DK weight yarn from the top down in the round. The yoke and a section at the bottom are worked in stranded colorwork, with stripes on the body, though you could make the body a single color if you wanted. Details like the beaks and eyes are added with duplicate stitch to make the knitting a little easier.

The colorwork sections are charted. The pattern comes in 10 sizes, with a finished chest circumference ranging from 32 to 68 inches, or 80 to 170 cm.

The socks are worked in sock yarn and come in three sizes. There worked from the cuff down and change needle sizes to accommodate the less stretchy nature of stranded colorwork. You can choose from a side profile or a seagull that’s looking out from the sock. Make a matching pair or mix it up.

Both patterns are available on Ravelry: sweater and socks. If you make them I’d love to hear about it!

[Photo: Sarah L. Kelly]

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