Knitting

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How to Knit Bubble Stitch

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Knitting trends come and go, and of course it depends on where you look what things you will find that are popular, but I feel like I have been seeing a lot of bubble stitch knitting projects lately.

Bubble stitch looks sort of like a large, flat bobble, but the technique to make it is different. Bobbles can be made in different ways, but they’re generally made by increasing stitches, working just those stitches and decreasing again before continuing the work. 

Bubble stitch uses a technique known as knit 4 below. To work it, you drop four rows of stitches, then knit them together with the stitch you dropped.

It sounds a little confusing but once you see it in action it’s not too difficult. Studio Knits has both a blog post and a video about how to knit bubble stitch that should help you grasp it.

The good news is most of the pattern is just stockinette stitch, and the pattern repeat is only 12 rows long. You can switch colors on the rows where the bubbles are made, or keep the work in a single color.

If you want to try your hand a bubble stitch, here are a few projects to try.

The bubble stitch blankie pattern is a free Ravelry download designed by Cathy Dages. It uses DK weight yarn and has a garter stitch border you knit as you go.

The bubble stitch beanie from Stephanie Blanchard on Ravlery uses two colors of worsted weight yarn. The pattern comes in two sizes. A video tutorial is available.

The Bubblegum jumper from Aliza Knits on Etsy is one that caught my eye because of the fun colors. If you don’t want to stripe it you can of course work it in a solid color. This pattern uses bulky yarn and comes in nine sizes.

Wool and the Gang’s Jasper sweater is on the high end in terms of cost (the pattern is only available as part of a kit) but it features a fun allover bubble pattern with ribbed edgings.

How To Make Bobbles

Knitting pattern for make bobble cardigan

Next Pattern:

Have you read?

Review: The Knitting Pattern Writing Handbook

I know not all of you are interested in writing patterns, but for those of you who are (or who already do), The Knitting Pattern Writing Handbook by Kristina McGrath and Sarah Walworth is a great guide to things you need to consider as you are designing, writing and preparing your pattern for publishing.

While a lot of this information (such as grading patterns for particular sizes, the importance of size inclusivity in patterns and common sweater design pitfalls) is specific to designers or garments, this information is important for designers to think about and for knitters to look out for when purchasing patterns.

The book covers the basics and beyond of writing a knitting pattern, including:

  • foundations of a good pattern
  • components of a pattern
  • gauge
  • charts
  • sizing
  • common sweater pitfalls
  • working with a tech editor

The goal of all this is to get designers thinking about how they want to present their patterns, from how abbreviations are handled to when charts are used, how many sizes are included and how elements of the pattern might need to change as garments get larger (such as increasing at a different rate on raglans so the armhole is not too deep when accommodating a larger bust size).

McGrath and Walworth are professional tech editors who host the Tech Tip Talk YouTube page, and their aim is for patterns to be clear, consistent, correct, size inclusive, accessible to a range of knitters (both in terms of physical ability and skill level).

They definitely have opinions about how knitting patterns should be written, such as how to convert from inches to centimeters and that measurements for sweaters should be taken from the upper bust rather than the full chest. But they also note that a tech editor’s job isn’t to be dogmatic or make changes without good reason.

The book also covers other subjects of importance to designers such as the difference between tech editing and test knitting, why you might want to do both and in what order. Each chapter includes a checklist of things to think about when writing you pattern and questions and answers to common questions they come across in their tech  editing businesses.

The back of the book includes detailed guidelines for where and how to measure bodies, plus standard size charts for kids, women and men. There’s also a sample style sheet for use with a tech editor and plenty of resources for learning more about design, accessibility and more.

This book is a great resource for people thinking about getting into knitwear design (particularly garment design), or for designers who want to make their patterns better and their editor’s job easier.

About the book: 176 pages, hardcover. Published 2023 by Storey. Suggested retail price $20.

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