tutorial Archives - La Visch Designs

tutorial – making a loop buttonhole

Making a loop buttonhole - a tutorial by La Visch Designs

A loop buttonhole is one of those small finishing details that can completely change how polished your project looks. Instead of working a buttonhole into the fabric itself, you create a simple loop right at the edge. It removes the need to plan out your buttonholes while still knitting or crocheting your project. In other words: It’s perfect for cardigans, cuffs, keyhole openings, or anywhere you want a flexible, decorative closure.

In this step-by-step photo tutorial, I show you how to create a neat, loop buttonhole along the edge of your work using a darning needle. The same effect could however also be achieved by crocheting into the loop. Ok, get your things, and follow along!

Materials used

Yarn: Paintbox Yarns Simply DK, a good value, good quality 100% acrylic yarn, here in the color Lime for the swatch, and Vintage Pink for the buttonhole loop.

Darning needle: Hiya Hiya Darn It Yarn Needle, or any other tapestry needle.

Working the loop buttonhole step by step

First, make sure you have your darning needle threaded with the yarn you want to use for the buttonhole loop.
The buttonhole loop can be attached to any side of a piece of knitting or crochet. In this tutorial, I will be attaching it to the bind-off edge of this swatch.
To start, I insert the darning needle from bottom to top through both loops of one of the stitches on the edge. Pull it through for a bit.
Next, insert the darning needle from top to bottom through both loops of another of the stitches on the edge.
I skipped 1 stitch, because I though that would give me a nice size for a buttonhole. You can leave less or more room between the 2 points as needed for the size of the buttons you intend to use.
Pull the yarn through until you have a loop of the desired size for your button.
The loop kept flipping up, so I used the darning needle to hold it down for the picture.
Repeat steps 2-4 a couple of times. This gives a sturdier buttonhole. The number of times, depends on the thickness of your yarn, as well as on the desired size of the loop.
I changed the orientation of the edge, because this proved to be easier to work.
Next, take your darning needle, and insert it from bottom to top into the loop.
Pull the yarn through almost, but not entirely all the way. Now take the darning needle and insert it top to bottom through the loop that your working yarn has formed.
Pull it all through, and tighten the knot you have created. Make sure to push it right next to the fabric of the piece you’re attaching the buttonhole to.
Repeat steps 6-8 as often as needed to completely cover the loops of yarn made in steps 2-5.
To finish, you can thread the yarn through the buttonhole loop, back to the start. Tie a knot, and weave in the ends.

Thanks to my Patreon supporters for bringing you this freebie! Creating quality patterns and tutorials is a lot of work and resource-intensive. However, I find it important to give you free content like this tutorial. Thanks to the generous support of my Patreon supporters, I can make it happen. Thank you, patrons! Click here to join, or click here to read more about La Visch Designs on Patreon.

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tutorial – working the stretchy yo bind-off for 1×1 rib

Working the stretchy YO bind-off for 1x1 rib - a tutorial by La Visch Designs

This bind-off is very similar to regular “binding of in pattern”, take a look at the tutorial for 1×1 rib that shows you the principal of it. The main difference with the stretchy yo bind-off, is that it adds a yarn over for every purl stitch of the ribbing. As such, it’s less stretchy than a bind-off that includes a yo after every stitch, but much more stretchy than a regular ribbing bind-off that doesn’t include one. I really like to use this one for ribbing on sleeve cuffs, the hems of sweaters etc. It really doesn’t matter if your piece is in regular 1×1 rib, are a twisted one using (k tbl, p1). It doesn’t flare out as much as, for example, the Russian bind-off does.

Let’s get started!

Materials used

Yarn: Paintbox Yarns Simply DK, a good value, good quality 100% acrylic yarn, here in the color Vintage Pink

Knitting needles: This is a pair of straights that I picked up at the second-hand store when I started knitting, brand unknown.

The stretchy yo bind-off for 1×1 rib step by step

In patterns, you may see the following instruction for this bind-off:
K1, *yo, p1, then grab the 2nd and 3rd sts, and pass them both over the st just purled, k1, insert tip of the left-hand needle into second stitch on the right-hand needle, pass this stitch over the stitch just knit*; rep *–* to end, yo, p1, then grab the 2nd and 3rd sts, and pass them both over the st just purled.
Below, I’ll show you step by step how this looks like in knitting!

To start, take the piece of knitting you want to bind-off.
In this case, I’m using a swatch in [k1 tbl, p1] rib.
Knit the first stitch on the left-hand needle.
Next, work a yarn over by wrapping the yarn around the needle.
Next is working a purl stitch.
Depending on your knitting style, it may help to secure the yo of the previous step with your right index finger while you work the purl stitch.
Insert the tip of the left-hand needle into the second and third stitches on the right-hand needle….
… and pass them over the purl stitch.
Knit the first stitch on the left-hand needle.
Insert the tip of the left-hand needle into the second stitch on the right-hand needle….
…. then pass it over the stitch just knit.
Continue working steps 3-8, ending with a repeat of steps 3-6 for the last purl stitch in the rib (assuming you started with an even number of stitches!).
To bind-off the last stitch you end up with, just break your yarn, and pull it through.

The result

Do you see how lovely this bind-off follows the shape of the ribbing?

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tutorial – knitting the yarn over bind-off (version 2)

Knitting the YO bind-off (version 2) - a tutorial by La Visch Designs

In this tutorial I show you how to work a second version of the yarn over bind-off for stockinette. Remember, the thing that all yarn over bind-off have in common, is that they all use an extra yo somewhere in the bind-off sequence to give the edge some extra stretch. Where they differ, is how that yo is treated within the bind-off repeat. The one I’m showing in this tutorial is one I really like, because it gives decent stretch without a lot of flare at the edge. Ok, grab your things!

Materials used

Yarn: Paintbox Yarns Simply DK, a good value, good quality 100% acrylic yarn, here in the color Lime

Knitting needles: This is a pair of straights that I picked up at the second-hand store when I started knitting, brand unknown.

The yarn over bind-off step by step

In patterns, you may see the following instruction for this bind-off:

*K1, yo, k1, insert tip of the left-hand needle into the first and second stitches on the right-hand needle, pass them over the third stitch*; repeat *-* to end.

Please note, that when I mentioned “first” or “second”, I mean the stitch that was knit first or second, not the location relative to the tip of the right-hand needle. Below, I’ll show you step by step how this looks like in knitting!

To start, take the piece of knitting you want to bind-off, and knit the first stitch on the left-hand needle.
In this case, I’m using a swatch in stockinette stitch.
Next, work a yarn over by wrapping the yarn around the needle.
Next, knit the new stitch nearest to the tip of the left-hand needle.
Insert the tip of the left-hand needle into the first and second stitches on the right-hand needle, and pass them over the third (last knit) one.
Continue working steps 1-4 to the end.
To bind-off the last stitch you end up with, just break your yarn, and pull it through.

As you can see in the last picture above, this bind-off has barely any flare to it. When seen from the wrong side, the result looks like this:

The result from the WS of knitting the yarn over bind-off - version 2

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tutorial – knitting the yarn over bind-off (version 1)

Knitting the YO bind-off (version 1) - a tutorial by La Visch Designs

The thing that all yarn over bind-off have in common, is that they all use an extra yo somewhere in the bind-off sequence to give the edge some extra stretch. Where they differ, is how that yo is treated within the bind-off repeat. The one I’m showing in this tutorial is not really the one I prefer, because it has significant flare at the edge. That said, it’s a good one to know. In a couple of weeks, I’ll share a different yarn over bind-off for stockinette with you. Let’s get started!

Materials used

Yarn: Paintbox Yarns Simply DK, a good value, good quality 100% acrylic yarn, here in the color Lime

Knitting needles: This is a pair of straights that I picked up at the second-hand store when I started knitting, brand unknown.

The yarn over bind-off step by step

In patterns, you may see the following instruction for this bind-off:

K1, *k1, insert tip of the left-hand needle into the first stitch on the right-hand needle, pass this stitch over the second stitch, yo, grab the first st, and pass it over the yo*; repeat *-* to end.

Please note, that when I mentioned “first” or “second”, I mean the stitch that was knit first or second, not the location relative to the tip of the right-hand needle. Below, I’ll show you step by step how this looks like in knitting!

To start, take the piece of knitting you want to bind-off, and knit the first stitch on the left-hand needle.
In this case, I’m using a swatch in stockinette stitch.
Next, knit the new stitch nearest to the tip of the left-hand needle.
Insert the tip of the left-hand needle into the first stitch on the right-hand needle, and pass this stitch over the second one.
Next, work a yarn over by wrapping the yarn around the needle.
Insert the tip of the left-hand needle into the first stitch on the right-hand needle, and pass it over the yarn over.
Continue working steps 2-5 for every stitch you encounter.
To bind-off the last stitch you end up with, just break your yarn, and pull it through.

As you can see in the last picture above, this bind-off has quite some flare to it. Reduce the amount of flare by repeating steps 1-5 instead of 2-5. However, this would also reduce the stretchiness. When seen from the wrong side, the result looks like this:

The result from the WS of knitting the yarn over bind-off - version 1

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tutorial – working the stretchy yo bind-off for 2×2 rib

Working the stretchy YO bind-off for 2x2 rib - a tutorial by La Visch Designs

This bind-off is very similar to regular “binding of in pattern”. I don’t have a tutorial about one showing this for 2×2 rib, but I do have one for 1×1 rib that shows you the principal of it. The main difference with the stretchy yo bind-off, is that it adds a yarn over for every purl stitch of the ribbing. As such, it’s less stretchy than a bind-off that includes a yo after every stitch, but much more stretchy than a regular ribbing bind-off that doesn’t include one. I really like to use this one for toe-up socks, and ribbing on sleeve cuffs. It doesn’t flare out as much as, for example, the Russian bind-off does.

Let’s get started!

Materials used

Yarn: Paintbox Yarns Simply DK, a good value, good quality 100% acrylic yarn, here in the color Marine Blue

Knitting needles: This is a pair of straights that I picked up at the second-hand store when I started knitting, brand unknown.

The stretchy yo bind-off for 2×2 rib step by step

In patterns, you may see the following instruction for this bind-off:
K2, insert tip of the left-hand needle into first stitch on the right-hand needle, pass this stitch over the second stitch, (yo, p1, then grab the 2nd and 3rd sts, and pass them both over the st just purled) twice, *(k1, insert tip of the left-hand needle into first stitch on the right-hand needle, pass this stitch over the second stitch) twice, (yo, p1, then grab the 2nd and 3rd sts, and pass them both over the st just purled) twice*; repeat *-* to end.
Below, I’ll show you step by step how this looks like in knitting!

To start, take the piece of knitting you want to bind-off.
In this case, I’m using a swatch in 2×2 rib.
Knit the first stitch on the left-hand needle.
Next, knit the new stitch nearest to the tip of the left-hand needle.
Insert the tip of the left-hand needle into the second stitch on the right-hand needle….
…., and pass this second stitch over the first one.
You have now bound-off a stitch!
Next, work a yarn over by wrapping the yarn around the needle.
Next is working a purl stitch.
Depending on your knitting style, it may help to secure the yo of the previous step with your right index finger while you work the purl stitch.
Insert the tip of the left-hand needle into the second and third stitches on the right-hand needle….
… and pass them over the purl stitch.
Repeat steps 6-9 for the second purl stitch to be bound off for the ribbing.
Continue working steps 3-5 for every knit stitch you encounter, and steps 6-9 for every purl stitch.
To bind-off the last stitch you end up with, just break your yarn, and pull it through.

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tutorial – working shadow wrap short rows on the WS

Working shadow wrap short rows on the WS - a tutorial by La Visch Designs

Short rows are a very handy way to create shaping in knitted fabric. Use it, for example, to raise the back of the neck in sweaters, or turn the heel in socks. As a matter of fact, I first encountered these shadow wrap short rows in this sock project I was knitting. I really like them, because just like German short rows, you end up with some sort of “double stitch” that is pretty invisible in the resulting fabric. The way to go about making that double stitch is quite different, though.

Grab your materials and let’s get started! As with all short rows, they can be worked on both right side and wrong side rows. In this tutorial, I’ll focus on the working the shadow wrap short rows on the wrong side of the fabric. For the one about the right side, click here.

Materials used

Yarn: Paintbox Yarns Simply DK, a good value, good quality 100% acrylic yarn, here in the color Tea Rose.

Knitting needles: This is a pair of straights that I picked up at the second-hand store when I started knitting. Brand unknown.

Working shadow wrap short rows on the WS step by step

Work as instructed by your pattern on the wrong side of the fabric, until the point where you are to turn for the short row.
Before you turn, work a modified Left-Leaning Lifted Increase (LLIP) into the next stitch on your left-hand needle.
To do so, first slip the next stitch from the left-hand to the right-hand needle.
Next, insert your left-hand needle from bottom to top into the horizontal purl bump directly below the stitch slipped to the right-hand needle, and place it on the left-hand needle.
This is where the modification comes in, with a regular LLIP, you would insert the needle into the second horizontal purl bump below the stitch slipped to the right-hand needle.
Now purl into the loop you just placed on the left-hand needle.
Do you see in the picture below, of the result of this step how it sits next to its “shadow stitch”?
Slip the original stitch together with its “shadow” back to the left-hand needle.
Next, turn your work and knit back to where your pattern says.
When you work back to the shadow wrap on the wrong side, just purl the 2 shadow stitches together as if they are a single stitch, to close the short row without any gaps in your fabric.
And this is how to work shadow wrap short rows on the WS!

The result

Please note that in the below picture, I’ve worked 2 sets of shadow wrap short rows on the wrong side, as well as 2 on the right side. The tutorial on how to work shadow wrap short rows on the RS can be found here.

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tutorial – working the (k1, p1, k1, p1, k1) in 1 st increase

Working the (k1, p1, k1, p1, k1) in 1 st increase - a tutorial by La Visch Designs

In one of my new shawl patterns, I used the (k1, p1, k1, p1, k1) in 1 stitch or M5 increase. So, time for a new tutorial! With this increase, 1 stitch is increased to 5 by working [k1, p1] twice in the same loop, followed by another k1. That said, if you’d like to increase 7 or even 9 stitches instead of 5, just work more repeats of [k1, p1] into the original stitch.

Let’s get our materials and get started!

Materials used

Yarn: Paintbox Yarns Simply DK, a good value, good quality 100% acrylic yarn, here in the color Lime.

Knitting needles: This is a pair of straights that I picked up at the second-hand store when I started knitting, brand unknown.

Working the (k1, p1, k1, p1, k1) increase step by step

To start, work as instructed by your pattern until the point where you want to make the increase.
First, insert your right-hand needle into the first stitch on the left-hand needle as if to knit.
Next, wrap the yarn around the needle …
… and pull it through to work a k1. Do not slip the loop off the needle yet!
Next, move the yarn to the front of the work.
Insert the needle into the stitch as if to purl…
….wrap the yarn around the needle.
.. and pull it through to work a k1. Do not slip the loop off the needle yet!
Next, move the yarn back to the back of the work.
Repeat steps 2 to 9 once more, followed by steps 2 to 4 once more to create all the extra stitches needed.
After this, you can slide the original stitch off the left-hand needle to conclude the increase.

The result

In the picture below, I’ve also worked a wrong-side row after the row with the (k1, p1, k1, p1, k1) in 1 stitch increase. Please also keep in mind that here, I made the increase in a stockinette fabric. Usually, It would be used somewhere in lace patterning.

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tutorial – working shadow wrap short rows on the RS

Working shadow wrap short rows on the RS - a tutorial by La Visch Designs

Materials used

Yarn: Paintbox Yarns Simply DK, a good value, good quality 100% acrylic yarn, here in the color Tea Rose.

Knitting needles: This is a pair of straights that I picked up at the second-hand store when I started knitting. Brand unknown.

Working shadow wrap short rows on the RS step by step

I will show you how to work the shadow wrap short row, using this little swatch.
Work as instructed by your pattern on the RS of the fabric, until the point where you are to turn for the short row.
Before you turn, work a Right-leaning Lifted Increase (RLI) into the next stitch on your left-hand needle.
To do so, insert your right-hand needle from back to front into the right leg of the stitch that is directly below the next stitch on the needle…
… and place it on the left-hand needle.
Next, knit this new loop…
… and place it back on the left-hand needle.
Do you see how it sits next to its “shadow stitch”?
Next, turn your work and purl back to where your pattern says.
Your pattern may also tell you to work another short row on the WS of the fabric.
When you work back to the shadow wrap on the right side, just knit the 2 shadow stitches together as if they are a single stitch, to close the short row without any gaps in your fabric.
Do you also see the other stitch with a shadow stitch on the left-hand needle?

The result

This is how to work shadow wrap short rows on the RS! Please note that in the below picture, I’ve worked 2 sets of shadow wrap short rows on the right, as well as 2 on the wrong side. The tutorial on how to work shadow wrap short rows on the WS will be published soon.

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tutorial – reattaching an applied border

In a recent post, I showed you how to remove an applied border, in order to reattach it later on. For example, after a couple of more rounds or rows in the main body of the project have been worked. But, this only does any good, if you also know how to reattach it again as well. So, in the name of science, I tried it out on a swatch. In this post, I’ll show you exactly what I did to reattach the removed knitted-on border.

Materials used

Yarn: Paintbox Yarns Simply DK, a good value, good quality 100% acrylic yarn, here in the colors Lime and Vintage Pink.

Other tools: Some spare knitting needles, and a crochet hook in the same size or slightly smaller than your knitting needles. For example, this Pony Aluminum Crochet Hook in size 4 mm. I also used a darning needle, a length of smooth crochet cotton, and a stitch holder.

Reattaching the applied border step by step

For this tutorial, I’m continuing with the swatch I used for the tutorial on removing the applied border. I worked extra rows in the pink part to simulate what I want to do with the big round project. To get started on reattaching it, I arranged both the border and the main body of the project with the right sides of the fabric pointing up.
To get started, put the crochet hook through the first loop of the border. Do you see that it peeks through a larger green loop?
Next, slip the first stitch of the body off the needle, and unto the crochet hook.
Next, insert the crochet hook into the larger green loop on the left, where the first one was coming through. Pull it through the two other loops on the hook.
Now insert the crochet through the next pink stitch of the body, and through the next green border stitch on the waste yarn….
… and pull it through the loops already on the hook.
Repeat steps 4 and 5 until there are no more free loops of the border and body are available.
The last loop on the crochet hook can be placed on the holder or needle holding the other life border stitches, for the final finishing steps.

So, this is how to go about reattaching a removed applied border!

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tutorial – removing an applied border

For a recent project, I’m working an applied border around a pi-shawl. Nearing the end of the border, it seems that there will be yarn left. This could be used to work a couple of more rounds in the body of the shawl. From forum posts, I understood that it is possible to “unzip” an applied border from its project. It could then be reapplied later on. But how to go about removing an applied border, exactly, remains elusive.

So, in the name of science, I tried it out on a swatch. In this post, I’ll show you exactly what I did to remove the knitted-on border, ready to be reattached later on.

Materials used

Yarn: Paintbox Yarns Simply DK, a good value, good quality 100% acrylic yarn, here in the colors Lime and Vintage Pink.

Removing the applied border step by step

For this tutorial, I used a swatch I had already lying around. It was originally used to show the ribbed heart stitch. With the applied border, I started out with one repeat of the leaf border I’m working on the big round project. After that I condensed it a bit down to reduce the amount of knitting.
Before unzipping the connecting stitches between body and border, I first want to put at least one set of stitches on a holder. This prevents it from unraveling where I don’t want it. To do so, I first flipped the entire piece, so the wrong side of the body is pointing up.
See those pink stitches hugging the green ones? I’m inserting my knitting needle underneath the leg on the right.
This is how it looks when all pink stitches have been placed on the knitting needle.
Next, I rotated the piece a bit, so now the life border stitches are facing me. I placed them on a stitch holder, except for the very last stitch, that threads through the first pink stitch on the knitting needle.
Carefully work this stitch loose, by using the crochet hook to hook underneath the horizontal bar of green yarn just above and to the left of the first pink stitch on the knitting needle in the picture above.
You’ll see that you’ll get slightly large loose loops of live border stitches.
Of course, we don’t want those stitches to unravel either, so I caught them with my darning needle and some waste yarn.
Please note, that in this picture, I’ve flipped the piece again. Now it’s with the right side of the body facing up.
In this upwards orientation, I now also see that I can place the green border stitches on the waste yarn, before actually pulling everything loose.
Just insert the darning needle underneath the upwards leg of the green stitches. This is directly to the right of the stitches that connect the border to the body.
After securing all stitches, and pulling the connecting stitches loose, you have the below situation. Ready to continue with your plans for the project!
In my case, I will work extra rows in the pink part to simulate what I want to do with the big round project.

So, this is how to go about removing an applied border! The tutorial in which I show you how to reattach the border can be found here.

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