Bobbles and knots add an exciting
three-dimensional quality to your
knitting. Bobbles and knots can be
used for effect in many ways: as a
single row along a border, repeated
in an allover pattern, or placed inside
cables. Different designers make
bobbles in different ways; you should
find the way that suits you best.
HOW TO MAKE A BOBBLE
Many bobble-making methods involve knitting several times into one stitch, turn-
ing the work and working the new stitches, and then turning it back again. The
method shown here is easy and doesn’t require turning. The abbreviation for
make a bobble is mb.
1 Work to the point where you want the bobble. Knit into the front, back, front,
back, and front (that’s five times) of the next stitch.
2 Without turning work, use the left needle to pick up the fourth stitch and pass
it over the fifth and off the needle; pass the third stitch over the fifth and off
the needle; pass the second stitch over the fifth and off the needle; and
finally, pass the first stitch over the fifth and off the needle.
Knitting five times into 1 stitch and then passing the 4 extra stitches, one at a
time, over the last stitch forms a bobble.
Bobble StitchesKnit with Bobbles and Knots.
BOBBLE STITCH
Here’s a pattern that is similar to simple seed stitch (page 37), except on right
side rows you work a bobble (as described above) where the purl stitch would
be. You work this pattern on a multiple of 4 stitches plus 3.
1 Row 1 (RS—bobble row): K3, make bobble (mb); repeat from to last 3
stitches, k3.
2 Rows 2, 4, and 6: Purl.
3 Rows 3 and 5: Knit.
4 Row 7 (bobble row): K1, mb, k3, mb; repeat from to last stitch, k1.
5 Rows 8, 10, and 12: Purl.
6 Rows 9 and 11: Knit.
7 Repeat rows 1–12 for bobble stitch.