Picking up stitchesis what you do to
add button bands, neckbands, collars,
or decorative borders to the already
finished edges of your knitting. After
you pick up stitches along an edge, you
use them to knit the part you want to
add—without having to sew the piece
on. You can also pick up stitches at an
armhole edge and knit a sleeve from the
top down. You can pick up stitches along
straight edges, as for button bands, or
along curved edges, as for collars.
Using a needle a size or two smaller than your working needles, pick up
stitches, working from right to left.
1 Start at the top-right corner, with the right side facing, and insert the needle
into the center of the V of the first stitch, just below the bound-off row.
2 Wrap the working yarn around the needle as you would to knit, holding
a6-inchtail, as shown.
How to Pick Up Stitches Along a Bound-off EdgePick Up
Stitches
3 Bring the loop of the working yarn to the front,
as you would to knit.
You have now picked up your first stitch.
4 Repeat steps 1–3 across the edge, working
from right to left, for each stitch.
Note:When you are done picking up stitches and are ready to
begin knitting, be sure to switch back to your working needles.