I know a lot of people think bobbles are kinda frou-frouy. They take up a fair amount of yarn and they’re a pain in the butt besides. But, judiciously placed, bobbles can add real textural interest (as in an Aran sweater) and they can be easy and fun as well.
This is my favorite technique for the little fellas. *
When you get to the stitch were you want to place the bobble, do a double-increase. Here, a [K1, YO, K1] all in one stitch is used. This bobble is just three stitches wide but you can use as many YO, K1s as you like to make as big a bobble as you want.
1. Knit 1.
2. YO and knit again.
3. Remove stitch from left needle.
Turn work and purl these three stitches. Knitting backwards is a real time-saver here, but turning and purling works just fine :) Then turn the work back to the front side. Insert the right needle from front to back into the second stitch on the left needle. Lift it up and over the first stich and let it drop off. Do the same with the next stitch back on the left needle. You have one stitch left. Knit into the back of this stitch.
1. Right needle inserted into stitch.
2. Lifting up and dropping over and off.
3. Knit the last stitch through the back.
Completed Bobble
Assorted Bobbles
So I guess this one is more like a booble :)
Booble
Wrong Side
Experiment - play with the number of stitches and rows and see what you come up with!
Have a nice weekend, everyone!
*Note: I re-wrote this somewhat over the weekend as the original post seemed murky to me. I want this to be helpful, not confusing!
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The last big sweater project I crocheted for myself before going on crochet hiatus for awhile was a purple and green bobbled nightmare. Rows of bobbles going lengthwise up & down the sweater.
Hideous doesn’t BEGIN to describe it! The purple was variegated & the green solid. I looked like a walking afghan.
Thus began my bobble-phobia. Knit or crochet, doesn’t matter - I refuse to bobble and have thus kept my sanity.
That having been said, YOU make great bobbles! If my phobia ever lifts I’ll come back to your tutorial. :)
Bron :) - I understand bobble-phobia, really I do. When I look for a crochet pattern, popcorns, bobbles and puff-stitches are right out! And honestly, until I fell over this technique, I hated knitting them too. But this works so well for me, that making the little beasts is almost fun! Now, if they just didn’t use up so much yarn!
I admit to being anti-bobble. I may be pro booble though, but it might just be the name.
LOL! Thanks Steph :) I keep wondering about what kind of effect a row of these, strategically placed on a woman’s sweater, would do to a man’s ability to focus on the conversation at hand!
Thanks so much for your help. I’m a novice knitter and was stumped at making a bobble in the pattern I’m working. Your directions and pictures made it possible for me to complete my block.
