Tutorial: How to correct a knit Button Hole

I'm new enough to knitting that sometimes I have no idea what I'm doing. I have been crocheting long enough that I can usually pretend like I know what I'm doing in knitting and just fluff along.

This sweater is a good example.  This is the Harvest Pattern by http://tincanknits.com/ . I have made this pattern once before. This time I wanted to make it again but shorter and with bell capped sleeves. I did really great, because it is such a lovely pattern that is easily adaptable and adjustable.

When I got to the button hole my crochet sense took over and I made a button hole in 2 rows. It did not look well. But I was not really sure what to do with it so I just continued on. Did you know that there is a way to make a button hole with just one row? Me neither. Now that I am aware of that I will strive for better.

But maybe you are like me with really terrible looking button holes that have already been made. What do you do with them?

I decided to add button hole stitches to the hole to clean it up and I'm really happy with the results. I took pictures of what I did so you can follow along.

What you will need:

• a tapestry needle
• same colored yarn as you project 
• scissors 

First 
I turned the garment inside out and I inserted my needle in between the 2 vertical posts on the bottom right side of the button hole. Then I put the needle through the first stitch of the button hole with the tail of the yarn going behind the needle when I pull through. (did you know that the button hole stitch is the same as a blanket stitch. It is just worked tighter and in a button hole).

Next
I added two button hole stitches to each knit stitch. There were 3 knit stitches so I made 6 button hole stitches on this side of the hole. 

 Next 
I wrapped my yarn around 3 vertical posts (I was tightening up this stitch, yours might be tighter and so you only need to go through the two posts like the start). I turned the work so that what was on top was now on the bottom. I inserted my needle through the knit stitch so that my tail would be behind my needle and then into the completed button hole stitch above it.

 Next
I continued to make 2 button hole stitches for every knit stitch.

To finish off I inserted the needle through the first button hole stitch. Tie a knot with the ends. Weave in your ends.

 And that is it.

I'm sure this trick would work for crochet garments as well but I find that knit stitches loosen up more than crochet stitches so it would be more beneficial for knit.  Now I just need to pick out a button.

More Free Knitting Patterns You Will Love 

Learners Curve Dishcloth

Swift Swirl Hat

Embroidery Picture Tutorial: Mini Valentine Heart

Today I have a picture tutorial for this cute little heart. Just in time for Valentine's Day. 

Disclaimer: I live in a basement apartment. And it's the middle of winter. My pictures are dark there is just no way around it. I am by no means a professional photographer, but I feel you will still get the idea from the pictures. Also maybe I am just to hard on myself. 

Materials

Disclaimer 2: I'm all about finding the best deal, reusing, recycling, thrifting. So A Lot of times I have no idea what I'm working with. This time time I do know a few things because I got them as Christmas gifts. 

• an embroidery hoop ( I used a 6in hoop, but you could go smaller)
•  needle
• a woven fabric
• Embroidery floss. For this project I used J&P Coats. A dark and light color. 3 gradient warm colors. 2 cool colors to off set the warm (so that's 7 colors all together).
• sharp scissors

Step 1: First I started by drawing a 1 1/2in circle. Inside my circle I rough sketched a heart. I made sure both of my points fell on the same vertical line and that my 2 humps were on the same horizontal line. I then back stitched in the dark color and also backed stitched with the light color around the dark. 

I then took the darkest color of the warm trio and added 5 straight stitches going into the point of the heart.

  

Step 2. With the middle shade of the warm trio, I added 6 long lazy daisy stitches between the straight stitches.

Step 3. With the lightest of the warm trio I added a straight stitch inside of each lazy daisy. Then I added a pistil stitch in between each lazy daisy for a total of 7.

 Step 4. I went back to the darkest warm color and added a pistil stitch between each pistil stitch going in the opposite direction.

 Step 5. With the middle color I added lazy daisies between the pistils for 4 on each side.

 Step 6. With the lightest color fill in with straight stitches.

 Step 7. With one of the cool colors add a row of french knots evenly spaced around the heart.

 Step 8. Finish with the second cool color making pistil stitches around the heart between the french knots.

I made my heart into a button. There are lots of other ideas that will work for this to. I hope you enjoyed this little tutorial.

More Embroidery Tutorials You Will Love

 

Finding Inspiration in Nature 

Morpho Butterfly Necklace 

The Long Break

I decided to take a break from the blog when I had a baby. That break lasted longer than I anticipated. My Baby is going to be 2 in a few months. I have no idea where the time has gone.

I never realized how important sleep was to my creativity. My baby has not been a good sleeper. My first child was an excellent sleeper. She was sleeping through the night by 6 months. This one.. we are just now getting 7 hours of sleep out of her.

With no sleep, I have felt like a vegetable most days. I can't say that my creativity has been completely lacking. There are still ideas in there, but actually getting those ideas on paper or figuring them out seems like an impossible feet.

This time has not been wasted. I have been growing myself in other areas of fiber art like knitting and embroidery. I hope to expand this blog to include those new possibilities.

Here are some sneak peeks of what I have been working on.

 This is one of my own patterns. You can find it here. Even after 3 years I still get asked to make them for gifts and to sell.

 This is the nurmilintu shawl pattern that you can find on Ravelry. It was really easy to accomplish. 

  This is one of my recent embroidery pieces. I have been making lots of little pieces that I can finish within a nap time.