Join Button Bands to Front Edges
This technique is useful when joining a ribbed band to side edges, such as cardigan button bands, and V necks. Make the ribbing first, then knit 1 row stockinet. Remove on waste yarn.
Using this method avoids having to bind off at the end of the ribbing; many beginning knitters have a problem getting a neat, even edge, or have trouble getting a loose enough bind off. Making the ribbing first, then joining it to the front edge places the bind off next to the body. This also helps stabilize the center front. A backstitch bind off is recommend for beginners.
Hang the garment edge, right side facing you, wrong side toward the machine, on the same number of needles as for the ribbing. See instructions on evenly picking up stitches from a side edge here.
Fold down the waste yarn and pick up the main color stitches of the ribbing into the hooks of the appropriate needles.
Push the working needles back, taking the ribbing stitches through the side edge of the fabric.
Just one stitch now remains in each hook.
Backstitch across to bind off the live stitches. You may use another bind off method, such as the stitch-through-stitch technique, but take care to have the final knit row very loose. A tight bind off makes the seam pucker, and is uncomfortable to wear.
This tutorial was copyrighted and uploaded to the original Clearwater Knits website in 1997. It was updated in 2017.