bobble tips

If you have any bobble tips you would like to share, please email them to Deborah at DeborahKnits@gmail.com

  • Nupps: A nupp (rhymes with soup) is a small bobble. Primarily an Estonian lace technique, it is usually worked over 5, 7 or 9 stitches, though you will occasionally find a reference to a 3-stitch nupp.

    To knit a 5-stitch nupp, knit 1 stitch and leave it on the left needle, *yarn over, knit 1 stitch in that same stitch; repeat from once. You now have 5 stitches from that on stitch. Turn the work and purl all 5 stitches together. Turn and slip the stitch to the right hand needle. Your nupp is complete.
    added April 27, 2013

  • When your piece needs to be blocked, do not take it to a professional dry cleaner. Because of the steam press most use, your bobbles will flatten out any where from just a little bit to a lot. Wet block the piece and your bobbles will be nice and round.
    added May 27, 2012

  • When beginning a bobble, use yarn overs to increase to the desired number of stitches. Let’s say you want to make a 5-stitch bobble. Instead of (K in front, back, front, back, front) of same stitch, try (k1, yo, k1, yo, k1) in same stitch.
    added November 1, 2011, from Lucy Neatby’s Knitting Gems

  • Purl in the back loops of the purl rows. This will help prevent the bobble from drifting to the back of the fabric and add a bit more height definition.
    added November 1, 2011, from The Yarnpath

  • To decrease back to 1 stitch for a 5-stitch bobble:

    • With yarn in back, slip 3 sts knitwise one at a time, then *pass the second st on the right hand needle over the center st (last stitch knitted); sl the center st back to the lefthand needle and pass the next st on left hand needle over it**; sl the center st back to the right hand needle and rep from * to ** once more; knit the center stitch in the back loop.
      added November 1, 2011, from Alice Starmore ’s Aran Knitting

    • Slip the first sts purlwise, knit 2 sts. Pass the second st on the right hand needle over the center stitch (third bobble stitch); knit the fourth bobble stitch; and slip it and the third bobble stitch to the left hand needle. Pass stitch 4 over stitch 3. Put the center stitch back to the right-hand needle and pass stitch 1 over it. Knit the last bobble stitch and slip both bobble stitches back to the left needle. Pass stitch 5 over the middle stitch. You are now back to 1 stitch which you will slip to the right hand needle. This is not the quickest way to create a bobble but the result will be a nicely balanced bobble.
      added November 1, 2011, from Lucy Neatby’s Knitting Gems

    • When working a purl-faced bobble, use one of the methods above to finish it. Knitting the last row of the bobble as you decrease will make the bobble neater.
      added November 1, 2011, from Lucy Neatby’s Knitting Gems

  • On the first purl row after the bobble, purl to the bobble stitch. Slip this stitch to the right hand needle. Make 1 with a left twist. Slip the bobble stitch and the make 1 to the left hand needle. Purl the bobble stitch and the M1 together.
    added November 1, 2011, adapted from Esther Bozak’s bobble handout, Twisted Stitches of CNY

  • Slip the first stitch of each bobble row to coax the edges into curling.
    added November 1, 2011, adapted from Esther Bozak’s bobble handout, Twisted Stitches of CNY and Lucy Neatby’s Knitting Gems

 

 

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