Nondaily Tip No. 9: bobble it

Just one way to make a BOBBLE.

You may not be able to stop…

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Bobbles are fun.
And they’re easy to make, too.
This is just one way to knit a 5-stitch bobble.

You’ll need about 50 cm (20 in) of contrast yarn.
(the BOBBLE doesn’t have to be worked in a contrasting colour…)

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1. Knit to BOBBLE place.
With Bobble Yarn M1L (Make One Left) in bar between two stitches, that is…

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1b. … insert Left Needle from front and below to place bar between stitches on Left Needle.
Then…

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1c. … k1 into the back loop – but do not slip stitch off Left Needle.
Leave it there!

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2. Make a yarnover, and then…

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2b.. … knit into the front leg and make another yarnover = 4 BOBBLE sts.

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2c. … knit 1 more stitch.
Still into same stitch (the raised bar).
You have 5 BOBBLE sts and  you have worked:
k1tbl, (yo, k1) twice

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3. Flip work over to work on WS.
Sl1wyf (slip one stitch purlwise with yarn in front).
Then purl 4 stitches.

TIP within the TIP:

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3b. After purling the 2nd stitch, pull on it in order to tighten the first (slipped) st.
Then pull on the running yarn to make the 2nd stitch snug as well.

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See, nice and snug as a bug!

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4. Flip work over to work on RS.
Sl1wyb (slip one stitch purlwise with yarn in back).
Then knit 4 stitches (performing the tightening/snug thing after the 2nd stitch).

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5. Work Step 3 once more (WS):
Sl1wyf, p4 (tighten after 2nd stitch).

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6. Flip work over (last time) to work from RS.
Ssk…  = (sl1 knitwise) twice, sl2 back to LN, k2tog tbl
You have 4 BOBBLE stitches.

Written out even longer:
(slip one stitch knitwise, slip one stitch knitwise, slip 2 stitches back to Left Needle, knit the 2 slipped stitches together through the back loop)

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6b. Knit 1 stitch…

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6c. …cast off 1 stitch.
That is, pass the ssk:ed stitch over the knitted stitch from right to left and off needle.
You have 3 BOBBLE stitches.

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6d. K2tog (knit the final 2 BOBBLE stitches together).
You have 2 BOBBLE stitches.

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6e. Slip the 2 BOBBLE stitches to Left Needle.

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6f. Pass 2nd (the k2tog-stitch) over 1st stitch and off needle.
You have 1 BOBBLE stitch.

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6g. Slip the single remaining BOBBLE stitch back to Right Needle.

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7. Continue your row or round with Main Colour.

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8. Next row (WS) – work to 1 stitch before BOBBLE stitch.
Purl 2 stitches together (main-colour stitch and BOBBLE stitch).

Note: if knitting in the round, on the next round work to BOBBLE stitch, k2tog (the BOBBLE stitch and the following stitch).

Done!

Small confession: the BOBBLES on Cecilia’s grrrrreeeen Zigguratlet sweater at the top were made without slipping the first bobble stitch on each row. These BOBBLES are a bit plumper but also require a bit more fiddling when sewing in the ends, to prettify the bobble.
Oh, and the bobbles on my Quadratura Scarf too…

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… but the BOBBLE instructions in the pattern are for the BOBBLES you see in the steps above.

You can also make smaller 3-stitch bobbles for a less…um BOBBLY effect.

 

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