[Start of image description: A blue background with a rainbow. A image of a forest with a cozy cottage and a campfire on the left. On the right is a log with a basket of yarn and needles, a black cat holding a ball of red yarn with another basket of yarn and a frog next to it. There is toodstools scattered around the forest and there is an owl in the tree. In the middle is the Cozy Woodland Cottage Knits logo with the words “Cozy Woodland Cottage Knits” End of image description.]

Saturday, July 29, 2023

What's that stitch? Bobble stitch


Picture of learn how to do bobbles

Bobble stitch is perfect for adding a bit of fun to any knitting project, it adds 3D texture.  In this tutorial I explain what a bobble is, how to do bobble stitch and  the different names for bobble stitch.  We've also included our free pattern for a  little bobble stitch gift bag and added our free printable handy stitch cards. 

[Start of image description for image above: a photo of a wooden table with a bobble stitch square knitted in red yarn.  On top of the photo at the top is a white rectangle with the words "What's that stitch". Underneath is a sage green rectangle with two white stripes and the words "bobble stitch" and the words "Cozy Woodland Cottage Knits. blogspot.com. End of image description.]

* This post was originally published in 2018 and has been revamped, so it now has more information, how to make your own bobble stitch square and free printable handy stitch cards added to it along with new photos and image descriptions added. 


Picture of how to do bobble stitch

[Start of image description: a photo of a wooden table with a bobble stitch square in varigated yarn that is blue, white, peach, green and pink.  In the middle is a sage green rectangle with a maroon boarder. Inside is the words "what's that stitch? bobble stitch" and the words " By Cozy Woodland Cottage Knits" Underneath is a close up of the bobbles on the bobble stitch square. End of image description.]


What is bobble stitch?


Bobble stitch is also called popcorn stitch and I have also seen it called popcorn bobble stitch.  Bobble stitch is adding little bobbles, which is a bumpy, raised circle creating 3D texture throughout your knitting.  Bobbles are bulky and versatile.  

Picture of a close up of the knitting stitch bobble stitch

[Start of image description: a close up of bobble stitch knitting in a varigated yarn of lime, pink, turquoise, blue and peach. End of image description.]

How to make your own patchwork square


You need to know how to:


You will need:

  • 5mm knitting needles
  • DK/8ply
  • 25 grams of yarn (75.5 yards/69 metres) 
  • Row counter (If you do not have a row counter you can use pen and paper).

Tips:

  • To keep track of the row mark the row repeats on paper or keep a track of the rows using a row counter. 
  • Remember a mock rib is always a K2, P2 (Knit 2, Purl 2) for the 1st row.
  • If you cast off too tightly use a stretchy cast off.

Picture of knitted bobble stitch

[Start of image description: A wooden table with a knitted red bobble stitch with a garter stitch boarder around it. There is a pair of knitting needles on the right.  End of image description.]

How to do you do bobbles?


To do bobble stitch you only need to know how to:
Right side: To make bobble 
Knit to where you would like a bobble 
Bobble row 1:(K1, P1, K1, P1, K1) all into the next stitch
Bobble row 2: Turn P5
Bobble row 3: Turn K5
Bobble row 4: Turn P2tog, P1, Ptog 
Bobble row 5: Turn slip 1, k2tog, pass slipped stitch over 
Knit a few stitches or to where you would like another bobble and repeat these again.

Please note for each bobble row you are only knitting the stitches that create at the bobble, which is why I've written bobble row instead of row.

Tips for doing bobble stitch

  • Make sure you finish the last row where you slip 1, K2tog and pass the slipped stitch over otherwise you will end up with a bobble not shaped right and too many stitches.
  • Add them to a project to add a bit of fun and if you wanted to you could do each bobble a different colour to use up scrap yarn.  You could also use a 2nd colour as a contrast colour to do the bobbles to make them stand out a bit more or a complementary colour.
  • Make sure the bobbles are spaced out with a few stitches in between and a few row in between as well.
  • Make sure the bobbles are the same on the 1st, 3rd row that have bobbles and then the same as the 2nd, 4th rows that have bobbles on them. To keep the project uniform and looking the same though if you wanted you could have random bobbles over the knitted item.  



Picture of learn how to do bobbles



[Start of image description: A photo of a red bobble stitch square on a wooden table. Underneath is a white square and the words "Bobble stitch" with the words "cozywoodlandcottageknits.blogspot.com". End of image description.]

How to make your own bobble stitch patchwork square 


Knitting abbreviations

K - knit
P - purl
Knitting abbreviations - Free printable knitting abbreviations sheet
MB - Make bobble

You will need:

  • 5mm knitting needles
  • DK/8ply
  • 25 grams of yarn (75.5 yards/69 metres) 
  • Row counter (If you do not have a row counter you can use pen and paper).

Gauge:

10x10cm
18 stitches and 28 rows
If its too big go down a needle size and if it's too small go up a needle size. 
Gauge is in stocking stitch (knit 1 row, purl the next row)

Pattern:

Where it says MB (Make Bobble follow the following)
Bobble row 1:(K1, P1, K1, P1, K1) all into the next stitch
Bobble row 2: Turn P5
Bobble row 3: Turn K5
Bobble row 4: Turn P2tog, P1, Ptog 
Bobble row 5: Turn slip 1, k2tog, pass slipped stitch over 

Cast on 40 stitches

Row 1: Knit
Row 2: Knit
Row 3: Knit
Row 4: Knit
Row 5: Knit
Row 6: K4, P to last 4 sts, K4
Row 7: K7, MB, K4, MB, K4, MB, K4, MB, K4, MB, K4, MB, K7
Row 8: K4, P to last 4 sts, K4
Row 9: Knit
Row 10: K4, P to last 4 sts, K4
Row 11: K10, MB, K3, MB, K4, MB, K4, MB, K4, MB, K10
Row 12: K4, P to last 4 sts, K4
Row 13: Knit
Row 14: K4, P to last 4 sts, K4

Repeat row 7-14  another 2 times (3 times in total).

Row 33: K7, MB, K4, MB, K4, MB, K4, MB, K4, MB, K4, MB, K7
Row 34: K4, P to last 4 sts, K4
Row 35: Knit
Row 36: K4, P to last 4 sts, K4
Row 37: Knit
Row 38: K4, P to last 4 sts, K4

Row 39: Knit
Row 40: Knit
Row 41: Knit
Row 42: Knit


(Please note in the square knitted below I mucked it up and missed two rows - row 37 and 38 but they are added above.) 

Picture of create a patchwork square

[Start of image description: A photo of a red bobble stitch square on a wooden table. End of image description.]

Free printable handy stitch cards


We have made you a free printable bobble handy stitch card for you, you could keep this in your knitting bag/basket, punch a hole and it on a key ring or get a piece of string and tie it onto the card. There is two bobble stitch handy stitch cards to choose from a sage green background or a white background, each has how to do mock rib stitch on the back of the card.


Free printable bobble stitch handy stitch card - white

[Start of image description: A sage green background with a photo at the top centre. The photo is of a wooden table with a red bobble stitch square that has a garter stitch boarder around it  Underneath is two white stripes and then a white rectangle with the words "what's that stitch?" and at the bottom is the words "Bobble Stitch" and the words "cozy woodland cottage knits. blogspot .com. End of image description.]

Free printable bobble stitch handy stitch card - white


[Start of image description: A white background with a photo at the top centre. The photo is of a wooden table with a red bobble stitch square that has a garter stitch boarder around it  Underneath is two black stripes and then the words "what's that stitch?" and at the bottom is the words "Bobble Stitch" and the words "cozy woodland cottage knits. blogspot .com. End of image description.]


What can you make using bobble stitch?


You can add bobble stitch to almost any project using bobble stitch as it adds something a bit fun.   I made a square to add to a patchwork blanket along with all of the other squares in the what's that stitch series.  You could also make the following: 


Picture of a close up of the knitted little bobble stitch gift bag

[Start of image description: a photo of a wooden table with a little bobble stitch gift bag in variegated yarn that is blue, white, peach, green and pink.  It has a I-cord drawstring to close the bag. End of image description.]



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Picture of how to knit bobble stitch

[Start of image description: A photo of a red bobble stitch square with a sage green rectangle underneath. On the rectangle is the words "Bobble stitch" and the words "To make bobbles, knit to where you would like a bobble. Row 1: (K1, P1, K1, P1, K1) all into the next stitch. Row 2: Turn P5. Row 3: Turn K5. Row 4: Turn P2tog, P1, P2tog. Row 5:Turn slip 1, K2tog, pass slipped stitch over. End of image description.]


Thank you for visiting Cozy Woodland Cottage Knits!



Have fun learning how to do basket stitch and making a project using this stitch. Don't forget to download your Free printable handy stitch card in White and

Free printable handy stitch card in Sage Green. Check our stitch library What's that stitch? for more stitch pattern posts like this one. 



[Start of image description: Arjaye's signature with a blue feather floating in the air. Below is a meadow with yellow flowers with a a basket of pastel yarn and a hedgehog next to it. In the middle is two toadstools and a black cat running through the grass. End of image description.]

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2 comments:

Sum of their Stories said...

Brilliant, thanks. I know how to crochet bobbles but I've not knitted then very often. Pinning,

Arjaye said...

Thanks, I hope it is easy to understand how to do them. I did take photos but I think it makes it look more confusing. If you need any help please let me know :-)

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