The One-Row Buttonhole

This is such an excellent buttonhole! It allows you to make the exact size opening you need to accommodate your buttons. When worked in the body of regular knitting, it will be horizontal. When worked in a band that has been picked up, it will be vertical.

To determine the size of your buttonhole, lay your button on the knitted fabric and count the number of stitches it lays across. If the button you’re using is 4 stitches wide, make a 3-stitch buttonhole. If your button is 5 stitches wide, make a 4-stitch buttonhole, etc.

Here are the instructions. Give it a try!

1. Work desired number of stitches before buttonhole.
2. With yarn in back, slip one stitch as if to knit through the back loop.
3. Slip another stitch as if to knit through the back loop. Pass the previous stitch over this one. (One stitch is bound-off.) Repeat Step 3 until the desired number of stitches has been bound-off for the buttonhole.
4. Slip the last stitch on the right needle to the left needle. Turn work. Move yarn to the back of work.
5. Using Cable Cast-On Method, cast-on the number of stitches bound off, plus one. Before placing the last cast on loop on the left needle, bring the yarn to the front of the work between the needles. Now put the last stitch on the left needle. Turn work.
6. Slip the first stitch on the right needle to the left needle. Knit 2 together firmly. (This counts as the first stitch worked between buttonholes.)

Remember, buttonholes are on the right side for women and the left side for men. I usually begin my buttonholes 2-3 stitches into the band and allow for another 2-3 stitches after the last buttonhole.

It's Time to Get Fit!

You may know that I joined a gym last April, Northwest Women's Fitness Club. I've been enjoying all the great classes they have to offer...Zumba, Nia, Step 'n Strength, Women on Weights, Yoga and Flirty Girl Fitness...just to name a few! I've also been meeting with a Personal Trainer, Alissa, who is fantastic! She's helping me to make sense of all the equipment in the weight room.

Well...I twisted my ankle about 2 weeks ago, and had to take a break from most of these activities. I was doing the treadmill, and some weights; but for the most part was pretty inactive.

Today I was finally able to get back to my classes. I went to Step 'n Strength with Laurie this morning, followed by Women on Weights. I cannot tell you how happy I was, and how GOOD I felt afterward.

I am now addicted to how movement makes me feel. During the past 2 weeks when my activities were limited, I started feeling sluggish and lethargic; even fuzzy in the brain. I made poor food choices, as well. I'm so excited to be back on track!

Thanks for helping to keep me accountable! I've been so inspired by several friends here at The Naked Sheep who've lost significant amounts of weight. I've lost a total of 18 pounds so far, and am positive that I'll reach my final goal!

If you're interested in visiting the gym with me, just let me know. You can get a free pass to participate in classes and use all the workout equipment for a week. It's such an awesome place!

Ruffles

We stayed out at Skamania Lodge last month with some friends and had a really great time! Such a fun place to stay! We took a little trip into Stevenson for some coffee and found a fun little garden shop. They had some really cute scarves, in addition to lots of beautiful flowers. The scarves were sewn, not knit; with ruffles up and down both sides. So cute, but I decided they
would be even better if they were knit!

So I decided to create a pattern, and here it is! I used 3 skeins of Cascade Soft Spun (lots of beautiful colors available at The Naked Sheep Knit Shop!) and size 9 needles. You'll need a long circular needle when you do the ruffles.

Cast on 18 stitches. Work in garter stitch (knitting every row) until you have 199 ridges (or have knit 398 rows). Note: I slipped the first stitch of every row as if to purl with the yarn in front. This created slipped stitches along the edge that made it super easy to pick up and knit for the ruffles.

Pick up and knit 199 stitches along one side of scarf.

Row 1 (WS): Knit 1, *purl 1, knit 1; repeat from * to end of row.
Row 2 (RS): Knit 1, *make 1 right, knit 1, make 1 left, knit 1; repeat from * to end of row.
Row 3 (WS): Knit 1, *purl 3, knit 1; repeat from * to end of row.
Row 4 (RS): Knit 1, *make 1 right, knit 3, make 1 left, knit 1; repeat from * to end of row.
Row 5 (WS): Knit 1, *purl 5, knit 1; repeat from * to end of row.
Row 6 (RS): Knit.
Row 7 (WS): Knit 1, *purl 5, knit 1; repeat from * to end of row.
Row 8 (RS): Knit.
Row 9 (WS): Knit 1, *purl 5, knit 1; repeat from * to end of row.

Bind-off all stitches knitwise. Repeat on other side!

Hope you enjoy making and wearing this fun scarf as much as I enjoyed designing and knitting it!