Use a skinny circular needle (I prefer a size US 0 / 2 mm 40'' [100 cm] circular needle) to pick up stitches for the front/button band. First pick up the stitches as described. Then count your stitches and figure out if you need to add or subtract stitches to get to the stitch count given in the pattern. Now join yarn and knit one row on right side off of your skinny needle and onto your called-for needle size. As you knit, pick up or knit together stitches to reach the correct stitch count. Begin any pattern stitch on the next/wrong side row.
How to Pick-up Stitches for a Button Band or Collar
For Front/Button Band
1
Set-up and Step 1
Find the very edge stitch—it will be a V but will most likely want to curl in so make sure you identify it.
2
Step 2
Slide your needle into the inside arm of this V—not the outermost arm, but the one on the inside edge of the V. Pick up 3 in a row, skip the 4th. Slip the needle in the way it wants to go— whether your V is right-side up or upside down, your needle will move from the outside of the V, behind the arm toward the inside of the V.
3
Step 3
Continue picking up 3 “arms,” skip the 4th all the way up. This is the ratio of rows to stitches so skipping every fourth row should yield the correct number of stitches for a button band.
4
Step 4
Note that when you are ready to knit, these new stitches may be sitting on the needle correctly or they might be sitting backwards on your needle (depending on the direction of the Vs). If they are sitting backwards on your needle, simply knit each one through the back loop. As you knit that first set-up row, you may choose to pick up those 4th / skipped arms and knit them together with the stitch before or after. Usually this is not necessary but if you are worried about holes, this should prevent them.
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