Man's Cardigan Finishing: Front Button Band

Patterns available on Ravelry
Accessories available on Etsy

I’m back from my travels and have completed another step in the finishing phase of cardigan #1: picking up and knitting a front button band. Here are a couple of photos of how the garment’s progressing.

The threads are place markers for the buttons and will also be used as guides for buttonhole spacing on the front buttonhole band.

I’m pleased with how this turned out, as it’s not as straightforward as doing shoulder seaming. There are not the same number of rows as stitches to be picked up, so some planning is required.

Here’s a link to an expert’s advice on how to pick up and knit stitches from a vertical edge – such as the front of a cardigan:

http://www.arendaholladay.com/2013/07/picking-up-stitches-on-vertical-edge.html
You’ll find a helpful video link on this page as well.

Did you know…?
In Scandinavian knitting, needle sizes include full and half-sizes only, such as 3.0mm, 3.5mm, 4.0mm, 4.5mm, etc. There are no .25 or .75 sizes available (such as 2.75mm, 3.25mm, etc). I found this to be true in Denmark, Norway, and Sweden at the yarn shops I visited and from the owners of the shops.

Here are a few more shots of yarn shops, signs, and windows in Sweden and Norway.