CUT METHOD SEWN CAST OFF

This technique was developed by Elizabeth Zimmermann, and makes use of the sewn cast-off method. It takes longer to work than the method given on the following page, but it gives sturdier results as you have much longer yarn tails which can be woven around the hole to reinforce it.

1 Determine where the buttonhole is to be located, and carefully snip one single strand of a stitch using sharp scissors.

2 Unravel the yarn strand in both directions, using a tapestry needle to tease the yarn out, working one half-stitch at a time and unravelling as many stitches as you will need to create the size of hole you want. Our sample has three stitches unravelled on the top and bottom.

You will be left with stitch loops above and below the hole, and two yarn tails.

3 Place the stitches at the bottom of the hole onto one DPN, and the stitches at the top of the hole onto another DPN.

4 Carefully push the two cut yarn ends through to the wrong side of the work. I like to weave these ends in now, to avoid further unravelling, but this can be done later if you prefer.

Thread a length of yarn onto a tapestry needle ready to cast off the live stitches.

5 Pass the tapestry needle through the first two stitches on the DPN purlwise from right to left.

6 Now pass the tapestry needle back through the first stitch knitwise and drop the stitch off the DPN.

Continue to work this way, passing the tapestry needle purlwise through the first two stitches on the DPN and knitwise through the first stitch, dropping the stitch off the DPN, until you reach the last stitch. 7 Now pass the tapestry needle purlwise through the last stitch on the DPN and through the first stitch in the knitted fabric to the left, then pass the needle back knitwise through the stitch on the DPN.

8 Weave the end of the yarn still on the tapestry needle around the left-hand edge of the hole on the WS, then bring the tapestry needle up next to the stitches on the top DPN, ready to cast these off.

9+ Rotate your work so the DPN is at the bottom, and repeat steps 5 to 8 until all stitches have been cast off.

Weave in the yarn end firmly through the stitches around the hole on the WS, especially where you see any gaps.

If you haven’t already done so, weave in the two small yarn ends left over from when you first cut the fabric.