Buttonholes and Button Bands That Sit Flat
Place the top and bottom buttonholes first, then space the rest evenly between them. Make the buttonhole slightly smaller than the button — knitted fabric stretches, and a hole cut to size will always be loose.
For a picked-up band, pick up roughly 3 stitches for every 4 rows so the band lies flat rather than flaring or pulling.
Spacing buttonholes properly
Fix the two ends
Place the bottom buttonhole about an inch from the lower edge, and the top one at the neckline where the cardigan most needs to stay closed. These two anchor everything.
Measure the gap between them
Divide that distance by the number of gaps you need — which is always one fewer than the number of buttons. Six buttons means five gaps.
Mark before you knit
Pin or thread-mark every position on the band before working a single buttonhole. Adjusting a marker is easy; adjusting a knitted buttonhole is not.
Add one at the bust
The commonest place for a cardigan to gape is across the bust. If your spacing puts a gap there, shift the buttons so one falls at the fullest point.
Even spacing, calculated
Our even spacing calculator was built for stitches but works identically for buttonholes — tell it how many stitches your band has and how many buttonholes you want, and it will space them.
Picking up the band
Row gauge and stitch gauge differ, which is why picking up one stitch per row makes a band that ruffles. The usual ratio is 3 stitches for every 4 rows — pick up three, skip one, repeat. Adjust from there: if your band flares, pick up fewer; if it pulls the front in, pick up more.
Choosing buttons
| Garment | Button size | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Baby cardigan | 10–13 mm | Sew on very securely; nothing that could work loose |
| Child's cardigan | 15–18 mm | Large enough for small hands to manage |
| Adult cardigan | 18–23 mm | Match the button to the band width |
| Chunky coat | 25–30 mm | Heavier fabric needs a substantial button |
Buy your buttons before you knit the band. The buttonhole size depends on the button, not the other way round, and finding the perfect buttons after the bands are finished is how cardigans end up with buttons that don't quite work.
Sewing them on to last
Use a doubled length of strong thread rather than yarn, and sew through a small backing button on the inside for anything heavy — it spreads the strain and stops the button pulling through the knitted fabric. Leave a small shank of thread so the button sits above the fabric and the buttonhole can close underneath it.
Questions we're often asked
How do I space buttonholes evenly?
Place the top and bottom buttonholes first, then divide the distance between them by the number of gaps — one fewer than the number of buttons — and mark each position before knitting.
How many stitches should I pick up for a button band?
About 3 stitches for every 4 rows. Picking up one per row makes a band that ruffles, because row gauge is finer than stitch gauge.
Why does my cardigan gape at the bust?
Usually because no button falls at the fullest point. Shift your spacing so one button sits there, and consider adding one more button overall.