Menu Close

Knitting Multi Coloured Bobbles

Knitted Sample

Bobbles are very easy to knit but I have often heard people ask how you knit the bobbles in a different colour to the main knitting without having to sew them on afterwards. Here’s how I do it.

Abbreviations

K= Knit
P= Purl
K2tog= Knit 2 together
P2tog= Purl 2 together
Sl 1= Slip one stitch knitways
psso= Pass slipped stitch over
st st= Stocking, stockinette st
MB= Make Bobble:
(K1, P1, K1, P1, K1) into next st, turn
Next row: P5, turn
Next row: K5, turn
Next row: P2tog, P1, P2tog, turn
Last bobble row: Sl 1, K2tog, psso

Method

I’ll explain the method using the colours in the knitted sample but you can work it in any colour of course 8*)

Using green cast on a number of sts divisible by 8 + 7 extra

Work 6 rows st st.

Next row: Knit the background with green and work the bobbles in orange.
I’ll explain how to strand the orange yarn as we go.
K3 [green], (MB [orange], K7 [green]) rep to last 4 sts, MB [orange], K3 [green]

Here’s the trick: Strand your orange yarn across the back of the knitting as if you were working fair-isle. Catch the orange yarn at the back of the work in the stitch before and the stitch after you work each bobble. You can work each bobble in a different colour using the same method, just cut the yarn after working each bobble and join in the new colour at the next bobble. When you darn in the ends afterward you should catch the back of the stitch next to each bobble so that it doesn’t leave a hole. On to the next row!

Next: Work 7 rows st st in green

Next bobble row: (K7, [green], MB [purple]) rep to last 7sts, K7 [green]

Next: Work 7 rows st st in green.

Repeat for as many rows of bobbles as you wish.


Copyright © 1997 Sarah Bradberry