Number Badges

BY CLAIRE GARLAND

A hand-knitted button cover embellished with a felted number makes a colourful badge to be proudly worn by the birthday boy or girl.

Time: 1 hour

Difficulty: Get stuck in

You Will Need

Set 3.5mm (US size 4) double-pointed needles

Small amount of Rowan Creative Focus Worsted in your chosen colour

Flat button 2.5cm (1in) diameter

Large safety pin

Scraps of brightly coloured felt

1. Knit the button cover following the pattern below:

Cast on 6sts onto one needle then complete the cast on as follows:

Step 1: Hold needle with sts in LH.

Step 2: Hold 2 empty dpns parallel in RH.

Step 3: Slip 1st cast on st purlwise onto the dpn closest to you and off the needle in the LH, then slip the next cast on st onto the dpn furthest away and off the RH needle.

Repeat step 3 until all 6sts are divided onto the 2 parallel dpns, 3sts on the front dpn and 3sts on the back

Slide sts to the other ends of the dpns, working yarn at back.

RS facing, cont working in the rnd, beg by knitting the sts on the back dpn – work sts over 2 dpns, using a 3rd dpn to knit with:

Rnd 1: (inc) Kf&b, k1, kf&b, kf&b, k1, kf&b. 10sts (5sts on each needle). Place marker.

Rnds 2, 4, 6, 7: K.

Rnd 3: (inc) Kf&b, k3, kf&b, kf&b, k3, kf&b. 14sts

Rnd 5: (inc) Kf&b, k5, kf&b, kf&b, k5, kf&b. 18sts

Rnd 8: (dec) Sl1, kl, psso, k5, k2tog, sl1, kl, psso, k5, k2tog. 14sts

Rnd 9: K14.

Rnd 10: (dec) Sl1, kl, psso, k3, k2tog, sl1, kl, psso, k3, k2tog. 10sts

Ease button into the knitted cover.

Rnd 11: K10.

Rnd 12: (dec) Sl1, kl, psso, k1, k2tog, sl1, kl, psso, k1, k2tog. 6sts

2. Cut the yarn leaving a 10cm (4in) tail. Close the opening using the grafting technique.

3. Felt the badge: soak with hot water, rub in hand soap, rinse out soap, squeeze out water, and rub until yarn is matted together to give you the felted look you are after – if the badge is still very damp, rub it in between a tea towel. Keep checking the badge for shape as you rub, re-moulding it to make the edges perfectly round. Re-shape the badge one last time before placing it on a radiator to dry.

4. Once the badge has completely dried, sew the safety pin to its reverse. Now add a felt number to the front. Using the number templates as a guide, copy your chosen number onto a piece of felt and cut out. Sew in place by working horizontal stitches around the edge of the number.

Full-size templates for this project are available at: www.stitchcraftcreate.co.uk/patterns