Bobble Stitch Knit in Stockinette (3 Sizes)

This Bobble Stitch Knit in Stockinette creates a fun little pop of 3-dimensional texture for any knitting project. Create these pretty little raised bumps atop any knit stitch pattern of your choice.

To easily make this 4 stitch bobble, we will increase one stitch into four stitches, knit them in the Stockinette pattern, then use two decrease methods to get back down the original stitch. So cute and simple!

Please continue reading to see all of the knitting techniques with up-close photos and step-by-step video tutorial — along with printable written instructions — to knit this free pattern today.

Table of Contents

How to Make Bobbles—After the Fact

Sometimes a knitting project has a juicy bit. You know: the thing you’ve never tried and you keep wondering about as you approach that moment when you have to do the new thing.

I’ve had that joy of anticipation as I’ve been cranking out Jen Giegley’s Bobble Throw featured in our new MDK Field Guide No. 12: Big Joy. I’ve been supercurious about the bobbles.

They are added after blasting through the blanket itself.

How exactly did Jen do this?

Well, these three quick videos show exactly how she did it.

In the MDK Shop

By Rowan

Two options for the bobbles.

Option 1: Attach each bobble as you knit it.

Option 2: Knit a freestanding bobble that you attach after making a pile of them.

And Jen shows us how she attaches the bobbles in a clever and secure way.

Thanks, Jen! It’s like you’re sitting right here at the kitchen table with me. So great.

Want to save this post for the day when you’re wanting to make bobbles? Save this and any MDK article to your account: here’s how.

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Bobble Stitch Knitting Tutorial

Mollie Johanson is a professional needlecrafter with over 10 years of hands-on embroidery, sewing, and knitting experience. She is the author of “Stitch Love: Sweet Creatures Big & Small." Mollie also designs and sells stitching projects, co-hosts a crafting podcast, and has taught online embroidery courses.

Updated on 12/11/20

Bobble stitch is a great way to add some fun three-dimensional texture to your knitting. There are lots of ways to knit a bobble, but each version essentially increases stitches, works those stitches, then decreases the stitches back to one. The result is a little ball on the front of your work.

You might find bobble stitches on sweaters or around the edges of blankets. It's often worked in staggered groups to make designs like little trees or even to spell out words on the front of a pillow, with the bobbles set on a background of stockinette stitch. The texture of the bobbles looks playful on hats and mittens for kids and adults alike, and if you really want to go all-out, try knitting an entire sheep with this fun stitch!

You'll find that you can make different sized bobbles by altering not only the yarn and needles in your entire project but also by increasing anywhere from three to nine stitches, as well as how many times you work those stitches. Smaller bobbles are more common, so this simple overview of how to make bobble stitch increases to five stitches.

There's a lot of turning your work back and forth for bobble stitches, and it may feel intimidating at first, but once you get the hang of it, it's really easy!

7 Comments

Pam 10/22/19 • 5:15AMMy faith in bobbles has been renewed. Now to order my Big Wool.Jen Geigley 10/22/19 • 7:15AMThank you Ann for knitting this! I can’t wait to see your stripey version – the colors look so good.Martha 10/22/19 • 10:16AMAnn Moore 10/23/19 • 8:04AM

I have always disliked making bobbles but this tutorial makes it much more fun than my previous methods.
And I am in love with this yarn

Donna Ridenhour-McHenry 11/10/19 • 11:22AMDonna Ridenhour-McHenry 11/10/19 • 11:43AM

Ah, watched all the vids, how smooth you are, Jen…..TY!! ((((((((((( Quilt ties……new term for me but I have indeed used them while……..quilting…..on the top side, of course! Yes. I learned a different term for them, I think, from this same MDK…..going “Commando!” Seriously…..you folks talked of the seven (7), I think it was, different ways to finish off the back side (or front) yarn tails. I chose ‘commando’, your #7 option and it took about three projects before I could let go of the urge/need to weave in yarn tails…..so, I now use ‘commando’ …..nothing woven in on the back side…..I trim them up, though to look like as you said, ‘quilt ties!’ It leaves rather an abstract quality to the work, saves a mountain of time and puts a smile on my face as I think back over the almost 50 years of knitting and 47 years of crocheting and weaving in yarn tails!! Quoth the raven, “Not doin’ it now!” LOL!! I appreciate you all! DRM