NECKBANDS. Rib bands are often used for round necklines. These can look thin and weedy if used single thickness. A more professional result will be had if the band is doubled. Just knit twice as many rs as needed and catch down to the inside. The hem patterns can all be used for a round neckband, and the curve can be obtained by tension changes. On the first side of the band, decrease the tension by 1 dot on every row. Work fold line as rules for hems, return to the tension used for the last row before fold and increase tension by 1 dot every row.
FRONT BANDS. Rib bands are often used for front bands, although if used sideways they will gather the front of the garment. If a sideways rib band is required, then work it in 'flat rib'. This has the appearance of rib but not the 'pull in'. Knit it by having the rib set up on one bed and all needles in work on the other bed. When using a vertically knitted full needle rib band it can be difficult to work out where the buttonholes go. The easiest way to deal with this is to use the pulled thread method. Pull up a loop in the centre of the band where the buttonhole is to go and release the loop to leave a small hole. Enlarge the hole by pushing a pencil etc. through it. Continue until the hole is the size required and oversew top and bottom.
There are many other kinds of bands used in the patterns in my books.
TAILORED BUTTONHOLES. For buttonholes in stocking stitch bands, [hems] the tailored method is quickest and neatest, and comes off the machine completely finished. To find out the size of buttonhole required, lay your button on your tension swatch and count the number of stitches that it covers. Knit half the rows for one side of the band. Space the positions for the buttonholes evenly along the band, bring the needles required for the buttonholes forward and knit them by hand with a short length of nylon cord. Continue knitting the band until you are halfway on the second side. Look at the stitches on the pieces of nylon cord and you should be able to see that there is an extra loop above the nylon cord compared to the stitches below it.Bring the same needles as before, plus 1 extra to the left, slightly forward. Bring the right hand needle to uwp so that the stitch goes behind the latch. Pick up the right hand loop above the nylon cord onto the righthand needle. Push the needle back to wp, knitting the picked up stitch through. Transfer this stitch to the next needle on the left and bring this needle to uwp with both stitches behind the latch. Continue in this way with the rest of the buttonhole stitches until there are as many empty needles as you require for the buttonhole and the last loop is picked up. Pick up the stitches from below the nylon cord onto the empty needles and remove the piece of nylon cord. Repeat for the rest of the buttonholes and complete the band. This is one of those techniques that looks more complicated in words than it actually is when you come to work it.