How to Make a Dorset Button Video + Bonus Pattern

For three hundred years, intricately patterned buttons were produced in Dorset, England. These small, soft buttons made by wrapping linen thread around a wire ring were common during Jane Austen’s day. With the invention of machine-made buttons in the mid-nineteenth century, the Dorset button industry all but disappeared. But that history isn’t lost; now you can capture the joy of making buttons again.

Join Kate Larson as she shares some of the history of Dorset buttons and guides you through making several button styles. Kate will show you how to make Blandford Cartwheels and introduce you to several easy variations to get your creativity flowing. Learn to use both traditional materials and modern knitting yarns to make beautiful buttons for your next project.

With this video, you will:

• Learn the history of Dorset buttons and the button makers in England.
• Create a Blandford Cartwheel button.
• Explore several other button styles that are still made in Dorset today.
• Discover how to incorporate additional colors, textures, and beads into your buttons.
• Learn how to select and adapt knitting yarns to make stunning, modern buttons.
• And more.

This video is formatted as a webinar, in a PowerPoint presentation style. Along with 48 minutes of video that captures Kate’s presentation, the accompanying workbook will help you follow along. Plus! You’ll also get a bonus article on the history of Dorset buttons and a knitting pattern for the Gold Hill Cowl. This beautiful lace cowl makes incorporating and adding Dorset buttons to a finished piece easy.

Materials:

• Thread or yarn (Kate uses 2½ yards of handpainted sock yarn.)
• Rings (Metal or plastic rings work, and Kate demonstrates using a 1" plastic ring.)
• Needle and scissors

Included in the video package:

• 48 minutes of video
• Workbook
• Bonus: Gold Hill Cowl knitting pattern
• Bonus: A History of Dorset Buttons article

Prerequisites:

None.

About Kate Larson: Kate Larson (she/her) is Senior Editor of Farm & Fiber Knits. For nearly as long as Kate has been handspinning and knitting, she has been helping others find their paths as makers and forge deeper connections with the landscapes that produce the wool and cotton, flax, and silk that they hold in their hands. While Kate has published a book, many articles and patterns, and several instructional videos, she especially loves celebrating the work of other fiber folks. The editor of Spin Off from 2018–2025, she directs spinning events in addition to editing Farm & Fiber Knits. If you can’t find Kate, she’s most likely in the barn having a chat with her beloved Border Leicester sheep.

All items in the library are intended for personal use. Please do not distribute without written approval.