Today's post is a simple review of different kinds of knitted fabrics--ribbing, garter stitch, seed stitch, moss stitch-- which are adapted to life on the edge. These are stitch patterns which don't curl up when unsupported along one or more edges.This post serves as a kind of a bridge. It contains further review of reading knitting shorthand and charts from the last post. It also prepares the ground for a new TECHknitting series on improving your knitting by making better edges--the next several posts are about:
1) why the very edges of bands and cuffs are wonky and
2) some things you can to do about it.
REVIEW OF NON-CURLING FABRICS
Stockinette curls. Ribbing doesn't, and neither does seed stitch, moss stitch, garter stitch. For a full explanation of why this should be, click here.
Non-curling fabrics are traditionally used at the edges of garments. Below is a review of these different non-curling fabric which are usually used as bands (bottom bands, front bands, neck bands and cuffs, also hat bands). These stitch patterns are also used as the "frame" around a flat item, such as a scarf or afghan.
1. Garter stitch (below)
(below) To knit garter stitch flat: knit every row. You will note that on this chart, the row numbers appear on opposite sides of the chart. This indicates that you are to knit flat (back and forth) because you can see that you are to start at a different edge for every row.
(below) To knit garter stitch in the round: *knit one round, purl one round* repeat.You will note that on this chart, the row numbers all appear at the same side of the chart. This indicates that you are to knit circular because you can see that you are to start every row at the same edge--a thing only possible if you knit around and around, coming back to the starting place with each round.
2. Ribbing (1x1) (below)
(below) To rib flat: on an odd number of stitches,
row1: *k1, p1* repeat until last stitch, k1
row 2: *p1, k1* repeat until last stitch, p1
repeat rows 1 and 2.
(below) To rib (1x1) in the round: every round on an even number of stitches, *k1, p1*
3. Seed stitch (below)
(Seed stitch is sometimes called single moss stitch)
(below) To seed stitch flat: every row, on an odd number of stitches, *p1, k1* repeat until last stitch, p1. A 4-row repeat is shown to give a bigger sample of the overall pattern.(Seed stitch is sometimes called single moss stitch)
(below) To seed stitch in the round: on an odd number of stitches,
round 1: *p1, k1* end with p1
round 2: *k1, p1* end with k1
rounds 3 and 4 are simply repeats of rounds 1 and 2, and are shown only to give a bigger sample of the overall pattern.
4. Moss stitch (below)
(Moss stitch is sometimes called double moss, Irish moss and small broken rib)
(below) To moss stitch flat: on an odd number of stitches,(Moss stitch is sometimes called double moss, Irish moss and small broken rib)
row 1: *p1, k1* repeat until last stitch, p1
row 2: *k1, p1* repeat until last stitch, k1
row 3: same as row 2
row 4: same as row 1
repeat these 4 rows
(below) To moss stitch in the round: on a even number of stitches,
round 1: *p1, k1*
round 2: same as round 1
round 3: *k1, p1*
round 4: same as round 3
repeat these 4 rounds.
Do you see a pattern? Each of these stitch patterns puts a nearly equal number of knit and purl stitches on each face of the fabric. With knits and purl equally distributed on each face, there is no tendency for the fabric to curl. (Again, for more information about all this, click here.)
The next post will turn to the very edges of all these non-curling fabrics, and find out why the edges of your cuffs and collars, bottom bands and front bands are so splayed out, or so tight -- so darned WONKY!
--TECHknitter
(You have been reading TECHknitting on "four non curling knitted fabrics--pictures, charts and diagrams")