hi everyone my name is Norman, I run the blog
nimble-needles.com and today I want to show you how to keep knitting from curling. If you're knitting a
scarf or some other project in stockinette stitch you will soon notice that the edges are
curling in. It doesn't look all that pretty and it makes your project so much shorter. So how
do you stop that curling? In the following couple of minutes I'm going to show you all together seven ways to prevent that. Some of them can be applied to a finished project while others require
you to think ahead. So, let's dive right into it! First, I quickly want to address why knitting
is curling because there are some wild theories online. Actually most knitting isn't
prone to curling and will stay flat quite easily. The only stitch where this really occurs
is stockinette stitch which happens to be a popular beginner stitch. And that's because
it's all knit stitches on the right side. And those knit stitches are not symmetrical front
and back and this creates tension and the curling has to do with relieving the tension. There is vertical tension on the right side and horizontal tension on the wrong side. Now
the knitting takes the path of least resistance. The thing is, it's much easier to fold stocking
stitch vertically on the right side than it is horizontally and on the wrong side it's exactly the other way around. It's much easier to fold it horizontally than it is vertically. So
to relieve the vertical tension, the knitting is curling in because that's the way of the
tension and this is the easier direction and on the right side the knitting curls towards this
direction because it wants to relieve this tension and it's much easier for the knitting to do so. And that's all there you need to know. If you understand this concept it's much easier to figure
out the remedies because all you need to do is you need to disturb these fold lines and you need
to relieve the tension. So, let's show you how to do that. The most common and efficient way to fix
the curling is adding a selvage - a self-finished edge. These are special stitches you add to the
beginning and the end of a row so you don't need any other finishing techniques after you bound off.
Hence the name. There are many different ways to knit a selvedge but here are the four most popular ways: First a garter stitch edge. If you add three or four knit stitches to the beginning and end of
each row on both the right and the wrong side you get this kind of edge. It can look really
pretty and it keeps your fabric from curling. You can add three, four, or five stitches
depending on the size of your project. The bigger the project, the bigger a selvage you will need. You could also do a seed stitch border. In this case, you have to alternate knits and
purls at the beginning and the end of each row. And on the return row, you have to knit all
purls and purl all knits. A slip stitch border could also be a very very nice idea. It looks very
similar to stockinette stitch and it's probably the most invisible alternative. In this case you
have to add three or four stitches in double stockinette stitch at the beginning and the end of each row. So this means knit one stitch and slip one stitch with yarn in front and then knit one stitch
and slip one with yarn in front. The last edge I want to show you is this beautiful lace
border. That could be a very wonderful option for scarves. In this case you have to knit one stitch
then do a yarn over and then knit two together. This creates these beautiful eyelets that keep your knitting from curling. To prevent the curling at the bottom or the top of a project in
stockinette stitch you can simply add a couple of rows in garter stitch. You could also do rib stitch
or double stockinette stitch whatever you prefer. Just knit a couple of rows before you start with your actual stocking stitch. The second most popular way to prevent curling, is blocking
your knitting. Blocking means soaking your finished project in lukewarm water with mild soap for
30 minutes. Then carefully wring out the project and place it on a special blocking mat. If you
don't have one, you can use a towel and place it on your carpet or something like that - a soft surface. And then pin it into shape one at a time. Once it's dry it will keep that shape. It will
also make the stitches look neater on top of that. So that's definitely a technique to keep for later project projects as well. Just make sure that you don't over-stretch your knitting as you pin it
down because that won't look all that nice either. For stockinette stitch, I have to be honest with you, the blocking won't remove all the curl. So, consider combining blocking with one or two
other techniques I'm mentioning in this video. Also, as your finished project gets exposed to
moisture in the air it will spring back over time. So you may have to block it again. Method
number three is quite simple as well, though maybe not what you were looking for. You could also use a different stitch. There are many other stitches besides stockinette stitch and they're just as beautiful. One of my personal favorite is double stockinette stitch. It
looks very very similar but it's reversible and twice as thick. So perfect for a scarf where
you really want to use and see those two sides. You could also go for a brioche stitch. I love brioche stitches. As long as there are no decreases and increases it's quite easy to
knit. Or a twisted rib or normal rib stitch all are very beautiful for scarves and I want you to
be aware of all these possibilities. There's not just stockinette stitch and they are just as easy
to knit and they all they don't curl. If you don't like to knit in a different stitch, which I can
totally understand, you could also add a crochet border. Simply add a row of double-chain
stitches to every edge with a crochet hook and then block it. You can do it in the same color or
in a different contrasting color which I actually prefer. So, i'm quickly going to show you. So simply
add a double-chain stitch into every little edge stitch. Like this. And then it will look like that. If you don't know how to crochet you can also pick up stitches with your knitting needle. Like this. See? Like this. And then knit a couple of rows across in seed stitch for example or a garter stitch. I actually like seed stitch and this will prevent and the edges from curling in as well. Maybe it's a bit easier for you. Just make sure and this
is applies to the crochet as well: A knit stitch is wider than it's high so you only need to pick up stitches every second stitch because if you insert the needle into every stitch this edge will get too dense. So only pick up every second stitch. Like this. If adding a crochet border
or knitted border sounds too complicated for you, then here's a very very easy tip: You can also line your knitting with fabric. This will prevent curling as well. The only thing you need to make
sure is that you block your knitting before you do so. And then simply pick up a very very sharp needle and sew the fabric in place. There are tons of tutorials here on youtube showing you how to
do so so I'm not going into great detail here. The only thing you have to make sure of is that you pick
a fabric that is similar in weight. So, if you have a really heavy worsted yarn you probably shouldn't
pick silk and if you have this delicate lace yarn, maybe tweed fabric isn't a great choice either. And obviously, pick something that looks great. A very easy method to keep your knitting
from curling is also knitting with bigger needles. Remember i told you the curling occurs because of the high tension. If you knit with bigger needles, your stitches get much more
room to breathe and less curling will occur. This swatch was knit on six millimeter needles and
this is the exact same amount of rows and stitches on four millimeter needles. See the difference? I
mean you really should know that knitting with bigger needles will dramatically change the characteristics of your fabric. But still, it's a very very interesting tip to keep in mind.
And last, but certainly not least, is a little tip for those daring enough to try. You can also intentionally drop stitches. Let me show you. So, I dropped this stitch and now you can unravel
it one at a time all the way to the bottom. And this will create a fringy little
edge that keeps your project from curling as well. Those stitches won't unravel
and from here you can either leave it like that or graft purl stitches with a
crochet hook. So, you will add a little ribbing to the side. Let me show you. So, you would have to turn your knitting around and...let me unravel
a bit further... and then just pick up one stitch at the very bottom and then simply crochet a simple chain into those stitches. So like this. And if you turn it around you're adding this kind of purl ridge here. And this will
keep your knitting from curling as well. Anyway, that's it. Those were my seven ways to keep your knitting from curling. Please make sure to give me a big thumbs up if you like this video. Comment
with your questions and suggestions and, of course, consider subscribing to my channel if you don't want to miss any new tutorials. Happy knitting!
