How to knit neat edges - 10 easy selvage
techniques. Hi everyone! My name is Norman, I run the blog nimble.needles.com, and
I want you to become a better knitter, and that's why today's video is all
about edge stitch knitting techniques. Maybe you know this problem, you are working
on a nice scarf or a little potholder, and it's coming along nicely but your edges
just look terrible. Another common problem: You need to pick up stitches or you need to
seam two pieces together and it just won't work, or it really doesn't look all that pretty. The
answer to all of these problems is knitting neater edges and this video is all about
it. I split it into two parts. First I'll show you common mistakes you absolutely need
to avoid when knitting your edge stitches, and then I will present you with 10 different
salvage options from easy to advanced. This will be a very detailed and comprehensive
video. So kindly use the chapter function of youtube if you want to skip ahead. And of
course, like this video right now if you want to support my work and remember to comment
if you have a question, feedback or you want me to record a video to solve a specific problem.
Anyway, let's show you how to knit neat edges. First of all a super quick definition.
What is an edge stitch? The edge stitch, often called selvedge or selvage, refers to
special stitches on the left and the right side of a flat knitting project. A self-finished edge
can be one or sometimes even more stitches wide. Typically, those are extra stitches added to the
border of a knitting stitch pattern to create a neater edge, to make it easier to seam, to pick up
stitches, or to keep your knitting from curling. Part one: How do you knit neater edges? There are
three common problems that can cause the edges of your knitting to look well a bit weird: First,
you are stretching out the first stitch of a row too much. Second, you are stretching
out the last stitch of a row too much, and third, you are pulling the edge
stitches too tight. Let's take a look. A lot of knitters will use the stitch
here on the left needle as a sort of pivot to get some additional leverage as they
knit that stitch. And normally, this is not a big problem because the stitch is sort of
anchored on the left and on the right side, and the resulting stitch here is not directly
connected to the stitch one row below. An edge stitch, on the other hand, is not anchored
here on the right side. Also, the resulting stitch is directly connected to the stitch
one row below. So if you pull on that stitch, it will directly affect the stitch one row below,
and this will create one very tight edge stitch followed by a very loose edge stitch. To avoid
this, go really slowly and work only around your knitting needle. Don't stretch out the loop as
you do. And then, guide the stitch through. Push rather than pull. Because if you pull, you will
stretch out the stitch. Rather guide the stitch through with your index finger, and then knit one
more stitch and tighten up a bit. And this brings us directly to the second problem. Maybe you
are pulling the stitches too tight. Again, this stitch is directly connected to the stitch one row
below. So, if you want to pull that stitch tight, what will happen is, you will automatically
also tighten up the stitch one row below. And a lot of knitters see those loose edges, and
then they think, I have to tighten things up. And that's what they do. But, you know, it is actually
a bit counter-intuitive but in knitting, it's not always the best solution to pull tight to fight
loose stitches. Instead, before you tighten up, knit one more stitch. And then you can tighten
up. You can still affect this stitch here, but the yarn created enough friction that you
can't affect the stitch one row below. And then you can continue knitting. The third problem is
the last stitch. A lot of knitters intentionally create a bit of tension between their two knitting
needles to make it easier and faster to knit. Most people don't drop off a stitch like this.
Instead, it's more of a pulling motion. And normally that is not a big problem because the
stitches to the left are still wrapped around the knitting needle and the knitting needle will
act as a sort of buffer. But for the last stitch, that is not the case. There isn't... there are no
buffer stitches here on the left side. Instead, it is directly connected to the stitch one row below.
So if you stretch out your knitting too much what will happen is, you will tighten up that stitch,
and you will steal yarn from this stitch. And you will end up with a really wonky edge. To avoid
this, bring the two needles very close together, and knit very close to the tips, and then knit
that last stitch really gently. And if you didn't pull on that stitch too much, as I did just now,
then your edge will look super neat. And here is one last little concept I need you to understand.
A normal knit stitch is a simple loop and it's connected to the stitches on the left and on the
right with this bar, and those stitches are on the same level. An edge stitch is connected to the
stitch on the left with a bar but on the right here... on the right, it is connected to the
stitch one row below. See how it circles around? And this means, no matter how neat you knit the
edges, the edge stitch will always look different than all the other stitches. And the only way to
fight that is using a special selvedge stitch, and that's what the next chapter is all about.
Part number two the best selvage stitches in knitting. In the following couple of minutes,
I will present you with 10 different selvage stitches. Why so many? Well most of them
do look different, and since tastes differ, I wanted to give you the choice. But also, some
are more suitable for seaming or picking up stitches than others, and some are stretchier than
others as well. So, depending on your project, you may need a different salvage. It's not one for
all. And by the way, here is a quick tip. I will try to publish more detailed videos for most
of these salvage stitches on my second youtube channel. I'll link it to you up in here and in the
description below. So in case things are a bit too fast here, subscribe to my second channel because
it focuses on knitting technique videos without long intros and there's always a slow-motion
recording as well. So perfect for beginners. Number one: Chain stitch selvage. The easiest
and probably most popular edge stitch technique is the chain stitch salvage. It comes in many
many different variations and it will create a super neat edge. If you're knitting stockinette
stitch, it will not really prevent curling. And contrary to what you might find in a lot of
other tutorials, it's not suitable for picking up stitches in 90 percent of all cases - but more
on that later. Let's show you the easiest and most versatile chain stitch selvage repeat in my
opinion. On the right side, slip this first stitch purlwise with yarn in back, and then continue
knitting according to your pattern. And then, knit the last stitch as well. So continue
knitting across, and then knit the last stitch. This is stockinette stitch, so I
have to knit the last stitch anyway but maybe you're knitting a different knitting
stitch pattern, then knit the last stitch. And on the wrong side, slip this first
stitch purlwise with yarn in front, and then knit across. And then, purl the last
stitch. Again, this is stockinette stitch, so I have to purl the stitch anyway. But
if it isn't, still purl the last stitch. And if you repeat these two rows over and over
again, you will create this super neat edge. You can also do it the other way around. So you
knit the first stitch, and then you slip the last stitch, and then you purl the first
stitch and slip the last stitch. And actually, you will find so many other different variations
like German chain stitch selvage, French, Belgian, Russian chain stitch salvage. And the biggest
difference really is if you slip the first or the last stitch. And this really matters because some
people tend to rather stretch out the first stitch as they knit, and others tend to stretch out the
last stitch. And depending on what kind of knitter you are, you may prefer a selvedge technique where
you slip either the first or the last stitch. For all other practical reasons, those stitches are
really identical. There are two more things I need to add: If you are knitting garter stitch. then
the chain stitch selvage works a bit differently. In that case, you have to slip the first stitch
of every row purlwise with yarn in front. So like this. And then you can continue knitting in
garter stitch and you will create this beautiful edge. So, always slip the first stitch purlwise
with yarn in front. The second tip is something for advanced knitters. If you look very closely at
your chain stitch selvage, then you will see that there's always one leg that is a bit longer. It's
the right leg here on the right side, and the left leg on the left side. And that's because you're
not doing the same on both sides. You are slipping the yarn in back onces and onces with the yarn in
front. And this leads to a different orientation of these edge stitches. If you want your edges
to look exactly the same, meaning it's the left leg on both sides that is longer, you have to knit
it like this. On the right side, everything stays the same. So you slip the first stitch purlwise
with yarn in the back, and then you knit across and knit the last stitch. The only difference
is the first stitch on the return round. Here you don't slip that stitch purlwise, you
slip it purlwise as if to purl through the back loop. So like this. And then, you continue you
purling across... or knitting across... And then, you purl the last stitch. Now you might wonder,
where is the difference between the standard version and the version I just showed you?
Well, with the standard version both edges on either side behave in the same way,
and here both edges look the same way. So maybe if you want to pick up stitches, then
pick this version, and if you're knitting a nice lace shawl, pick this version.
Number two: A garter stitch selvage. The next selvage is probably the
easiest. It's a garter stitch edge, and it can be a great choice if you want a
slightly firmer edge. The repeat is super simple: Just knit the first and last stitch of every
row. So knit the first stitch, and then continue in pattern. In this case, this is stockinette
stitch, which means I have to knit across. But this selvage works for any knitting stitch
pattern. And then knit the last stitch as well. Then turn around, knit the first stitch, and then
knit according to your pattern, in this case, this is purl stitches all over, and then knit
the very very last stitch as well... let me get there... so purl.... and then knit the last
stitch. So, this is how the edge will look like. If you are knitting stockinette stitch, then
it will help a little bit against curling, and a lot of people say they love the way those
little beads look like. The garter stitch edge can also be a very smart choice for seaming
because there is a garter stitch version of the mattress stitch as well. So when you have...
I don't know... a brioche stitch or ribbing or any other knitting stitch pattern where you
end up with purl ridges and similar structures, you can use a garter stitch edge to join
these two pieces in a very invisible way. And the best part is, the garter stitch mattress
stitch doesn't leave this big ridge on the wrong side. So it's definitely an option you need to
consider. If you want an even tighter edge with more pronounced bobbles here, then you can
also knit the first and the last stitch of every row through the back loop. So instead
of knitting the first stitch, you knit it through the back loop, and then you knit across
according to your pattern....knit across....and then, you knit the last stitch through the back
loop as well. And this will create this edge here. The twisted slip stitch selvage: If you
want a more ornamental chain stitch selvage, then you can also twist the stitches. Depending
on your tension, this edge can be a bit tighter. To knit the selvage, slip the
first stitch of every row with yarn in front knitwise, and then continue knitting. And knit the
last stitch. It's the same repeat in every row. So knit across. And then, knit
the last stitch. Turn around and then slip that stitch with yarn in front
knitwise again. So you are twisting it around and then purl across. And again, knit the
last stitch of the return row as well. Knit it. And you can see, it is twisted.
...so there you go... And this will create this edge here. If you knit it like this, then
the edge stitches will cross from left to right. If you want it the other way around, meaning the
edge stitches cross from right to left, you have to knit it like this. So slip the first stitch
with yarn in back as if to purl through back loop, knit across and purl the last stitch.
So it's exactly the other way around. So, here are the two edges side by side.
The difference is quite minor and I guess it really boils down to personal preferences
and which version is easier to knit for you. Number four: A double or triple garter stitch
selvedge. If you want to prevent your knitting from curling, then a double or triple garter
stitch selvage is by far the easiest option. Instead of just knitting the first and last
stitch of every row, you knit the first three and the last three stitches of every row of
your project - no matter which side you are on. So you knit the first three stitches... or two...
or four... it can be any number in fact. Then you continue according to your pattern, in this case,
this is just knit stitches as well. And three stitches (or two or four) stitches before the
end, you knit the last three stitches as well. And then, you turn your work around and
knit those first three stitches again, and then you continue according to your
pattern, in this case this is purl stitches.... purl stitches... and three stitches before
the end, you switch to knitting those last three stitches. And as you can see, you end up
with these reversible and really wide borders that will prevent your stockinette stitch from
curling. So it's a very helpful selvage for scarves and blankets and so on. It's maybe
not the ideal choice for seaming though. Number five: Double Seed stitch selvage. A
lot of people don't like the way garter stitch looks like, and I have to be honest with you,
I am one of them. But there is a super simple solution - knit a double seed stitch selvage
instead. To knit it, knit the first stitch, and purl the second stitch of every row. Then
knit across according to your pattern until you come to the last two stitches.
And then again, purl one stitch and knit one stitch, turn your work around, and again,
knit the first stitch and purl the second stitch. Then knit according to your pattern
...that ball is coming closer...and the last two stitches again,
purl one and knit one stitch. And as you can see, it's a really really beautiful
and neat edge. And it's actually reversible. So it is my favorite selvage for blankets. And of
course, you can also knit it wider... four or six stitches... just repeat the repeat
two or three more times. I have to say, though. It's a very beautiful edge but you cannot
really use it for seaming or picking up stitches. It just keeps your knitting from curling.
Number six: The double twisted selvage. If you are looking for a really, really firm edge that
only creates one stitch for every two rows, then the double twisted selvage might probably be your
best choice. It looks like this... like this...and here's how to knit it. In every row, slip the
first stitch knit wise with yarn and back, and then knit across according to your pattern,
and then knit the last stitch of every row through the back loop. Then turn around again, and
slip the first stitch knit wise with yarn in back, and then continue according to your pattern, and
knit the last stitch through the back loop again. Again, this is how the double twisted selvage will
look like. It creates a very tight and firm edge which will be perfect for any project
where you don't want a stretchy edge. Number seven: Double stockinette stitch
selvage. The next edge stitch is my personal favorite. Double stockinette stitch is just such
an underrated knitting stitch pattern and it truly deserves more attention. You can use it to create
these beautiful edges. So here's how to knit it. Knit the first stitch, slip the second
stitch purlwise with yarn in front, and knit the third stitch. Then, continue
in pattern until you reach the last three stitches and repeat. So knit one stitch,
slip one stitch purlwise with yarn in front, and knit one stitch. Then turn around. And
from here, it's exactly the other way around. So slip this stitch purlwise with yarn in front,
knit one stitch, and slip the third stitch purlwise with yarn in front as well. Continue in
pattern until you reach the last three stitches. Let me get there... and then slip that
stitch purlwise with yarn in front, knit one stitch, and slip the last
stitch purlwise with yarn in front again. Repeat these two rows over and over again
to create the double stockinette stitch selvedge. I feel, it's very beautiful on
stockinette stitch. And as you can see, it keeps your knitting from curling. It's also
by far the best edge for brioche stitches, and it will create a little pocket. See? And you
can use this pocket to insert drawstrings or wire or even a bit of padding. So there are actually
so many use cases. Definitely give it a try! Number eight: The i-cord edge. I really don't
know who is responsible for the i-cord hype but there is no denying you will find them around
every corner- especially if you are knitting a lot of shawl patterns. You may already know the
i-cord bind-off or the i-cord cast-on, but there is also an i-cord edge. Here's how to knit
that. The i-cord edge is a three-stitch selvage, and the repeat is a bit harder to memorize. Slip
the first stitch purlwise with yarn in back, and then slip the second stitch
purlwise with yarn in front, and knit the third stitch. Then continue in
pattern until your three stitches before the edge. Then you knit one stitch, slip one purlwise
with yarn in front, and purl one stitch. This is the repeat for the right side. And on the
wrong side, you need to slip the first stitch purlwise with yarn in back, knit one stitch, and
slip the third stitch purlwise with yarn in front. Then continue knitting in pattern until
you are three stitches before the edge. And here, you need to slip one
stitch purlwise with yarn in front, knit one stitch, and purl one stitch.
And this will create the icord selvage. Number nine: The brioche stitch selvage. The ninth
technique I want to show you was inspired by a reader commenting on my blog. They probably meant
something totally different but I really really like the results and I feel it's super, super
beautiful. So, I didn't want to keep it from you. So here's how to knit that. There's one setup
row and you only have to knit it once right after your cast on. And I'm just going to pretend this
is my first row. So bring the yarn to the front, and slip one stitch purlwise with yarn in
front, and then you have to create one yarn over. And then you can finish the rest of your row
according to your pattern. And on the return row, you slip the first stitch purlwise with yarn in
front as well. And then you create a yarn over and knit according to your pattern. And when you
come across the yarn over here, you purl it together with the edge stitch like this. And
then you turn around. And on the right side, you slip the first stitch purlwise with
yarn in front. Again, create a yarn over, finish knitting the row according to your
pattern, and when you come across the yarn over, you knit it together with the edge stitch. And if
you repeat the last two rows over and over again, you will create this super fluffy edge stitch.
Edge number 10: The stockinette stitch edge. The last selvedge stitch I want to show you is
the seam edge. It's nothing else but adding one or two stitches in stockinette stitch
to either side. So why would you do that? Wasn't the whole point of this video showing you
how to avoid this edge? Well, quite honestly, it is the best edge for seaming. Join two
pieces like this together with mattress stitch, and you won't see the seam at all. Just this
beautiful little column of knit stitches. But there is another reason as well. It is
also the best edge for picking up stitches. You will find tons of tutorials recommending
a slip stitch selvage for picking up stitches. But often that is not the best idea. Most stitch
patterns don't have a square gauge, meaning you need more rows to cover 5 inches than stitches
to cover the same distance. But typically it's not twice as many rows... more like 10 stitches
times 15 rows. And with a slip stitch selvedge, you can only pick up one stitch every two
rows. As a result your border may pucker, curl, or look weird. The only exceptions are the
gussets of socks. Here you want to get narrower anyway. So slipped stitches are quite a good
choice. For most other knitting stitch patterns, it's probably better if you pick up a stitch for
every row and then skip every third or fourth stitch. So I'm not picking up that stitch, I'm
picking up a stitch through that stitch. Sure, I mean, those slip stitches, they make it super easy
to pick up stitches - either with your crochet hook or your knitting needle. But in most cases,
the resulting border or fabric is not ideal. And here's one last little tip. When you're
knitting lace, you will often need a super stretchy edge far beyond what any of the salvage
options I just showed you will be able to offer you. But here's the secret. You actually don't
need to learn a new edge stitch at all. You can use a chain stitch salvage or a twisted chain
stitch salvage as well but you need to make sure your edge stitches are loose enough. Here's a
simple trick. So slip the first stitch as normal, then knit the second stitch, and instead of
pulling tight, you pull the stitches out. And then you can continue knitting. It may look a bit
wonky at first, but if done right, it will look quite beautifully once you blocked things. You can
also add a yarn over and drop it in the next row. Anyway, that was my video on how to knit neat
edges and the best selvage stitches in knitting. Please, like this video if you enjoyed watching
it, comment with your questions and your feedback, and of course, consider subscribing to
my channel in case you don't want to miss any new videos. Happy knitting
and enjoy the rest of your day!
