Double knitting by transformation 1: vertical baffles

 In original concept, creating double knitting means working stitch-by-stitch to create a two-faced reversible fabric. At the end, each smooth stockinette face displays the same color-work design, but with colors reversed. You'd think a trick this slick couldn't be topped, but you'd be wrong. Here is a trick called "double knitting by transformation." 

In today's piece of knitting magic, you start with one kind of fabric and "transform" it into another by latching down a column of stockinette into ladders followed by re-latching the ladder back up. Re-latching transforms the ladder-rungs, returning them to being stitches in a column. However, by today's trick, that column now appears on the opposite fabric face!

This intro to double knitting by transformation shows how two separate pieces of stockinette can be easily transformed into a simple, baffled, double-knit fabric. But this is just the beginning. Follow-up posts are set to demo re-latching into more complex fabrics with colored designs, structurally identical to knit-as-you-go mirror image double knitting.

VERTICAL BAFFLES BY TRANSFORMATION

For a start, a real-life project for proof of concept. More about this project after intro & how-to.

This chair cushion was made by transforming evenly-spaced columns of flat-knit stockinette fabric into double-knit fabric with vertical baffles. Working by transformation was quicker than work-as-you-go double knitting, and with better tension, also. 

INTRO

Haven't we seen vertical baffles before? Yes, but...

This series on double knitting already shown a simplified way of making vertical baffles, via my new four-needle double knitting trick. BUT! today's trick is not related EXCEPT that the resulting fabric is IDENTICAL: the same fabric by a different technique. And actually, this is EASIER (which is why the vertical baffle post suggested waiting for this post before starting a vertical baffle project!)

In this method, all the knitting is done as pure stockinette (perhaps with strategically placed texture patterns, such as cables--more on this below). Transformation to baffled vertical fabric takes a fraction of the project time that it would take to double knit the entire fabric in the first place, regardless whether by the classic two needle method, or my new four-needle method. It is especially faster if you have a knitting machine to quickly churn out yardage of stockinette fabric. (Hello machine knitters!)

The idea is to start with two independent fabrics. A ladder is let down in both fabrics. Holding the fabrics back-to-back, you hook up the rungs of the back fabric onto the front fabric, and those of the front fabric onto the back fabric. 

HOW-TO

This swatch is actually the one left over from the previous post. As described there, the swatch was made of two stockinette fabrics, joined at the bottom. Then, the previous post shows how the side was latched up in the into a "transformation edge." 

Now, that same process--transformation--is going to be applied to the interior of the fabric.

In these photos I have dropped the fifth column from the LEFT edge on the front (purple) fabric, and the matching column (fifth column from the RIGHT on the back (green) fabric. The ladder stops a few stitches from the bottom, so it doesn't tangle with the cast-on. 

I've named the purple "front" and the green "back."

In real life, either face could have been called "front."

The loop immediately below the bottom purple rung gets a crochet hook inserted. The loop at the bottom of the green ladder gets a stitch holder.

Transformation set to begin
Front fabric gets a crochet hook, back fabric gets a stitch holder
(Both these bottom loops are marked in blue      in the next set of photos)

Transformation is now set to begin. Hold the purple fabric face (front) towards you. The idea is to hook up the green back ladders onto the front purple fabric face. When this is done, the fabric is flipped and the purple ladders are drawn onto the green fabric face. 

By this switcheroo, the two previously independent fabric faces are connected through the layers, to become one two-faced double knit swatch, just as if they had been double-knit that way in the first place. 

Step-by-step

• The cycle begins by inserting the hook through both ladders. In the photo below, you cannot see the hook-head, because it now comes out on the green side. 
• The purple bottom loop (blue     dotted line and arrow) stays on the barrel of the hook.
• The hook in inserted to "jump over" the bottom PURPLE ladder-rung, marked with a purple     dotted line and arrow, but under the next higher rung, which is marked with a brown     dotted line and arrow. 

Sandwich front---crochet hook "jumps over" before heading to the back fabric face.
Click here for super-enlargement

• Now we must direct the hook to catch the bottom GREEN ladder rung on the other side of the fabric. That rung is marked with a green     dotted line and arrow. But first, we have to find it. Therefore, flip the fabric sandwich over so the hook shows, then grab that rung as shown.
• The hook is NOT catching the loop on the holder which is marked in blue    . That loop just stays on the holder, keeping out of the way for the time being. Instead, the hook is catching the lowest LOOSE rung.

Sandwich back
Click here for super-enlargement

• Once the green rung is caught, flip the fabric sandwich back to the purple side. The hook now draws the green rung to the front and slips it through the purple loop. Now the hook is wearing only one loop--a green one. Note: Sometimes, the loop gets twisted in the draw-through (as you'll see in the below video). However, the problem is obvious and not hard to correct: just one more thing to look out for!
• The cycle begins again when the hook again inserts through the ladder, again "jumping over" the next higher purple ladder rung, and grabs the next lowest green rung.

Once the first few opposite color loops are established, you may find that flipping is no longer necessary. You will be able to see the opposite ladder rungs right through the fabric, called the "see-though" method. See-through has the advantage that the loops are harder to twist, easier to grab and much faster.

A third alternative for rung-grabbing is called "open book." You'll see that the fabric layers can be separated. By this method, the entire back fabric is displayed, making it easy to see the next lower back rung to grab. Open-book is basically foolproof--you'll always grab the correct rung--but it is slower than see-through.

Here is video showing the entire process with all three techniques in order: flip, see-through, and open book. It also shows what to do on the OTHER side of the fabric.

Just going to say it again: regardless which way you choose to find the next-lowest rung of the back fabric, you ALWAYS have to insert the hook to  first "jump over" the next higher rung of the front fabric. 

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Direct You-Tube link: https://youtu.be/I2Ddma3cCow

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Tips:

• At least for the first time, choose NON-SPLITTY pure WOOL, the stuff off a sheep's back.  In my experience, most superwash is splitty, so consider using non-superwash. This is because split stitches ruin the smooth look.  If you're still having trouble with splitting, consider using a latch-hook instead of a crochet hook. 
• Made with synthetic or any slippery fiber, the dropped ladders want to slide and may even start to disappear. That's why wool is better for this trick: it is naturally sticky.
• Unlatched ladders in wool are kinky, so lightly steam the wool til the kinks fall out. Easier to re-latch smooth ladders.
• Make sure you're starting with same number of released rungs on both fabric faces, and that the fabrics are stockinette, held back-to-back.
• Call one fabric the "front," and the other the "back," then work this order consistently. If you switch up, the fabrics get one row off because you'd be jumping over a stitch in a different row in different columns. 
• Count the same number of stitches in from the edge before unlatching, so matching columns get transformed.
• On the reverse, the front (purple) ladder rungs sit nice and neat, waiting to be picked up, per video. They were pushed into position when "jumped over" earlier. However, sometimes, a jumped-over ladder gets pushed down or sideways so it hides between the fabric layers. If one ladder-rung seems to be missing, this is usually why. Hunt around to hook that loop out of its hiding place. 
• On a very long column, work in batches: maybe 10 or 15 rows, then catch up on the other side. Check to make sure you aren't missing any hook ups by counting the rungs still remaining above--there should be the same number both sides at the end of each batch. More on this below.
• This swatch is small and narrow. On a larger fabric, or one which will get a lot of transformation (like in the next post), it is easier to leave the bottom OPEN, then attach afterwards--more on this below. 
• It is easiest to start transforming the first stitch or two of each column via the flip method, or the open-book method. However, no matter what method you start with, if all you're doing is hooking straight columns, you'll probably revert to the "see-through" method pretty quick. Nevertheless, occasionally still flip the fabric over to make sure of not skipping rungs by accident. 
• With deeper projects, if you are right handed, it's easiest to attach the fabrics at the left edge, then start column one in the leftmost corner of the front fabric, with each subsequent column starting to the right. This lets you "open like a book" to investigate if things don't seem quite right. If you start at the rightmost column, you can still open like a book BUT it will be awkward because it is against your handedness. If left handed, do the opposite: start at the rightmost column then work leftwards. 

• At the top, stop latching opposite colored rungs when you are two or three rungs from the top. Latch those last three rungs in the SAME color. This gives you the same "frame" at the top as you got at the bottom--recollect that you don't latch all the way down on the front to avoid tangling with the cast on. 

Close up:  a purple column on a green background, a green column on a purple background.

Transformed double knit column

Geek note: as you see by the top stitches on the double-knit column, it is possible to switch from purple to green rungs when latching up (and vice versa). Intra-column color-switching gives rise to many opportunities: that's the next post in this series.

By transforming further columns, you get stuff-able vertical baffles. Here, the parallel baffles are stuffed up with Bernat "big blanket" chenille yarn. (There's lot more about stuffing at the knit-in vertical baffle post--remember, although these are completely different METHODS, the make an IDENTICAL fabric.)

Double knit sample with vertical baffles created via transformation, stuffed up with jumbo chenille yarn. Normally, that loop would be cut off before fastening the top--it's left that way  because if it were cut, the stuffing would be inside where you couldn't see it...

Couple of other things to note:
--The leftmost column was worked first, then the next column was worked to the right of that. 
--Note the three-stitch "frame" top and bottom. 
--The simplest way to finish the top is to graft it shut.

Vertical baffles by transformation IRL: seat cushion 

Overview: The project was started with a provisional cast on. By the time this photo was taken, that cast on had been removed and the stitches put on a circular needle as a holder. Also, one ladder had been let down (red arrows) and the rungs steamed to relax their kinky ways. 

This project was knit as a single piece of fabric. Being in a single piece makes an easy bottom: simply fold up. However, the fold makes it harder to work the columns in the lower left corner. It's a balancing act between which you prefer: 1) latching up more easily with an open bottom, but then you have to graft the bottom shut, or 2) having an easy bottom to make by simply folding the fabric, but latching up from a congested corner. 

Folding over also makes an unusual situation with stitch count--the fabric will have one less stitch on the provisionally cast on edge.  This is because one fabric is laddered down from the stitch "heads," and the other from the "tails." One solution is to add one stitch in an inconspicuous spot, two rows above the cast on. Be aware and don't add stitches where a ladder will later be let down. Another solution (which I used on the seat cushion) is to simply live with the differential stitch count. 

 Being a stitch off means that the two fabrics are offset by 1/2 stitch. This is most visible where laddered-out columns run close together. The offset would prove an awkward thing to work around if each column had been dropped all the way to its bottom, so leave margin of at least three stitches each side of the fold line, to avoid this. At the side-edges, this situation also shows up as a half-stitch offset. It's not a structural issue. It isn't a visual issue either, as long as you leave a bottom margin as shown when laddering down, and isn't visually apparent at the sides unless you go hunting for it. (And again, none of these problems arise if the project being latched up started as two independent fabrics.)

There is only a single stitch arm (1/2 a stitch) between the columns of the two released stitches. Click here for enlargement . 

So...what is actually going on behind the scenes when you unlatch + re-latch? I've already shown how to make an edge by transformation, and this makes a very pretty alternating edge. It turns out, that same alternating structure is created inside the transformation column. This short video illustrates the alternating criss-cross of loops from one fabric face to the other. (This is also the structure created by double-knitting as-you-go, whether by the classic two-needle method or by the new four-needle method.)

To make the top match the bottom, the top of this cushion was grafted shut in knit (stockinette). 

Matchy-matchy top and bottom: fold-over edge below, knit (stockinette) graft above

Grafting in stockinette differs from the instructions so far in this series. The default bottom for double knitting, introduced here, is to pick up the second fabric through the cast-on loops of the first. This makes a purl-looking bottom edge. Then, the top is separated onto two needles for front and back if they aren't separated already, then grafted shut in purl. This makes the default of top and bottom with a purl row-match. By contrast, on this project, the match is achieved by the simple folded bottom paired with a knit-grafted top. 

This cushion was knit in Drops Karisma, a DK weight yarn. It was worked at a gauge of 5 sts/in and 7 rows/in. This is a slightly loose gauge for this yarn. The latching process draws yarn out of the fabric, so a looser gauge makes latching easier. However, too loose and the stuffing shows. Another reason to swatch for transformation projects. 

Puffy stuffed baffles

The baffles vary in width from 9 columns at the top to 11 columns at the bottom. Each column is stuffed with a doubled-over strand of Bernat Big Blanket chenille yarn. A method for stuffing blind (dead-end) baffles is described here. 

Adapted for clothing, this combo of yarn and stuffing would make a heavy jacket. It would be similar in weight to a melton wool jacket (think: pea coat) although puffier, stretchier, and less "hot," due to being less wind-resistant. If the sleeves were stuffed, it might bring to mind the Michelin Man: might be best to leave sleeves un-stuffed, or anyway, lightly stuffed. Another use: a chunky puffer vest which would be good under a wind breaker for outdoor use.  For indoors, a vest would be good for a cool office (sitting still) or chilly warehouse/greenhouse (moving) but probably too warm for a well-heated house. In any kind of garment, the shoulder seams ought to be stout: vertical baffles make a heavy, stiff fabric.

The fabric was knit in stripes on the "front" side, and this makes latching up easier. There are nine blue or green rows between each rust-colored contrast stripe, so I batch-latched in groups of ten on each side: easier to keep track. 

Knitted-in vertical stripes also gave this cushion a matching look to one I made earlier--another striped cushion, knit-as-you-go by my new four-needle double knitting technique, made with horizontal baffles. Here are the two, side by side, variations on a theme. 

Left cushion was knit as-you-go via four needle double knitting in horizontal baffles

Right cushion is in matching colors, also striped, but in vertical baffles by transformation

Transforming with texture

This swatch shows transforming into vertical baffles with texture. This project started with two fabrics, the darker with a 6-stitch wide texture (cable) panel. (However, there's no reason not to put cables on both sides!)

Cables are usually knit with purl columns alongside to make them pop: the receding purls stand the cables taller by contrast. However, when transforming, cables are knit plain across, meaning, no purl offset columns. Instead, the offset is created afterward by a contrasting color column, which is transformed in the adjoining column where the purls would ordinarily be.

If you stuff the baffle with the cable panel while leaving the baffles alongside flat, you get a really juicy cable, standing higher than with any purl offsets you could ever knit. 

...a really juicy cable, standing higher, like a real rope running down the middle

Stuffed transformed vertical baffle fabrics would ordinarily be too stiff for a neck scarf, but! If you transformed a long fabric and left all the baffles unstuffed EXCEPT for a central cable, that would be a beautiful and wearable scarf with an unusual design feature, as if a real cable (rope!) ran right down the middle. 

Geek notes:

-- Vertical baffles by transformation is yet another example of the relationship between independent fabrics and double knitting. More on this subject: Double knitting + working independent layers.

--Suppose you want a quilted look in a transformed project, as from discontinuous columns, below. In this case, stop the knitting to drop the columns at the top of each discontinuity. Alternatively, this might be a situation where knitting baffles as-you-go would be just as easy. 

--As to stuffing, experiment on your swatch to see which is easier: stuffing discontinuous columns as-you-go, or weaving the afghan hook through the S-shaped baffles which discontinuous latching leave behind, drawing through the stuffing-yarn afterward. 

--The sides on the seat cushion project were joined afterward by the "zig-zag" method, to be shown in a future post. The cable swatch was worked with an open bottom, and both bottom and top were later grafted together, matchy-matchy.

Next post: color patterns by transformation

--TK

Questions? Feedback? Contact me at 

Blue Sky  @techknitter.bsky.social or  talk to me about this post on Ravelry TECHknitter forum

This is one in a series on Double Knitting. The series so far:

Grafting in purl using knitting stitches and a knitting needle--a background info post

Double knitting intro: basic methods for getting stitches on and off your needles + working side edges

Double knitting, the what and the how: History(ish), Theory, How-to demos 

Double knitting + working independent layers: useful trick for projects with lots of one color backgrounds

Four needle double knitting: new ways to double knit via "slide-by" and "picking

Four needle double knitting in the THIRD DIMENSION part 1: Horizontal baffles 

Four-needle double-knitting vs. four double-pointed needles: DISAMBIGUATION

Double-Knit Cables: Vertical baffles via Four-Needle Double-knitting, part 2 of a series

Reversible legible words in double knitting--uncoupling stitches via the "ping-pong" technique."

 Side edges in double knitting, part 2: Transformation edging 

Double knitting by Transformation 1: vertical baffles (this post)

Side edges in double knitting, part 2: Transformation Edging

 How do you like this double knitting side edge?

Double knitting with Transformation Edging 
Click here for super-enlargement

This edge is made by "transforming" the default curl-on-curl edging introduced earlier (part 1 of edging). So, before you can have this kind of an edge, you have to start with that kind of edge.

Default edging: curl-on-curl

In curl-on-curl edging, the three edge stitches on both sides are always knit in the same color, creating a sort of frame around the color pattern. Color-switching double knitting only starts in column four. 

To make the edge stitches more attractive, they are knit using a chain selvedge. This means slipping the first (or last, doesn't matter) stitch of each row, creating an edge stitch which spans TWO rows.  

This basic-yet-elegant edge harnesses the powerful force of stockinette curl to permanently snug together the three loose columns edging the front and back fabric faces. The white-framed photos show this curl-on-curl edging in its curled up natural state. The red-framed photo bottom left has the edges peeled apart. See for yourself: the fabric edges are not actually connected.

This is the default curl-on-curl edging for double knitting. The red-framed photo shows the borders of three side columns in blue and in white when they are peeled apart. The edges are unconnected, yet permanently held together by the strong force of stockinette curl.
The actual edge stitches in each color are worked as a chain selvedge. The bottom photos show the inside and outside of the chain selvedge in detail, and especially how each edge stitch spans two knit rows.
Click here for super-enlargement. 

Though elegant, curl-on-curl edging is plain. Sometimes you want fancy. This is where transformation edging comes in.

Transformation, a form of "after-knitting"

"After-knitting" is where you mess around with already-knitted fabric, to make it into something else. The particular kind of after-knitting we want today is called "transformation." Transformation is where you ladder down stitches, then pick them up again. Examples include...

--dropping a ladder to fix an error like a miscrossed cable. The stitches are "transformed" into ladders, the ladders are pulled from under the miscross, and then transformed back into stitches again. 

--dropping a ladder to latch the stitches up in a different orientation: knit stitches instead of purl. This transforms plain stockinette into ribbing
        (or even cable-etts). 

--dropping a ladder and picking up the stitches standing on their heads. These re-latched upside-down stitches are the basis for infinity loops--a new way to knit distortion-free Celtic knots.

In today's trick we'll also ladder down, but now we are operating on the edge stitches. These will be laddered down, then picked back up, but now arranged alternately--first one color, then the next. This makes the beautiful edging. Again, transformation is a form of after-knitting, so this trick is worked as part of the finishing process. (But! Try this on a swatch before you risk dropping edge stitches on a completed double knitting project.)

Dropping edge stitches? WHAT?
(It'll be worth it for this pretty edge)

Anatomy of a chain-edge stitch

Loose chain-edge stitches are scary when they come loose by accident. Why do they make a giant waving loops, unlike dropping a regular stitch? The anatomy of a loose chain stitch is illustrated in this post on fixing accidentally dropped edge stitches. Strongly suggest reading that post before proceeding.

Practice swatch

Below is a simple practice swatch consisting of two separate fabrics, joined at the bottom. This is a stand-in for an actual double-knit project. There are 20 stitches of each fabric, knitted 24 rows high each, counted above the cast on. The swatch is in stockinette, arranged so the purl sides can be folded together. 

Geek note: For more information about the relationship of back-to-back flat fabrics and double knitting, read this post. Or, just take it on faith that that this set-up is equivalent to an actual double knit project for the purpose of practicing edging, as long as that project was knit with each fabric face bordered by chain selvedges all in one color--the default curl-on-curl edging described here. 

Transformation edging for double knitting

There are two ways to latch up the edges: starting at the bottom or starting at the top. 

Transforming from the bottom
This is the easiest to understand. Simply drop all the edge stitches to the bottom on both fabric faces so there are open loops along both front and back fabrics. Then, starting at the bottom, latch up these stitches alternately.

PRACTICE SWATCH

a: Showing the chain selvedge stitches before they are dropped. The swatch is folded purl sides together.

b: The green chain selvedge stitches have been unlatched from top to bottom. Unlatch by using a small dpn to gently pull a lower chain up and over, lifting it from around the neck of the one above, working gently and not tugging. 

c: Both fabric faces with chain selvedges unlatched, then parked for safekeeping on dpn's

Geek note: This swatch was HEAVILY steam blocked to lay flat for these photos. You haven't done it wrong if your swatch curls like mad, that's what stockinette does. To tame, straight-pin the layers together before transforming. Remember: in an actual double knitting project with a curl-on-curl edging,  the pattern stitches starting in column 4 would be holding the fabrics together: only the edge columns would curl. 

On this small practice swatch, dropping to the bottom was no problem--the loose loops were easily parked on dpn's for temporary safekeeping. But on a longer project, you might like to drop and re-latch the edge stitches as you go along--every 10 or 20 rows, for example. 

The latching itself is done with a crochet hook, the colors drawn alternately from front and back fabric face. When parking, catch each unlatched stitch on its dpn UNTWISTED. Same when latching: draw the loops through UNTWISTED. Here, I inserted the hook into each loose loop from the bottom, catching from left to right for the green top fabric, and from right to left for the purple bottom fabric. Another way of saying this is the loops are always drawn from the outside to the inside. Consistently catching the loops the same way is the key to beauty. 

a: Latching up alternately with a crochet hook, taking one loop at a time from the parking-dpn's

b: The transformed edge. The last loop (green) gets put back on the top needles, awaiting closing of the top. 

If you are latching as-you-go (every 10 or 20 rows) remember to protect the stitch count by returning the loops of BOTH color stitches to their working needle. 

At the end of the last re-latching, only the last (top) loop goes back on the working needle. To keep the stitch count even between front and back fabric, start transforming one edge with a loop of one color, then transform the other edge starting with a loop of the opposite color. This "eats" one stitch of each color out of the total stitch count, giving the same number of stitches of each color when the time comes to close the top. 

Transforming from the top
With this trick, the not-yet-unlatched stitches are parked on a dpn and you only unlatch the very stitch you're about to transform. This released loose loop is immediately transformed by drawing it through a loop of the opposite color waiting on the crochet hook, while the unlatched stitch below it is immediately parked at the bottom of the holder dpn. The cycle starts anew when the next loop in line, from the opposite fabric face, is released from the holder dpn and immediately transformed. 

TRANSFORMING FROM THE TOP

Arrow 1: dpn holding stitches not yet unlatched

Arrow 2: crochet hook holding most recently transformed stitch (purple)

Arrow 3: this unlatched green stitch on the parking dpn is next in line for transformation--it is waiting to be pulled through the purple stitch on the hook .

HOWEVER, it must first be unlatched by dropping it off the parking dpn, so that the next lower green chain selvedge still in the fabric can be picked off from around its neck.

Arrow 4 points to a small dpn inserted into this next-lower stitch, and this small dpn will lift the arrow-4 stitch off the neck of the arrow-3 stitch. 

Once unlatched, the arrow-3 green stitch is transformed by drawing it through the arrow-2 purple stitch on the crochet hook, while the arrow-4 stitch is slid onto  the parking dpn BELOW the (as-yet-unlatched) purple stitch on the parking dpn.  

The cycle starts again when the purple stitch on the parking dpn is un-parked, unlatched and transformed.

Click here for super-enlargement. 

The advantage to top-down transformation is that a long line (like along the edge of a neck-scarf) can be safely transformed without much risk of edge stitches going astray. The disadvantage is, you wind up with a loose loop at the bottom of each side, loops which have to be squirreled away somehow. (Possibly by fastening them down on the inside with a dangling tail left over from starting the project?)

As with transforming from the bottom, start the transformation of each edge with a loop of different color. This keeps the stitch count equal between front and back fabric faces when the time comes to close the top. 

With the different techniques, the stitches point in opposite directions. Top-down points ⋀ up, bottom-up points ۷ down. 

Parting shot and preview

Transformed edges are beautiful in double knitting. 

However...it's not just edges which can be transformed!

The very next post takes the idea of transformation in double knitting even further. Maybe keep the practice swatch handy for more new tricks coming up.

Til then--TK

Questions? Feedback? Contact me at 

Blue Sky  @techknitter.bsky.social or  talk to me about this post on Ravelry TECHknitter forum

This is one in a series on Double Knitting. The series so far:

This is one in a series on Double Knitting. The series so far:

Grafting in purl using knitting stitches and a knitting needle--a background info post

Double knitting intro: basic methods for getting stitches on and off your needles + working side edges

Double knitting, the what and the how: History(ish), Theory, How-to demos 

Double knitting + working independent layers: useful trick for projects with lots of one color backgrounds

Four needle double knitting: new ways to double knit via "slide-by" and "picking

Four needle double knitting in the THIRD DIMENSION part 1: Horizontal baffles 

Four-needle double-knitting vs. four double-pointed needles: DISAMBIGUATION

Double-Knit Cables: Vertical baffles via Four-Needle Double-knitting, part 2 of a series

Reversible legible words in double knitting--uncoupling stitches via the "ping-pong" technique."

 Side edges in double knitting, part 2: Transformation edging  (this post)

Double knitting by Transformation 1: vertical baffles

Is this a Tubular Cast off OR Seamed Hem? --->YES!<--- It's the "P-Q" hybrid bind off

I'm supposed to be in the middle of a series about weird new ways of double-knitting, and there is more coming up. But, until recently, the 'flu had hold of me. So, until my wits fully return, here is a fill-in post on a different and simpler subject, a quick and pretty way to bind off  K1, P1 ribbing.

A  new KI, P1 ribbing bind-off (cast-off) for garments 

a: Outside, it's a tubular bind-off. (Red star explained below.)

b: Outside view, closeup. Blue arrow shows where the actual bind-off is on the inside.

c: Inside, it's a seamed hem. 

So...
Question: is this a tubular cast off? A seamed hem? 
Answer: why not both? 
Or as said in Spanish: ¿Por qué no los dos? (Yes, link is little girl in the taco ad.)

    From outside, it's identical to a tubular cast off. Like true tubular cast-off or a blind hem in sewing, external evidence is subtle (photo b, blue arrow).
    From inside, it looks like a seamed hem. 

    Without a purl fold line, it nevertheless turns sharply at the edge and stays turned. 

    It does not flip. 

    Although stretchy, it will not splay out over time. 

    It does not flare.

    It is durable for the life of the garment. 

    It looks really very much better than ordinary chain bind-off, and is a lot more durable. Yet, it really isn't any more difficult and only slightly more time consuming.

Best of all, P-Q is worked with a running yarn. So...

    --> unlike seamed hems, no sewing. 
    --> unlike tubular cast off, no grafting.

    -->There is no cut length of yarn to wear out as the tail travels in-and-out along the top stitches (grafting or sewing). Therefore, no more worn-looking edge worked with fraying yarn, each stitch frizzier than the last. Instead, each stitch is finished using fresh, new yarn. 

As to the name, this hybrid of seamed hem and tubular cast-off is named "P-Q bind off," after that Spanish expression ¿Por Qué No Los Dos? mentioned above, while in English, P-Q stands for "Pretty Quick," another good name because it is both pretty AND quick.

Materials:

• a swatch or project ready for a 1/1 (K1, P1) ribbing. Directions are for projects in the round, but worked-flat adaptation follows.
• a crochet hook
• thin yarn in a matching color. If you have none, here's how to split thin yarn out of thicker. Or, use contrasting color thin yarn for a decorative touch--example below.
• a flexible stitch holder such as a small-gauge circular needle or a contrast color yarn threaded onto a blunt sewing needle

Directions:

Work in 1/1 ribbing in whatever needles and yarn are directed for your project to a few rows short of where you want the actual edge of the bottom / neck band, sleeve, hat brim or whatever. In order for this not to flip, work least 3 rows of K1, P1 ribbing before you start this trick, but there's no upper limit. As you see, that's a long cuff before the bind off, in the intro photo.

Geek note 1: the P-Q bind-off will not flip. However, the k1, p1 ribbing above the hem might flip. This is the  red star * zone on photo a.  The narrow cuff  in that photo has no danger of flipping, but winder, shallower hems do. To prevent hem flip in the red star *  (transition) zone between garment and ribbing, consider the transition-row-trick. 

Step 1: Separate the knits from the purls

Work in ribbing to the round where you want the seam to be on the inside. Place beginning of round (BOR) marker before a knit stitch. 

a. slip the following knit stitch onto a knitting needle.

b. slip the purl stitch to the flexible stitch holder--I use another cable needle, so that the flexible cable becomes the holder. However, you could use yarn or a cord.

Repeat a. and b. until all stitches are separated, the knits on the working needles, the purls on a holder of some kind.

_____

Geek note 2 (shortcut). Instead of separating the knits and purls, it is possible to keep them on the same needle. If you skip separating in step 1 above, then in step 2 below, where you work the knits only, you would simply slide the purls (green) and knit the knits (blue) per below sketch. 

Red represents the tails running between the (blue) knit stitches, while the purl (green) stitches are simply slipped, untwisted, from needle to needle. Red runs in front of the purls, not behind, meaning, bring yarn forward before slipping a purl. In the sketch, a purl is about to be slipped onto the right needle, after which the knit stitch at extreme left of upper row will be worked. 

The downside is, the purls get stretched WAY out of shape by this method. Below is a sketch after only three rounds, showing why the purls would be stretched (yellow highlighting). After six or more rounds, there would be more stretching. 

Experience dictates that putting the purls on a holder is less overall wear on the fabric. However, if separating and then re-joining the stitches is a bridge too far, keeping both on the same needle is an option--a shortcut for sure. 

_____

Step 2: Work the knits only

Working only with the knit stitches on the needles, knit several rounds. six or so is usual, but you can work more. Work loosely. If your fingers will not obey the command to work loosely, then switch to  larger gauge needles so the stitches really do end up larger. At the end of the last round, cut the yarn to a tail of two-three inches. 

Step 3: Turn work inside out

 On hats and bands, this is no problem. However, on cuffs, this requires see-sawing the dpn's back and forth through the fabric. This is something of a pain, but, as you see, it can be done.

Turned inside-out after putting the purls on a holder, and then working several rounds of knits only, but before eliminating the purls.
On this cuff, the cable of a small-gauge circular needle acts as stitch-holder for the purls, while the knits are on the working needles (dpn's in this case).

Step 4: Eliminate the purls 

Remove BOR marker. Replace the purl stitches onto a small-gauge knitting needle--if you used a cable needle as a stitch holder, this will be as simple as pulling the needle tip into position. 

If you haven't used the Geek shortcut, the knits and purls are still on separate needles. Hold the knits and purls on their separate needles in your left hand. Slide one purl onto the right needle, then slide first knit onto right needle. Lift the first purl stitch over the first knit stitch. Make sure the purl stitch is lifted over UNTWISTED, and that the knit stitch also remains UNTWISTED.  (Directions updated 2-4-26, many thanks to readers LP and AR.)

Continue in this manner, all the way around. This creates the fold line and reduces the total stitch count by half. At round-end, only knits remain on the needles: each purl was eliminated when you slung it around the neck of its following knit. 

Geek note 3: If you lift the knits over the purls, the hem will not lay as smooth. This is because the purls face in the opposite direction from the fold of the hem, causing the hem to want to stick out at right angles. The contrast is demo'd on a short length of hem (purple hat) in the "gallery of "P-Q" below. 

Step 5: bind off the knits 

The bind off is worked with the thin yarn from the materials list: usually this is in a matching color, but it can also be in a contrast color (example below).

a. With a crochet hook, draw a loop of this thinner yarn through the first stitch. Leave a tail of several inches. Make sure this loop is LOOSE. There is one loop of yarn around the barrel of the crochet hook, and the first stitch is bound off.

b. Follow this with a chain stitch. This means to draw a new loop of yarn through the loop already around the barrel of the crochet hook. The chain stitch is a spacer which fills in across the gap where the purl used to be. This spacer allows the hem to stretch, so leave this chain-stitch quite LOOSE. 

c. After the chain stitch, again draw a loop of yarn through the next stitch as well as the loop around the barrel of the crochet hook. Another stitch bound off.

    Repeat b.  (spacer chain)  followed by c. (bind off) until all stitches are bound off. 

    This is essentially a chain bind off but worked with a crochet hook, and with a spacer chain added. 

d. At the end of round, retain the loop over the crochet hook. Cut the thin yarn to a 2" tail. Then, work the tail under and around the first chain made. This connects the end of the bind off to its beginning. End by drawing the tail through the loop on needle, pulling 'til the tail pops free. 

Test the stretchy-ness of the cast off. If it is too tight, pull out the crocheted chain, stitch-by-stitch, replacing the stitches on a knitting needle, then bind off again LOOSER. 

Step 6: Finishing 

Settle: The last step is to settle the hem. It may look like the hem is pointing at the sky, but after you "work it down," it will lay smooth. First, stretch the them, working around the garment in sections. Stretch pretty hard, and do it several more times if you chose the Geek Note 2 shortcut method of not separating the stitches. 

Scratch down: Grab the fold of the hem with one hand, and "scratch down" the hem with the other hand, working in sections of 3-5 stitches at a time. I am right handed so I grab the hem with the right hand, and "scratch down" the hem with my left thumbnail. This settles the hem away from the fold, and lays it more smoothly against the inside, 

Tails: Finally, work all tails into the tube you just created.  

Adaptation for working flat

In flat knitting, work to where the stitches are separated, ending so the outside face of the fabric faces you. After this step, the purls remain on their holders, but the knit stitches present as purl stitches when the work is turned. Therefore, work the six-ish "knit" rows as alternating knits (outside face) and purls (inside face) ending so the outside face is next to be worked. Then, proceed as for in-the-round instructions, slinging the purls around the necks of the knits, then finishing via slip-stitched hem. 

Gallery of P-Q

Here is another cuff, much shorter than the first. This one features a contrasting red bind off. This is a swatch for a planned cardigan: I think of using red inside the front bands and collar, plus red buttonholes also, or maybe a red zipper.

Contrast color P-Q

Here is K1, P1 hat, worked top-down, with a matching-color bind off around lower edge. The white line shows where on the outside where the work changes from K1, P1, to all-knit. You can tell something has happened, but not quite what, because the only visible column (the knits) simply continue downwards. (BTW: this same subtle texture change also occurs on real tubular bind off. Again, from the outside, P-Q and real tubular bind off are identical.). 

Outside, the change to all-knit is subtle. Click here to enlarge.

Close-up

Below photo shows the difference between "a"--lifting the purls over the knits (correct) and "b"--lifting the knits over the purls (incorrect). When you do it wrong (lift knits over purls) the hem wants to ruffle. This is because, per geek note 3 above, the purls face the wrong way, so the crocheted bind off stands out at right angles. 

Hat turned inside out

a: hem worked correctly (purls drawn over knits)

b: hem worked incorrectly (knits drawn over purls)--the hem ruffles and stands out

Click here to enlarge.

How does P-Q compare?

Ordinary chain bind off:

P-Q is an immense improvement over ordinary chain bind-off. It is more attractive and way sturdier. Yet, it adds little overall time. In fact, if you think about it, the P-Q actually is a species of chain bind off, just worked inside the hem with a hook, instead of along the edge with knitting needles. Adding a P-Q bind off instead of an ordinary chain bind-off is one of the easiest ways to go from "home-made" to "handmade." 

Tubular bind off:
Is P-Q as good as a real tubular bind off? Honestly--it is 90% of the way there. From the outside, they're identical twins with the same structural advantages: edge of the garment is not edge of the fabric, plus this sort of thick tubular edge wears well while being reasonably stretchy, especially if you practice the length of the spacer chain stitch.

Downsides: per earlier and again below, the seam shows with the cuff folded back (although the seam isn't unattractive IMHO). Also, your fingers will feel a seam when you put the sweater off and on, and your forehead will feel a seam on a hat, whereas with a real tubular bind off, you wouldn't. However, the seam does not feel hard (if worked loose enough!) The purple hat shown earlier does not bother my forehead, although I am old and fussy. 

Long cuff folded back

On the upside, PQ is waaay faster. Plus, the fact that it's worked with a running yarn means no fuzzing and fraying. Finally, I, personally do not love grafting.⎈  Don't love sewing hems, either. 

Bottom line: I DO think P-Q is "nearly, almost, kind-of, just as good" as a real tubular bind off. 

Seamed hems:
Is P-Q as good as other seamed hem tricks? Here I would say 100% yes. The seam will be stretchy if there is correct tension. Commercially knit garments often have a hem- and cuff cast-off which resembles the P-Q (trying to puzzle those out is partly where I got the idea) and these are generally stretchy. 

Fake tubular bind off: 

In 2007, TECHknitting showed easy fake tubular bind off for 1/1 ribbing. That, too, is worked with a running yarn. However, the two techniques shine at different tasks. The easy-fake is worked right along the top edge of an item, not inside the band. That makes it very flat--it adds no bulk. It has some stretch, but not a lot, meaning, it holds its shape well, but might be uncomfortable around a neck or wrist. Its best use is pocket tops--patch pockets on sweaters, and also cardigan bands knit the long way where a flat not-too-stretchy edge is wanted. By contrast, the P-Q bind off is indeed stretchy, and adds a bit of bulk--maybe not as good for a pocket top or along a front-band-edge, but comfortably squishy around a cuff or collar or brim.

 I-cord bind off:

A P-Q bind-off can take plenty of abuse. Yet kids will pull that second mitten on with their sharp little teeth. So, for kids' wear, I-cord bind off (either real or fake) is the sturdier choice because I-cord is applied afterwards. If torn or bitten-through, the I-cord will unravel, but the garment won't run out. 

Comparison conclusion 

The P-Q bind off can be used anywhere you'd like a real tubular bind off OR a sewn hem, and it goes quicker than either of those alternatives. Plus, it looks neater due to being worked with a running yarn: no frizzy fraying yarn runs along the edge as there often is with grafting or sewing. ** To top it off, it isn't any more difficult than ordinary chain bind off, and goes just as fast once the preliminaries are out of the way.

--TK

⎈ Just how much do I not love grafting? Every time I graft, I think "there must be a faster way to do this." So, instead of simply grafting 45 stitches (elapsed time, max 10 minutes) I messed around and test-knit versions of this for dozens of hours, then re-tested by re-doing cuffs which were already grafted. Does that make sense to you? Not me either. Lol. I'll blame the flu. 

** Ultra super-geek note for perfectionism addicts:
 It is possible to work the real tubular in the same way as the PQ: knits only for several rounds, but then GRAFT the knits to the purls instead of slipping the purls over the knits and then slip-stitching the knits. Grafting at the inside bottom of the tube hides the ever-rattier fraying and frizzing grafting yarn. In other words, with this hack, the grafting yarn runs along the inside of the hem instead of along the top edge. 

Questions? Feedback? Contact me at 

Blue Sky  @techknitter.bsky.social or  talk to me about this post on Ravelry TECHknitter forum