Today's post reviews different kinds of knitted fabrics--ribbing, garter stitch, seed stitch, moss stitch-- which are adapted to life on the edge. These stitch patterns won't curl up when unsupported along one or more edges.This post contains further review of reading knitting shorthand and charts, a subject raised in the previous post. It is followed by a whole series of posts about knitting better bands.(Link takes you to blog index.)
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 stitch distribution this, click here.)
The next post (first of a long series) turns 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 splayed out, or tight or just so darned WONKY!
--TECHknitter
PS: If your problem is that your bands are flipping back, here are two different posts with ideas for you:
Non-flipping (zig-zag) bands (shows how to knit non-flipping bands by the zig-zag method)
Taming garter stitch band-flip (two parts: first part about setting up to knit non-flipping bands by a different method, second part about fixing garter stitch bands, already knit, which want to flip backwards).
(You have been reading TECHknitting on "four non curling knitted fabrics--pictures, charts and diagrams")