The curling of the stockinette stitch is legendary. No matter how well the fabric is blocked, the edges will start curling sooner or later. Unless, of course, we take preventive measures and add a border to the edges of our project.
But what if we don’t want to add a section of ribbing, garter stitch, seed stitch or other “non-curling” stitch pattern to our project? What if we want to finish off the stockinette stitch in our project gracefully and be sure that the edge will stay flat?
Fortunately, it is possible, at least for the bind off edge. All we have to do is use a very interesting bind off method that keeps the edge from curling without changing the look of the fabric.
Here’s how this method works step by step.
If you are a visual learner, watch every step in a video tutorial:
STEP 1
This bind off is worked in a right side row, so you should see the knit side of the fabric when you turn your work after the last row of your project. If you are working in the round, most likely, the right side of the fabric is facing you already.
Move the working yarn to the right and then twist the left needle a bit down so that you could see two lines of purls on the wrong side of the work.
Insert the tip of the right needle from back to front under the head of the stitch that is two rows below the first stitch on the left needle. It will be the first “bump” at the right side of the second line of purls.
Insert the left needle into the strand from left to right.
Take the right needle out leaving the strand on the left needle.
STEP 2
Knit the stitch together with the picked up strand.
STEP 3
Work steps 1 and 2 one more time:
Insert the right needle from back to front (or bottom-up if you are looking at the wrong side of the fabric from the top of the left needle) into the head of the stitch that is two rows below the first stitch on the left needle.
Place this strand on the left needle.
Knit the stitch + the strand together as one stitch.
STEP 4
Now, that we have two stitches on the right needle, we can bind off one stitch by passing it over the other stitch, just as we usually do when we bind off stitches.
Repeat steps 3 and 4 until you bind off all stitches and there is just one stitch left on the right needle.
Cut the yarn, pass the yarn tail through the last stitch and pull tight to secure.
As a result, the fabric still looks like stockinette stitch, but the texture of the top part of the fabric is different. The edge is thicker and that’s exactly what we need to keep the edge from curling.
To show you how well this bind off method works for taming the stockinette curl, I haven’t blocked the swatch featured in the above photo.
As you see, the fabric lies flat and there is no sign of curling. This is how the edge behaves right after it came off the needles.
If you like the look of the edge formed by this bind off technique, feel free to use this method to finish off projects worked in any stitch pattern. Just make sure to work the last two rows or rounds of the project in stockinette stitch.
That means that you would knit all stitches in the last two rounds when you work in the round. If you are working back and forth, knit all stitches in the last right-side row and purl all stitches in the last wrong-side row.
SAVE IT FOR LATER:
This and 41 other in-depth tutorials are part of Knitting Collection #6.
