How to Troubleshoot a Knitted Selvedge
The selvedge is the edge of knitting that sometimes forms a border or provides a place for seaming. Making a selvedge straight and flat often takes more effort than is expected. Making near-perfect selvedges takes practice, patience and putting to use a few easy tips. Simple hints for troubleshooting selvedges include slipping stitches and knitting the seed stitch.
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Things You'll Need
- Knitting needles
- Yarn
- Crochet hook
- Tapestry needle
- Spray bottle
- Cork board or ironing board
- Pins
- Spray starch
Instructions
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Pull the yarn tighter when working in the first and last stitches of a row to troubleshoot a knitted selvedge that is too loose. Hold the yarn looser if your knitted selvedge is too tight.
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Avoid loose and loopy knitted selvedges by slipping the first and last stitch in each row purl-wise. Insert the right knitting needle into the stitch, the same way you would to purl, and slide the stitch onto the right knitting needle.
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Work a moss, or seed, stitch in the first and last one to three stitches in each row by alternating knit and purl stitches.
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Add an extra border on the selvedge, with a few rows of single crochet, to prevent curling or uneven selvedges.
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Avoid holes by using the second stitch in each row on the selvedge edge when seaming knitting.
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Block your knitting when you are finished to prevent curling selvedges. Dampen the knitting with a spray bottle. Lay the knitting flat on a cork or ironing board and use pins to keep the knitting in place. Let the knitting dry completely.
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Tips & Warnings
Spray the knitting slightly with liquid starch for extra hold when blocking.
Do not be afraid to rip out your knitting and start again.
According to Knit Simple, knitting special stitches for selvedges are especially important when knitting "with slippery yarns, such as silk or rayon."
Take into account additional selvedge stitches when counting stitches in rows. Otherwise, the number of stitches in the rows will not match your pattern.
References
Resources
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