How to Knit an I-Cord in Selvage
I-cord, a knitting technique used to create a tube of knitting, is commonly used to make strings for caps or at a neckline but can also result in an edge finish, or selvage. Creating an I-cord string involves knitting across three to seven stitches, then slipping the stitches to the holding needle and knitting across them again without turning. To use the I-cord as a selvage, the knitter adds stitches at the beginning of the I-cord row that are worked normally.
Other People Are Reading
Instructions
-
-
1
Hold a knitting needle and a stitch holder in your right hand with the points oriented toward the left. Cast three stitches. Turn the needle and holder, switching them to the left hand. Knit the stitches off the needle, but keep them on the holder. You should now have one knitted row with the holder through the stitches.
-
2
Slip the knitted stitches onto the other knitting needle. Pull the yarn across the back of the work to the edge, and knit across the three stitches. Slip the three I-cord stitches onto the other needle and knit one stitch, but do not slip the stitch on the previous row from the needle. Instead, insert the working needle through the back of the stitch and knit a second stitch in that loop. Knit across normally. You should now have four stitches on your working needle and the stitch holder through the bottom row of three stitches. Do not turn your work.
-
-
3
Slip the three I-cord stitches onto the holding needle, and keep the added stitch on the working needle. Knit the first slipped stitch without removing it from the holding needle, then knit a second stitch in the first slipped stitch as you did on the previous row. Knit across the remaining two stitches. You should now have five stitches on your needle. Slip the three I-cord stitches to the holding needle, and repeat till you have a total of 13 stitches on your knitting needle.
-
4
Make a corner turn. Slip the I-cord stitches onto the holder needle, but do not make an increase. Knit across them, slip them to the holder needle and knit across again. Turn your work. Slip the I-cord stitches, and purl across the 10 added stitches.
-
5
Add the stitches from the holder by slipping them onto the work needle at the end of the purl row, but do not purl them. Turn the work, and knit across the three stitches from the holder. Slip them back onto the working needle, bring the yarn around and knit across the entire row, including the original I-cord stitches.
-
6
Slip the I-cord stitches onto the holding needle, and knit across them. Turn the work, slip the I-cord stitches onto the holding needle and purl across the central 10 stitches till you reach the I-cord stitches on the opposite side. Slip the I-cord stitches onto the working needle, and turn. Knit the I-cord stitches, slip them onto the holding needle and knit across all stitches. Repeat for 10 rows.
-
7
Bind off using the I-cord. End the last row with a purl row. Work the I-cord as you have been doing at the end of the row. Knit the I-cord stitches, then slip the last I-cord stitch back onto the holding needle. Knit the I-cord stitch and the first knit stitch together, and slip the I-cord stitches back onto the holding needle. Knit three stitches, slip the last stitch back onto the holding needle and knit two together. Slip the I-cord stitches back onto the needle. Continue across till you have incorporated all the knit stitches into an I-cord finish. Cut the yarn with scissors, and pull it through the last loop. Work the loose end back through the knitted fabric.
-
8
Cast on without the stitch holder if you do not wish to have an I-cord border on the edges of your work. At the end of the last cast-on stitch, knit two of the I-cord stitches together, bring the yarn around, knit two together again and slip the last stitch onto the working needle. Knit as you would normally from here. To add a border at the end, add stitches by knitting the first stitch and then knitting a second stitch by pulling it through the yarn between the stitches in the previous row.
-
1
References
- Photo Credit Photos.com/Photos.com/Getty Images
