# Exciting find......



## motdaugrnds (Jul 3, 2002)

Some of you know I've been learning to knit. It is such fun!

I discovered a problem with the ends and sides rolling; so inquired here and was taught how to stop the ends from curling by using a "garter" stitch. Research taught me the garter stitch (on a round loom if that makes a difference) is one row of knits and the next row of purl stitches. In experimenting with this I find it does stop the ends from rolling. 

Today while I was creating a baby blanket I used that garter-type of stitching to stop the initial end from rolling. When blanket is completed I'll use it to finish the last end as well. Half way thru this project I noticed the "sides" were wanting to roll. So I decided to try the garter stitch on the sides. Since I was using a large round loom without completing the circle putting a garter stitch on this meant doing so with both sides at the same time....

Thus, I've been knitting the first peg, purling the 2nd peg and then completing the entire row with regular knits UNTIL I got to the last two pegs. I "purled" on the next-to-the-last peg and knitted on the last peg. Now I've been doing this for several inches of this blanket and I've learned the SIDES ARE NO LONGER ROLLING. 

Just in case some of you are new at this as I, thought sharing this might be helpful.


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## motdaugrnds (Jul 3, 2002)

Nope. I finished this particular project and discovered the sides did continue to curl. They just weren't as bad.


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## Maura (Jun 6, 2004)

I always do three garter stitches at the edge, two just doesn&#8217;t do it.

On the right side (for you this is from right to left) I knit all the stitches.

On the next row (left to right) purl the first three, knit to the last three, purl the last three.

This creates a 3 stitch garter border on both sides.

If it still rolls, use a four stitch border.


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## motdaugrnds (Jul 3, 2002)

Maura, I'm not sure I'm understanding what you're saying. Yes I hear you create 3-4 "garter" stitches at the "edges" of scarves. To me this means EACH SIDE would have these. 

In other words, working on a loom using 20 pegs and going back and forth making a "flat" scarf, I would ALWAYS knit the 1st and 20th peg, then would ALWAYS purl the 2nd and 19th peg. (That would be ONE garter stitch; so to do 3 it would mean numbers 1,3 & 5 pegs would be "knitted" as well as 16, 18 & 20th peg. And pegs 2,4 & 6 would be purled as would 15, 17 & 19. This leaves pegs 7 thru 14 for whatever regular stitch I want in the scarf.) Maura, is this what you mean?


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## ladytoysdream (Dec 13, 2008)

Maura said:


> On the right side (for you this is from right to left) I knit all the stitches.
> On the next row (left to right) purl the first three, knit to the last three, purl the last three.


If I understand her correctly, it would be pegs 20, 19, 18 and then 1, 2, 3. 
So purl stitch the 3 end ones on each side, and knit the balance of them in the center. Your outside seam edges will be 3 purl stitches total on each side. If that does not work, then go to 4 purl stitches on each side.


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## motdaugrnds (Jul 3, 2002)

Well, I'm feeling real dumb right now.

I understand a "garter stitch" is knit one & purl one; so if I'm doing a garter stitch on the sides for 3 pegs, it would actually be 6 pegs on each side due to the knit/purl actions 3 times. (This does stop the curling on the ends.)

Lady, what I'm hearing you say is purl the first 3 pegs on each side. Then with the rest of the item being knit stitches, that would stop the sides from curling. Is that what you meant? (I'll certainly try it.)


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## ladytoysdream (Dec 13, 2008)

motdaugrnds said:


> Lady, what I'm hearing you say is purl the first 3 pegs on each side. Then with the rest of the item being knit stitches, that would stop the sides from curling. Is that what you meant? (I'll certainly try it.)


 That is how I understand her instructions. 
Try it and report back. I have not done this myself. I have used the round looms in the past. The one trick I used when I first knitted the hats and the bottoms curled up, ( before I learned to do the hems ) was to add a few rounds of single crochet on the bottom part.


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## CountryCabin (Mar 8, 2007)

motdaugrnds said:


> Well, I'm feeling real dumb right now.


Hey no need to feel that way! You are just learning and doing a pretty darn good job at that! 

But (isn't there always a but) me thinks you are trying to many new stitches at one time. Thus the confusion as to which stitch is which.  



> I understand a "garter stitch" is knit one & purl one; so if I'm doing a garter stitch on the sides for 3 pegs, it would actually be 6 pegs on each side due to the knit/purl actions 3 times. (This does stop the curling on the ends.)


No the garter st is not Knit 1 Purl1 (that being a ribbing st.)

Its knitting on both beginning and the ends of each row of those 3 pegs (6 in total for that row) end stitches. 

So you would do K3, then what ever st you are doing in the center...then get to last 3 sts and knit those as well. Then repeat thru out on each and every row.
Was that as clear as mud...? lol

This is what the garter stitch should look like.


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## motdaugrnds (Jul 3, 2002)

LOL Country Cabin, me thinks you're right! I would probably do much better sticking to only one type of stitch for awhile; but how???? ROFL Creativity has a big foot!

Ok I think I'm starting to understand and will do it on the next scarf I make. 

The main stitch I'm using is an e-wrap knit; so to keep the ends and sides from curling, you all are telling me to purl the first 3 pegs on each end and knit the middle of each row. Ooops that did not work on the ends as the middle of the ends still rolled. However, I have learned if I knit the entire first row, then purl the entire 2nd row, then knit the entire 3rd row and purl the entire 4th row the ends do not curl at all. (Seems I read somewhere by doing the same stitch, be it a knit or purl, the roll occurs; and to keep the item from rolling the knit/purl needs to be alternated.)

What I'll try next time is the ends like I've been doing them, i.e. knit row then purl row three times each. Then as I work I will purl the last 3 pegs on both sides of each row. I believe that is what you are all telling me will stop the rolling on the sides.  Will certainly try it.


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