Scarf keeps curling - any help?
 

Hi. I am a new knitter and just finished my second scarf (form my middle son). I used a variation of the 10 feet of Icelandic scarf on the free patterns page. I used wool yarn and used the size 7 needles the yarn recommended. I garter stitched for the first 4 rows and the 2 outside stiches on each row for the whole scarft. I did the stockingette stitch for the rest.

It is rolling inward quite badly - like a tube (I thought the garter on the edge would keep it relatively flat). My 6 year old does not care but it bothers me. Does anyone have any suggestions to fix it?

Thanks, Tiersa

I have had success with slipping the first stitch of each row knitwise and then always knitting the last stitch on the row. Of course, depending on the yarn I'm using, sometimes
NOTHING seems to work. :wall:

same here.
i looked again in the videos, under knitting and then the english method and looking at the example containing casting on knitting and binding off. and i got how to just slip the first one and not knit it. but then its a bit loose in the side.
any help?
maybe you'll understand by watching the video

It may be that two stitches in garter on the edge aren't enough. I usually do at least 5 on each edge.

Agree with Ingrid that 2 garter sts isn't enough. The width of your border sts has to be heavy enough to offset the tendency to roll by st st. On a 6" scarf, it's not uncommon to have 1+" of garter on each side.

You could try crocheting a border after the fact to add fabric on the offending edges. What fiber are you using? Blocking may or may not help a little....

cam

Add a speed bump
 

One thing you can try, even now on the finished scarf:

Pick up stitches all around between the garter stitch border and the stocking stitch area. Then, bind them off immediately. Meg Swansen calls this a "speed bump" and it has worked like a charm for me to prevent rolling of stocking stitch when a narrow garter stitch edge was not effective. It's super easy, you can do it in a contrasting color or match it if you still have yarn. It actually looks great, it's a design element!

I stumbled onto a method that works. I knit about 4 rows of reverse stockinette to start and kept 5 sts on each end in reverse St st also. The rev St part rolls a little, but since it's only an inch, it's not nearly as bad. Also, instead of slipping the first st, I'm slipping the last st on each row and that looks really well. When I slip the first st, the loops wind up a lot bigger than if I just knit or purl as usual so I don't do that. Slipping the last st gives you the same kind of edge, but for me the stitches aren't so loopy.

face facts. Stocking knit curls.

all the "solutions" involve something that isn't stocking knit, (and edging of some sort, or seaming, or knitting in a tube..

Suzeeq is the only one who came up with a solution that works with stocking knits nature to curl --by balancing a inward nature to curl with an out ward nature to curl (by using stocking knit and reverse stocking knit.)

this thread (and some others, on other BB's) got me riled up..
no rant here.. but you can read my blog!

my goodness!
 

of troy:

Does this kind of thing really get you so riled up that you rant? Forgive me, but aren't you overreacting?

of Troy - I did not know about stockinette when I was a new knitter nor do most people. We try to help everyone who comes to us with questions even if it has been asked many times before. Getting angry won't help anyone.
:hug::hug: