Curling!

[AnnaStocks]

Hi,

Despite doing several seed stitch stiches on each side of a stocking stitch scarf i'm doing, the edges are still curling in.

Can anyone advise me whether blocking once I've finished will help prevent this? I don't really want to frog it! The wool is 83% Acrylic, 15% wool and 2% polyester (it's sirdar moonglow).

Any advice very gratefully recieved!

Thanks,
Anna

[vaknitter]

HaHa I thought I was in the Off Topic forum so when I saw Curling I thought - WOW someone on this board is a Curler (winter sport in the great Northeast).
Anyway - curling is a problem. I typically slip the first stitch of each row and then do at least 5-6 stitches in another pattern. It doesn't sound like there is enough wool in the yarn to truly block it, but I have been known to iron a baby blanket or scarf that was curling in at the edges.
Best of Luck

[suzeeq]

You could steam it when done, that may help with the curling. Generally 5 or 6 sts each side should help. Are you knitting at a tight gauge?

[jheatherley]

Try the zig-zag, shown here: http://techknitting.blogspot.com/200...zag-bands.html

[Denise in Michigan]

You could steam it when done, that may help with the curling. Generally 5 or 6 sts each side should help. Are you knitting at a tight gauge?

Suzeeq, is this more likely to happen at a tight gage than a looser one? It happens to me sometimes a bit on stockinette bordered by up to even 15 sts of garter, seed, or moss, but I've never been able to figure out exactly why. The closest I can come is that it's more likely to happen in a high-synthetic yarn than a no- or low-synthetic yarn; and more likely to happen over many rows worked even rather than just a few.

[suzeeq]

It may be more prevalent in a tighter gauge. I knit everything on needles 2-3 sizes larger than the pattern suggest; not because I knit tight, but because I like a looser gauge. I don't have a big problem but you could knit up some samples on the same yarn with various needle sizes and see what happens. Garter stitch can curl up if the item is narrow like a tie or scarf.

[Denise in Michigan]

[quote=suzeeq;1143291]...you could knit up some samples on the same yarn with various needle sizes and see what happens. quote]
Great idea! Thank you!