FAQ....Is your STOCKINETTE CURLING? Here's the solution!

[suzeeq]

Depends what your making, but usually for a scarf or blanket, you knit the first few rows in garter or seed stitch, then do the border sts at the beg and end of the rows, so it's knit along with it. A sweater usually has the first several rows in rib, garter or other pattern; an edge that won't be seamed may be knit in the border too, or you can pick up sts on that edge and knit a border on which will be sideways to the body of the sweater. Picking up sts on all the edges when finished can be done too on a scarf or blanket.

[Summerer]

I am confused! ive knttingthe entire thing and it curls. when you knit in the round it automatically makes it stock-stich right?
please read it carefully.

[suzeeq]

Yes, if you're working in the round, knitting all sts every round makes stockinette stitch. The beginning edge will still curl up, but you can do the first few rounds in seed or ribbing, or in garter by knitting a round and purling a round

[Elenalong]

I find that even when I do a border, my scarf will always curl. I have tried 2 or 3 stitches in garter and seed stitch, and it still always curls. What can I do?

[suzeeq]

You need more stitches in seed or garter to keep it from curling, maybe 5 or 6, and it still might not lay flat. This article from Techknitter's blog might give you some ideas, and she has a 4 part series with other solutions that starts here.

[Colorphile]

I am working with a bulky alpaca wool yarn and had pretty good luck with this solution to my stockinette scarf sides curling:

Purl 1st 2 rows after cast on to keep end from curling.

To keep sides from curling: P1, K1, P1, K1 on the first and last 4 stitches of each row.

Then seed stitch these first and last 4 stitches of each row (so if a knit is facing you, purl it, and if a purl is facing you knit it.)

I always slip the first stitch of each row of a scarf to get a neat edge without the big loopy sloppiness you get if you don't, so....

Since the first stitch you make on each new row is going to be a purl, begin each row by slipping the 1st stitch (with the yarn in front) purl wise, bring yarn to back and Knit 1, Purl 1, Knit 1. When you get to the end of the row, seed stitch the last 4 stitches (K1,P1,K1,P1)

The result has minimal curl and neat and matching side edges.

GOOD LUCK!

[mojo11]

Having a Yarn Jedi for a girlfriend, I knew this was a characteristic of stockinette, but figured ribbing would get me around it. So for my first scarf project I made 60 inches of k4-p2 and STILL... the ends weren't curling up, but the sides? Well... at the edges ribbing is still stockinette in its heart and soul. File that one under Notes to Self.

So what to do about it? (After the fact, that is.)

Option 1: Deal with it. Yeah, could do that but it's not optimal.
Option 2: Frog it all and start over. Yeah right.
Option 3: Be extra nice to aforementioned Yarn Jedi girlfriend and ask if she'll crochet an edge down both sides. (I'm a COMPLETE disaster with a crochet hook... a regular menace in fact. Fortunately Mistress Yoda is totally cool with bailing me out.)
Option 4: (Since December is the busiest time of year imaginable for a Yarn Jedi) Pick up a bazillion stitches along each edge and knit a row or two of something (that's NOT stockinette) perpendicular to the ribbing. (Up side, no need to trouble Yoda. Down side, scarf is now officially and totally non-reversible.)
Option 4.1: Learn to crochet. At least enough to manage this job.

Obviously this hasn't been a high-priority issue since I finished the scarf back in ... May(?), and it's now December, so perhaps Option 1 was more workable than I thought.

[Jan in CA]

It will only curl a tiny bit on the edge if you rib. I wouldn't worry about it.

[mojo11]

It will only curl a tiny bit on the edge if you rib. I wouldn't worry about it.

Mmm... It was more than tiny. Probably a function of too much tension (that'd be my guess, anyway). But whatever the reason, even after blocking it rolled up like a newspaper. Couldn't have worried me but just so much though, since I haven't done anything about it yet.

[salmonmac]

Here's a link to exhaustive series on curling edges. You've hit the high points already although the link leaves out Yoda.