adding knitting onto ready-made clothes

[Antares]

I have an idea that you might consider if you're wanting to add knitting to the bottom of a shirt or dress.

First, though, here are two common options, which you've already seen: 1) Attach yarn all along the bottom of the garment and knit your design from the edge of the garment down, or 2) use the same cast on number as #1, but knit the insert without attaching it first; then attach the insert later. Both of these methods require you to have exact gauge and lots of precision so that you don't bunch up or stretch your garment along the edge where the insertion is.

My idea is to cast on for the total width of the insert and then knit it as long as you need it.

This would, of course, turn your pattern sideways, but with many patterns that's not an issue and/or it adds an interesting design element.

One benefit of doing this is you can block and measure the insert as you go, and you wouldn't have to really worry much about gauge (except for the width of the strip maybe, but that's not as crucial as the length).

[susianna]

Antares, what excellent advice, and I will take it! I think I'll make the insert first, then attach it, as you suggested. So all this helps with my thinking more expansively, which is good for any creation! And I am going to be meticulous as to gauge-as I said in my first post I'm a newish knitter, and gauge is intimidating territory for me, but I've researched and found a few formulas that I feel will help. Thank you so much for your advice Really thanks to all of you who came here to help me and inspire! Y'all are good people.

[amy]

Ooh, I hope we get to see pictures.

[Woodi]

You can also embroider a buttonhole stitch (do you know it?) around the edge of whatever garment you want to add to - bottom, sides or neck, anywhere.....then you'll have little loops to knit into. Sometimes it's difficult to just sew a knitted edge onto fabric.

[fatoldladyinpjs]

You know those Christmas towels that have a knit or crochet handle on them that you can button to the door of your frig? This is a similar concept. You can sew either an embroidery chain stitch around the edge of the garment or use a blanket stitch like my daughter did. You then pick up stitches through these sewn on ones and knit around.