Knitting

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Finishing Workshop: Adding Crochet to Knitting

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crochet border knittingSometimes you just want a little extra edging on a knitting project. Sure, you could pick up stitches around the edge of, say, a sweater, and knit a little lace at the bottom.

But it’s a major pain to knit a border on a large piece of knitting like an afghan (or even a baby blanket) once it’s been knit. (Yes you could do something like applied I-cord or knit the border on as you go, but it’s still not fun.)

An easy solution is to add a crocheted edging. As shown in that tutorial, I usually do single crochet, but once you’ve got a round of single crochet done you can build off into any complicated or simple pattern you like. Crocheting a border is a great way to add a contrasting color, and if you make it big enough it can weigh down stockinette edges and keep them from curling.

If you’re a video person, check out this video on single crochet by Knit Purl Hunter, or check out the Crochet for Knitters series of videos from VeryPink Knits.

Have you ever done crochet with your knitting? I’d love to hear what you did and how it turned out!

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Comments

  1. I just finished off a cowl with a crocheted edge, because it was a chevron pattern with the color changes traveling up the side. I may have added too many stitches though, as once it was washed it gave the edge a ripped effect. We’ll see what happens once I block it.

Have you read?

Knits with Sheep

It felt like it had been a while since I’d done a roundup of knitting patterns involving sheep, and if search is any indication, that is true. I found a roundup of patterns for knit sheep from a few years ago, but the only one with v I could find is from 2015. So it’s definitely time to revisit this fun genre of knitting patterns.

This all started with a headband. Alyssa Kaat’s Icelandic Sheep Headband (free on Ravelry) to be specific. Ravelry showed it to me as a pattern highlight and I couldn’t resist taking a closer look. It’s worked with two colors of worsted weight yarn and alternates sheep with stars around your head.

Another great sheepy headband is this one from Loch Fyne Crafts on Etsy. These sweet little sheep are worked in bulky yarn and you can make the background look like field and sky or work it in a solid color.

Or make a headband (or a hat, cowl, or all three) covered with a flock of sheep with this set of patterns from New Age Knitting CA. These pieces also use the field/sky coloring, but you can use whatever colors of worsted weight yarn you like.

Speaking of hats, there’s also the sheep hat from Lynann Knits Designs. The sample was worked in Icelandic wool to make the sheep and the hat extra fuzzy and warm, but any worsted weight yarn will work.

There’s also the Wandering Sheep hat from Kat Hudon (on Ravelry), which features a fun collection of speckled sheep that can be worked in different yarn weights to make different sizes of hats for kids and adults.

And lest you think sheep need to be knit in traditional stranded colorwork, check out the Rebel Sheep Mob blanket by Deborah Moore. This one is worked in mosaic knitting using fingering weight yarn. In mosaic knitting you’re only working with one color per row so it’s pretty easy. You can find this pattern on Ravelry.

I can’t possibly share sheep knitting patterns without mentioning the amazing Black Sheep Shadow Shawl by Mark Jamieson. Shadow knitting is a technique I want to do more of, but it involves working two rows alternating in two different colors and the pattern emerges when you look at the design from an angle. It’s so cool and the sheep on this one are amazing! It’s not a beginner project but well worth the work. You can find it on Ravelry or at the designer’s website.