Knitting

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Work a Pretty Edge on a Two-Color Project

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How to carry the non-working yarn and make a chained edge when you knit stripes.When I’m knitting a project in two colors with just a few rows of each color worked at a time, I like to carry the unused yarn up the side of the work rather than cutting the yarn and having all those extra ends to weave in.

I usually just do this by holding the non-working yarn at the back of the work and knitting the first stitch of the row such that the yarn is caught and sort of pulled up into the next row if that makes sense. (I’ll do a video soon to show you what I mean.)

This tip on working stripes from We Are Knitters also involves slipping the first stitch of each row to make a chained edge along the side. It’s super easy as long as you remember to do it, and those slipped stitches are perfect to work into if you need to pick up stitches along the sides of the project later.

I’m definitely going to give this a try. How do you carry yarn up the side of a project?

[Photo: We are Knitters.]

Comments

  1. I have just let it sort of hang. I like the idea of the chain edge along the side but need a video to understand it. My luck I’d end up with an unfinished stitch and the whole works would in-ravel.

  3. If it is going to be a raw edge, then I would do as you do, catching the unused strand at the end every time.

Have you read?

Stitch a Simple Sack Hat that Looks Like a Turkey

If your family is the sort to do a turkey trot for Thanksgiving, or even just to take family pictures, you’ll want to get started knitting up some Turkey Sack Hats with this pattern from Underground Crafter. 

The pattern uses super bulky yarn and is rated easy. It’s knit flat but there are a few skills in here around the shaping of the eyes, which includes changing colors, working bobbles and doing a wicked purl 3 together decrease. Twice. 

But that’s all in one row, and the rest of it is pretty simple. The beak is worked separately and sewn on, and the side of the hat is stitched up to make it into a hat. 

What’s great about this one is that it comes in 10 sizes, ranging from newborn to adult large, so you really can make one for everyone in the family. And because it uses super bulky yarn you can knit a bunch pretty quickly if that’s a thing you’d like to do. 

It’s also fun because you could use this base pattern to make different animals or for different holidays. Make it all in orange and stitch on a jack o’lantern face for Halloween, or make a white one that’s a snowman, for example. 

In any style this would also be a fun gag gift for that person in your life who has everything or doesn’t want gifts, or if you do a secret Santa or white elephant gift exchange at work or elsewhere. 

And make sure whether you’re making it a turkey or some other character that you include the pom poms at the top! They’re just so cure and a great way to add a bit more color to the project, and they’re easy to make. (See also: ways to make a pompom with yarn.)

You can grab the free pattern at the Underground Crafter website. 

[Photo: Underground Crafter]