Learn to prevent curling edges to make beautiful scarves on your knitting machine.
Despite the knitting machine's many technological advancements over manual needle knitting, the crafting appliance has no quick fix for the common knitter's problem of curling. A curling garment's side edges roll in toward its center, minimizing the coverage, creating unwanted bulk and concealing the full artistry of the knit garment. Although most frequently seen in all-in-one garments (like scarves and afghans) knit in stockinette stitch, curling can also occur in sweater hems, cuffs and neck bands. Luckily, you can prevent curling in your knitting machine's garments with a little planning and care.
Instructions
1. Stockinette stitches feel flat, but often cause curling edges.
Evaluate your chosen pattern and materials for common curling pitfalls prior to knitting. In all-in-one garments, patterns in stockinette stitching will curl unless you take preventative design measures. Conversely, garment patterns that heavily incorporate textured stitches, such as garter or seed stitch, result in minimal curling. Yarn weight also influences a garment's tendency to curl: fine, thin yarns lack the strength needed to hold a curl.
2. Combat curling in stockinette-stitch all-one-piece garments by adjusting your knitting machine's preset pattern to include borders of textured stitching. For the most effectiveness, place borders at both the beginning and the end of the piece. Each border should be comprised of at least four rows.
3. Program your knitting machine to add three or four textured stitches at the beginning and end of each row of an all-one-piece stockinette stitch garment. The textured stitches create edges that lie flat. This technique is preferable to selvage (slipped stitches), which looks untidy. Hang claw weights from the garment during the knitting process to stretch the stitches out to further resist curling.
4. Pick up stitches along an already-knitted garment's edges with a crochet hook and crochet two to three rows of single crochet stitch, to lessen curling. Crochet in shell stitch for more decorative edging. You can also pick up edge stitches with knitting needles (a circular needle is ideal) and knit two to three rows of edging.
5. Spray the curling garment thoroughly with a fabric relaxant and water. Once wet, block the garment by stretching it as much as possible and pinning it securely with T-pins to the desired shape. Allow the garment to dry. Because this blocking process expands the overall size of the garment, this process is best applied to blankets and scarves rather than garments designed to size, such as sweaters.
6. Set the iron's steam setting to high for wool and acrylic knit garments. Holding the iron right above the garment, press the steam button to release full puffs of steam. For more delicate fibers like cotton, bamboo and silk, set the steam setting to low and steam lightly, with care.
7. Check to see if the steaming process effectively releases the garment's curls. If not, set the iron to a low heat setting. Protect the garment with a tea towel or pressing cloth before applying the iron. Apply the lightest pressure possible, or dab, and gradually increase to suit the particular fabric's capacity and needs.
Tags: prevent, curls, knitting, knitting machine, your knitting, your knitting machine, textured stitches, all-in-one garments, curling edges, curling garment, prevent curling
