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 How to ensure a flat border around a cardigan		  New Topic  Reply to Topic
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Jeanine
Chatty Knitter

248 Posts
Posted - 04/28/2009 :  07:49:18 AM  Show Profile Send Jeanine a Private Message  Reply with Quote
I'm knitting the Rocketry baby cardigan and the pattern has one pick up all the stitches around the neck, fronts and bottom and knit a ribbed border. One of the problems other knitters have noted, and it's clear in the photos that are with the pattern, is that the front bottom borders curl up. How does one avoid this? I've used short rows to ensure a flat knitted-on border on an EZ blanket, but what do you have to do in rib?

GFTC
Permanent Resident

USA
6331 Posts
Posted - 04/28/2009 :  08:15:44 AM  Show Profile  Visit GFTC's Homepage Send GFTC a Private Message  Reply with Quote
I don't have the pattern but I looked through the project pictures on Ravelry. Some of the sweaters are curling terribly and others are perfectly flat. Some of the sweaters were done with a traditional squared off button band/bottom border but most are curved.

The issue is that the border as designed is not squared off but curves around the bottom. Short rows are helpful in creating the sweater curve in the body but in picking up the border stitches it seems that going around the curve you need to pick up extra stitches to allow for the "3 direction" transition from the button border to the curved corner to the bottom border. If you crochet you know that in a granny square you add stitches at the corners to make the turn. It's the same concept.

In addition you might have to increase stitches every other row around the curve. You'll have to judge as you reach the curve. It's better, however, to add the extra stitches on the pick-up row or the first row because you want to keep the rib pattern clean.

Also, be sure that the needle size you use is not too small in relation to the size you used for the body.

IMPORTANT: when you bind off use one of the loose bind-offs recommended for top-down hats or toe-up socks.



GFTC of NYC
my knitting photos on Flickr or Ravelry
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Sara Sue
Permanent Resident

USA
1083 Posts
Posted - 04/28/2009 :  08:40:22 AM  Show Profile Send Sara Sue a Private Message  Reply with Quote
I'm doing this same sweater and have just gotten to the border. Glad this came up before I got started on it. I did some looking around and found that Violiknit on Ravelry has done 3 of these and had some comments about the curling. This is what she did:

quote:
Increased 2 sts on the bottom front corners every other row to prevent curling.
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Jeanine
Chatty Knitter

248 Posts
Posted - 04/30/2009 :  3:38:10 PM  Show Profile Send Jeanine a Private Message  Reply with Quote
Thanks so much--that's exactly what I needed to know. It's a very cute little cardigan but that curl does detract. Sara Sue, have you done the braid? Isn't it nice? I've never done anything like that before, and really like it.
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GFTC
Permanent Resident

USA
6331 Posts
Posted - 04/30/2009 :  5:59:34 PM  Show Profile  Visit GFTC's Homepage Send GFTC a Private Message  Reply with Quote
Post a picture when you are finished!

GFTC of NYC
my knitting photos on Flickr or Ravelry
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