Badly curling poncho edges

#1

Hi everyone, I am a fairly knew knitter (since April). This is my first attempt at a drapey kind of project, and something seems wrong.

I kntted this http://www.yarnia.com/sisopo.html only I used Plymouth Encore worsted weight yarn and plymouth jungle for the ribbon yarn. The edges of the poncho curl terribly. In fact, the bottom curls up several inches. How can I fix this? Would washing and trying to block a bit help? I would like to figure out how the people at Berroco got the poncho to hang so nicely.

Thanks!

#2

hi there! A friendly tip: stockinette stitch ALWAYS curls! :hair: The most common solution is to add a garter stitch border to the edge. :figureditout: I bet, if you’ve already made it, you could pick up stitches along the bottom edge of the poncho and make a border still! :happydance: good luck! :muah:

#3

Or you can crochet sc around the edges.

sue

#4

Well, yes: stockinette always curls at the edges.
But this pattern only uses stockinette for two rows at the edge, then moves to a drop-stitch pattern, which should be looser and more relaxed.

I think the problem is with the yarn substitution.
The original yarn, Softwist, is 49% merino and 51% rayon – drapey and soft by its nature. The substitute yarn, Encore is (if I recall) 25% wool and 75% acrylic. You are just not going to get the same results with yarn that’s so different, even if the gauge is the same.

Whenever you plan to substitute yarn, you really [color=red]really[/color] have to knit a big swatch of the new yarn in the design’s stitch pattern to see if it is going to behave the way you want it to. And you really [color=red]really [/color] need to wash and dry the swatch as the label directs to see how it reacts.

Encore doesn’t block well because of the high acrylic content. But a trip through the washer may help (IF the Zen ribbon is machine washable; if not you’ll have to hand-wash). Lay the damp poncho on a couple of towels and pat the edges firmly – beat them into submission, so to speak.

Or take it to a good dry cleaner and explain the problem. Be sure to tell them the fiber content. Professional steaming may do the job, but I wouldn’t try it at home. Nothing like melted acrylic to ruin your day.

Hope you find a solution – it’s such a pretty poncho.

#5

Why don’t you just try a crocheted edge and see how that looks?
Might be pretty and solve the problem…

#6

Thanks for all your help everyone! I really appreciate it.

Knitasha, what you say kind of disappoints me, because I asked the lady at the yarn store for advice and she said the encore would work just as well. But now that I think things through, I can see exactly what you mean. I feel a bit lead astray, though.

I will try the washing and if not the steaming and if worse comes to worse, the crochet edge. Question: should I simply “pat” it into submission or should I also pin it out to dry?

#7

That’s a call that needs to be made when the time comes. If patting gets it into a shape you are satisfied with, leave it. If it looks like it needs more help, pin it.

#8

Well, I had an intense discussion with a lady from my other usual yarn store. She suggested using the iron on low, its steam button, and a pillow case for protection. I blocked the entire poncho and it looks so much better. There is very little curling now and the stitches themselves relaxed far more than I thought they would, being mostly acrylic.

The nice lady also offered to crochet around the edge for me because me + crochet = horrible things. Ill take her up on the offer so I can get maximum straightness.

Its gonna work really well and Im so happy. Thanks everyone for all the help!