Any suggestions on what to do to cinch up the bottom of a blanket while knitting? It’s getting longish and cumbersome.
It may help to put the blanket in a plastic bag. That keeps it clean and makes it easier to work the part on the needles. Those blankets can quickly become unwieldy. Yours is such a lovely pattern. It’ll be fun to see a photo when you finish!
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I use one of those tube elastic bandages for when knits get long. Fold the knit and then feed the tube bandage over it.
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I first tried putting the blanket into a pillowcase, which kept it neat. But, by the time the blanket was finished, the blanket looked worn and fuzzy from rubbing up against the inside of the pillowcase. I was NOT happy.
So I came up with a better idea. Try this:
After you have finished a Wrong Side (WS) row & are about to begin a Right Side (RS) row, hold the blanket up so your needle is horizontal and the RS of the blanket is facing you. Then fold your blanket in half vertically by taking the left end of the needle and folding it to the back. Then fold it the same way once more, so it is in quarters. The blanket should be long & skinny, and the side facing you should be the RS, with your working yarn on the needle tip facing you.
Now fold up the bottom of your quartered blanket accordian style, from the bottom up. I like to fold the bottom 10" to 12", to make it a convenient size to carry. Then accordian-fold the rest of the blanket until you have a nice folded blanket that is about 12" square. For the rest of your entire blanket, you do not have to unfold the bottom of the blanket. Just keep the bottom end folded.
Place the folded blanket next to you, on your right side, to knit. Then begin knitting your RS row - unfolding just enough of the TOP of the blanket to knit comfortably.
When you finish the row, reposition your needle to get ready for the WS row, and then flip your folded end over (like a pancake) in the counterclockwise direction.
Now you’re ready to begin the WS row. The blanket will be slightly twisted, but not enough to interfere with knitting. After you get to the end of the row, reposition your needles and flip the folded blanket end in the counterclockwise direction again. The banket will be magically untwisted and folded perfectly – ready to begin your next row on the RS!
I wrote a lot of words so you understand the details, but it is very simple to do. Just flip the folded portion over, counter-clockwise, after every row. The top end of the blanket will be somewhat twisted when starting a WS row, so I usually END my knitting day with a WS row – that way, the blanket is perfectly folded to be put away in its nice neat 12’ x 12" package.
Keeping the bottom end folded really keeps it in nice shape - no pilling or fuzzing or wrinkling. And it’s very easy to store neatly.
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Oh interesting. I’ll definitely try that out. Thank you!