I-Cord Woes

So I’ve tried to do an I-cord for my blanket on the two “ugly” sides. Everything was fine until I finished and looked closely at my handy work. Here’s what they look like:



For reference, I was using a technique where I attached the cord while knitting. This is the video I used to learn:


So why does it look so ugly where the stitches connect to the blanket? It’s uneven and annoying. I’m positive I was knitting perfectly along the edge. I don’t understand what I did wrong that made it look as it looks now.
Any insights?
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I-cord is a good choice for bind off. It may be that the slight uneveness is due to picking up sts one at a time as you go. Although it creates extra ends to weave in, it may help to pick up all or most of the sts along one side first and then work the I-cord bind off. That way you’re sure to continue picking up in between the same column of sts or in the same purl ditch.

Hi, another thought. Is your yarn heavier than the yarn in the demonstration video? Also as it’s a different colour to your main body, this pick up and knit row may be a bit more obvious. I have previously worked different colours like this by picking up stitches rather than picking up and knitting stitches. To work it this way, I would work the icord as shown but at the end of the row just pick up an edge stitch rather than pulling a loop through. I usually do the icord attachment as knit 2 together through the back loop, so you work your last stitch and the picked up edge in this way. This gets rid of the foundation row which is a different colour and so harder to hide.
It also doesn’t matter if you pick up the edge stitch at the end of the previous row or just when you need to work it. You could try a swatch and see if you like it better?

Also, blocking can make a big difference to how an icord settles down!

The yarn I’m using is actually the same yarn I’m using in the blanket. It’s a striping yarn, and I’ve just been using the yellow part of it to make the border. So same weight. I’ve tried working the I-cord the way you suggested, but that’s also giving me a strange look on the back side. Maybe I’m doing it wrong? Here’s a picture:


Thank you so much for your help, by the way! I really appreciate it!

It looks like a chunky yarn? (Ie more space between the stitches? )
Are you picking up a whole edge stitch or just one loop? It looks like the edge stitch is peeping through the icord.
Have you tried blocking a swatch or small sample of the edge? It may look different if the stitches relax?

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It is super bulky yarn and I was picking up the entire edge stitch (so strands of yarn). Am I supposed to do just one of the strands? And I haven’t tried blocking. I never made a sample (I don’t usually when I’m making a blanket or scarf). Would blocking get rid of the edge stitch poking out?

Super bulky is a bit of a beast!! :rofl::rofl:
The three stitches in the middle look good. What was different about them? What happens if you give it a bit of a tug? Could the peep through stitches retract into the middle of the cord? I’m always amazed at the difference blocking makes in terms of evening up stitches.
In terms of the number of loops to pick up, I think it’s a balance between not having too much bulk to bury in the cord, and not having loopy joins between the cord and the body.
Hard to say without handling it, but I’d be tempted to tweak the individual stitches to see if you can pull them back in.

Btw, I often knit icord on a smaller needle than the pattern calls for. I prefer it a bit tighter but again it depends on what it looks like after the fact!!

The stitches in the middle only look good because I was picking up the same color (yellow) there. If I look closely, the stitches would’ve been obvious if I was picking up an opposite color. :sweat:
I’ve tried tugging, and even tugged the stitch popping out directly. No good. It will not disappear into the I-cord no matter how hard I tug. I undid everything and tried again picking up a single strand, but the gap between the cord and the blanket is pretty big so that’s not going to work.
I don’t know; I’m giving up hope that I’ll ever make a pretty I-cord.

Oh dear, I’m sorry. I can’t really think of anything else apart from using a smaller needle to tighten the spaces between the icord stitches. I often go down several needle sizes to the garment body (not recommended in the pattern!) but I prefer the neater edge. However garments also have gravity to contend with so the tighter cord helps counteract this. I’m not sure how that would work in a blanket.
Have you tried blocking, even if only a corner/ short segment?

Looking at your original pictures with the yellow foundation row, might this row be hidden when the cord is blocked? It might roll over and obscure the join? They always look a bit distorted when fresh off the needles!

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Hello
Have you looked at a range of photos of the applied icord? It’s just that maybe you are expecting the attaching stitches to be totally hidden under the rounded effect of the corded edge but if you look at a range of pics the attaching stitches are not always hidden.
https://images.app.goo.gl/Yr2bKeZVwH3uUCdg7
image
https://images.app.goo.gl/X7zg9RoWHfX6ZMNT7
image

Do you see on these examples with the contrasting colour that the loops of yarn going through the fabric are visible? It seems on your first photo the cord was neat but perhaps the visible loops a touch uneven? I’m guessing this is why salmonmac suggested picking up all first.

The latest photo looks to me like maybe you did the icord wrong, I think it should fully wrap over the edge stitches concealing them so if you have edge loops showing maybe you got a bit lost in it??

Have you tried a practise with different yarn just to see if it works out for you on another yarn type?

Or maybe try the icord bind off rather than the applied icord?

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