Okay, so I’ve been practicing “field stitches”. You know, the background pattern stitches like seed stitch, moss stitch, double moss stitch, basket stitch etc. and I’ve had the edges lookin’ kind a funky. So, I had read on here where several of you suggested just transferring your first stitch onto your right needle without working it so that each end stitch only gets worked every other row. Well, here’s where my question comes in, when doing these pattern stitches and it gives specifics of what to do with that first stitch, what do you do to keep those end stitches from lookin’ weird? I mean do you go ahead and transfer the stitch? Do you add an extra stitch on each end and then use it to keep your edges looking neat? Transferring the stitch didn’t seem to make a difference with stockinette stitch, but I’m concerned that it could mess with the look of say ribbing and these other pattern stitches. So what’s the trick to having nice looking edges and keeping the stitch pattern?:??
Quick Question
I’ve been continuing to skip my first stitch and count it in the stitch count as #1, I’ve never seen a big difference… Of course I’m not doing anything complicated either.
I don’t slip the first st because the edges end up looser and messier than if I just knit or purl it. If you do slip it, count it as the first st and work the next st as the 2nd one in the pattern or chart. You can also add an extra st on each end for slipping if it’s something like a scarf or blanket where a couple extra sts won’t make a difference for the size.
Good to know, Suzee. Thank you so very much for your help 
I always add two stitches and just don’t count them in the pattern. I slip the first and purl the last. It creates a chain of longer stitches that keeps the edge neat. It’s also useful for sewing pieces together and those edge stitches end up on the wrong side.
Ya know, Olha I hadn’t realized that they would end up on the wrong side if I added extra stitches until you said it. Thank you so much for pointing that out.
(Geez I need to get more sleep if I’m missing something that obvious.)
It gives you a nice edge if you slip the first stitch on the knit and purl rows. This really looks nice for reversible scarves, especially if you’re using the brioche stitch. Brioche and the twin rib stitch look the same on both sides. I use them for knitting men’s scarves, as the pattern isn’t too girly. I love the brioche stitch for making wash cloths. They poof up really well in the shower when wet and feel cushy.
I suggest you knit squares or rectangles of a uniform size for each of the new stitches you try out. You can sew or crochet them together later to make a nice afghan or baby blanket. It’s what they used to call a “sampler” blanket. This is a great way to use up partial balls of yarn. You can knit stripes of various colors in the new stitch patterns you’ve used. That would eliminate the seaming. If the colors look too funky, you can always donate the blankets to an animal shelter.