i didnāt get angry at tiers, or anyone else. even rant on my blog isnāt an angry rant.
tiers, started by indicating that she included some garter stitches at the edge (by implication she is at least familiar with the idea that stocking knit curlsāQuote: āI thought the garter on the edge would keep it relatively flatā.
I think stocking knit is an interesting stitchā¦ a useful stitch, and attractive stitch. but stocking knit curl.
many knitters (new and old knitters alike!) come up with suggestionsā¦
edging (the stocking will roll at the edging!)
gauge (loose rather than tight knittingābut that just makes loose curling vs tight curlingā¦)
blocking (which works somewhat with woolābut not at all with syntheticsāstill the yarn involved is wool)
the answer is:
Stocking knit curls.
Seaming will resolve
knitting in a tube will resolve
double knitting will resolve.
but single layer stocking knit curls.
this is not being angry. this is being factual.
this is the nature of stocking knit stitch. it is reality.
its not a fault of stocking knit.
It just is.
and itās good for new knitters, who perhaps donāt have much experience with stocking knit, to learn.
Adding edging can be a wonderful thingā¦ if that is what you want. but if you add an edging, its no longer a plain stocking knit scarf.
Personally, i love stocking knit scarves. iāve knit them flat, and seamed them, i knit them in the round, and i have double knit them. (and as a result, i never have had āproblemsā with them curling!)
i have also knit stocking knit flat, and used the curl! Iāve made hats with stocking knit and reversed stocking knitā¦ (and let the two ābalanceā each other!) to get both flat and textured (ridged) effects.
same with socksā¦ alternating rows of stocking knit/reverse stocking knit makes a get puffyāor āslouchā leg/cuff to a sockā¦ (or glove!)
There are other options beside the ones iāve listedāthings that look like stocking knitā¦ (but arenāt!)
but if you (or anyone!) knits a scarf (or any other flat piece of knitting) that is mostly stocking knitāitās going to curl!
and stating that, recognizing that is recognizing facts.
There are lots of things these days being knit with out facing/hems/edgingā¦ that are blocked and photographed and āshownā flat.
and if you live your life as model, and have a crew of people round to steam and block the scarf every time its worn, you, too can have a beautiful flat single layer stocking knit scarf.
30 years ago, Maggie Righetti wrote about knit garments in photoshoots, and how photoās can lie and its still a feature of todays knitted photoshoots!
but if you live in the real world, make the real world recognition-- stocking knit curlsā¦
and then maybe, begin to see, stocking knit curls, see it as featureā¦ make use of it! revel in the nature of the stitch, and stop trying to knit flat scarves from a stitch that curls!