Slipping first stitch

Can you always slip first stitch to get neat edge or are there instances that you shouldn’t? And do you always add 2 to your cast on? I’m starting pattern Drops 194-1 Sheep Happens! Cardigan and it has a 5 garner stitch band and was thinking adding 2 and slipping first stitch.

There are no hard and fast rules. It looks like that will be the finished edge so I’d slip the first stitch. You can add two stitches for one at each end of the row,. That way after slipping the first stitch the count for working the buttonholes will remain as in the patterns so less confusing.

If I will pick up stitches along the edge later I don’t slip the first stitch but others do.

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Thanks that was my thinking on knowing it’s edge of cardigan. I have only done 1 pattern slipping first stitch so I didn’t know if slipping would make edge look loose.

If the edge looks loose, it’s a tension issue.

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Personally, I wouldn’t slip the first stitch unless specified in the pattern - e.g. in a shawl or icord edge. You need all the stitches for garments that need to be seamed or if you need to pick up stitches.
Romi Hill has a good trick for neat garter edges - she works the first two and last two stitches of the edge as knit through the back loop. This tightens them up enough to not have a sloppy edge.

Thanks for advice. But already started project and I already added 2 extra stitches to account for slipped stitches. I think its giving me a nice neat edge.

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Lovely and neat!

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Thank you :blush:

Looks lovely.
I agree with mel61 that a slip stitch edge is not helpful when it’s on an edge to be seamed or picked up from, I know some people do like to do that though, but here on the edge of the button band is perfect. I have always avoided a slip stitch edge even when a pattern has one in (I also avoid the garter selvedge some patterns have) as I like to seam a knit edge but I’m going to remember this for any project with an outside, viewed edge like a button band or split hem.

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I wouldn’t do it if was seamed edge but this is edge of a cardigan buttonband

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