So I have been told that some people when working flat items such as scarves and washcloths, slip the first stitch to make a prettier edge. I had been slipping them based on what stitch the pattern calls for, i.e. if it calls for a knit I slip knit wise, if it calls for a purl I slip purlwise. At my knitting group yesterday, one of the women in my group said you should always do it purlwise. I am confused. How do some of you do it?
Thanks!
J
There is no set rule, really. It depends on the edge you want.
The ‘generally accepted rule’ is to slip sts pwise on the edge (they’re slipped knitwise on decs but that’s a different matter). However if you like how you’ve been doing it, continue to do so.
I am working on 2 projects right now. The one that is all garter stitch, I’ve been slipping the first stitch knit wise. I like how it looks on the ends… and it’s how I thought I was supposed to do it. However, when I started doing that on my second project which has a couple stitches of garter on the edges but the main part is a mix of knits & purls, I had to start slipping the first stitch purl wise. Slipping it knit wise was keeping the garter edging too tight and the edges were tight and the middle sagged. I don’t know if I’m making sense, lol, but I think if I had anything other than garter I’ll slip the stitch purl wise to prevent that edge from being tighter than the body of my work.
Ultimately I think it’s whatever looks good to you tho.