Remember last week when I said I use an easy method to pick up and knit stitches along a garter stitch edge? Well here it is! This method works on garter stitch or seed stitch edges, which are essentially the same. Both have little bumps along the edge, and inserting your needle into each one and trying to coax a stitch to work through it can be fussy and tedious.
See those bumps? This is where we’re working.
Instead of inserting your needle tip from right to left, one stitch at a time, we’re going to put the whole shebang onto a placeholder needle all at once. Grab a needle, 2-3 sizes smaller than the one you’re using on the project. Here I’m using a size 5 double point on worsted fabric. On real projects, I normally use a circular.
Working from left to right, slip that small needle into each purl bump along the edge. You should have one stitch for every two rows. Depending on the stitch count you’re aiming for, you may need/want to fudge a bit on the cast on and bind off edges, where there aren’t true bumps.
Now you’ll have a tidy row of stitches on the needle, and can knit into each. Insert working needle (your regular sized project needle) from front to back, and knit normally into each stitch across the edge.
And then you’ll have an edge like this.
And with a few more rows, it all comes together into a flat fabric.
I’ve used this method on the Seberg Pullover, to work the body down from the bias-knit garter stitch neckband, as well as on the seed stitch band of this beret pattern which will be released in the next week or so. It’s a fast, easy way to get a tidy edging, and once you try it once, there are all sorts of applications! Try it on a log cabin afghan!
