*Waves* Hiya I'm a baby when it comes to knitting (only been doing it since this school year started) so I can only do straight lines of yarn. I'm making a blanket for my soon to be 2 year old niece. The chunk I'm working on keeps curling on the edges. Is there anyway to stop/reduce the curling? (I'm not sure it matters but I'm knitting in the pearl/standard/pearl/standard knit pattern I believe) I hope this makes sense and I'll be grateful if you can help me. Thanks a bunch.
It sounds like you’re knitting stockinette stitch (knit one row, purl the next). Because purl stitches are a slightly different size than knit stitches, this means that stockinette stitch curls at the edges. It always does this, and there’s no real way to avoid it. There are a few of things you can do, however-
1) Use a stitch pattern that won’t curl. Garter stitch (knit every row) doesn’t curl, and neither do patterns that have a mixture of knit and purl on each row.
2) Knit a border. Knit three or four stitches in garter stitch, then knit stockinette stitch to three or four stitches before the end, then garter stitch again. This will help the piece lie flat. Alternatively, you can pick up stitches around the edges and knit on a border after you’ve finished the stockinette section.
3) Block it. It probably won’t get rid of the curling entirely, but it might help a little.
I hope this has been helpful, and best of luck with the blanket!
