Page 10 - Knit Now - Issue 112 (January 2020)

Ask the

EXPERTS

Our team of expert kni ers is on hand to help you with your tricky kni ing troubles.

In this issue, we’re helping with seams, necklines, yarn choice and stripes!

Marie asks…
My stocking stitch edges
always look lumpy and it
makes my seams untidy.
Is there anything I can do?

Editor Kate says...

There are a number of ways to
neaten up edges in stocking
stitch. My preferred way is to
slip the rst stitch of each
row purlwise (as if to purl). It’s
easy to remember and creates
a smooth line up the edge,
making it easier to do a nice
neat mattress stitch seam. If
the rst stitch is a little loose,
take the work back and pull the
last stitch a little tighter, turn
and then slip the stitch. Usually
this is enough to remove any
‘baggy’ stitches.

Ellie asks…

When I pick up stitches for a neckline I can never seem
to pick up the same number of stitches as it says in the
pattern. Does it matter?

Deputy Editor Jayne says…

If you are working a ribbed edge
and are happy that you can
work out the rib pattern, I would
go with the number of stitches
that gives you a neat result. I
sometimes nd I need to pick up
an extra stitch over the shoulder
seam and at the front edges on
a round-neck sweater where the
pick-ups meet the stitches on
the stitch holder. The shoulder
seam I normally just work as
normal but for the front edges I usually mark the extra
stitch (es) and decrease these on the next row to avoid a
wavy cast-off from the extra stitches.

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