AuntieAnn asked the following question yesterday:
Picking up stitches seems to me to be one of those under-documented areas of knitting — which leg, or both legs? To twist, or not to twist? I wish I knew a way to pick up stitches where the back side looks as nice as the front. Any tips there, retired finishing pro?
I truly believe that picking up the sts around a neckline or front band can really make or break the appearance of the finished garment. I am very fussy about the way the picked up edge looks — and I generally don’t give a rat’s patootie how the edge looks on the non-public side. The exceptions are when the inside of the garment may be viewed by others: like a state fair judges OR, in the case of some collars, if they flip open so the inside is visible.Â
When I pick up a standard neckline, I pick up as deeply into the garment as I need to to get a perfect edge. I really don’t care if there is bulk that goes to the inside. What matters to me is how it looks on the public side. I go through the entire thickness of fabric because this tends to make a tighter and nicer looking edge. And I never twist (though I might for a sock gusset).
Here’s an example of a very standard neckline, with any bulk being covered by the turned in edge:
There are occasions with a cardigan when the front could flip open and the inside of the collar might be seen. Several years ago I knitted the Berry Tree Cardigan (AS, Stillwater) for my daughter.Â
I experimented with a number of pick ups for the collar but there was always a bulky line on the inside, which I was afraid could be seen if the cardigan was unbuttoned.Â
I invented (? — at least I’ve never seen it anywhere else) the following technique for this situation. I’m not saying it’s perfect. The picked up edge from the public side does not look as nice as a standard pick up, but the non-public side looks better. It’s a trade off.
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 Here is a picture of the collar:
Here you can see both the right side and the inside edges. Like I said, not as beautiful as it could be on the outside, but it is totally reversible.Â
I don’t use this method very often because IÂ prefer the right side to look nicer, but it is an option in certain situations.
As for my knitting tonight, I got very little done. I worked solely on the lil Lady Bug sweater. My friend has a deadline so that means I have a deadline ;).Â
And where the @@##$%%$#@@!##$%#@@ is my Peacock Yarn?????
Addendum: I have heard of the method that Brigid describes, but I have never used it. It seems like it would work well. You pick up normally on the right side and then pick up the same number of sts on the wrong side, through the loop of the picked up st if possible. You knit in the round until you get past the edge of the garment and then k2tog to join the front edge and the back edge into one. It essentially covers the edge. It can be bulky with heavy yarn, but would look very finished.
Michele with 1L asked about how I choose what to enter in the fair. I knit what I like, but will sometimes time the project so that I have something to enter. You can only enter one item per category, so if I was trying to choose between knitting a hat or mittens and I already made mittens that I was going to enter, I might make the hat instead. I also hold items that I finish one year until the next if I already have something for that category. That means I have to wear it carefully for the whole year so it doesn’t look trashed and worn out. But I do focus on projects I will enjoy knitting and/or wearing above all, and the fair is just a side benefit that’s fun to do.
And do I know what the judges are looking for? I wish!! The years I think I’ll walk away with everything, I usually get skunked and then they’ll surprise me another year!
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Genius! I wish you had told me earlier. I’m going to try that out on the next jacket/cardigan that reaches that stage (if one does).
The Berry Tree is adorable! Can I squeeze my kids back to that size?
Comment by Marina — April 24, 2007 @ 6:54 am
You are so smart! What a great solution for a reversable look.
I’m sorry about your yarn order — I received mine yesterday, Sage that was in stock, (after about a week), but I have yet to receive two little patterns I ordered at the same time. Not great.
Comment by Wendy O'C — April 24, 2007 @ 7:56 am
The Berry Tree Cardigan is fabulous! It must have been fun to knit. By the way, clever solution to a problem every knitter must encounter.
Comment by Gale — April 24, 2007 @ 8:20 am
I think both sides look great on the sample you show. I am going to have to take a look at some of my picked up stitches and critique them again. I guess I never thought about it that much.
Speaking of State Fair Judges – do you pick items to submit for competition after you have knit them or do you knit items with competition in mind? I submitted a sweater a couble of years ago and when I was shopping for buttons, my LYS owner was concerned because there was a stripe of yellow in the sweater. I won second prize but I don’t think yellow had anything to do with second or first prize because first went to a beautiful (most deserving) sweater. So my question is, Do you know what judges are looking for?
Comment by Michele with 1 L — April 24, 2007 @ 8:22 am
There is also an article on this in one of the Threads compilations (sorry I haven’t got it to hand right now) which gives a method a bit like double knitting, which you fairly quickly reduce down to single knitting. The neck edge is hidden inside the double knitting. It looks good in the article, but I haven’t tried it!
Comment by Brigid — April 24, 2007 @ 8:58 am
Susan- Thank you for the tutorial- it’s one of the “gray” areas of knitting that
you never seem to learn properly.
Yeah, where is that Zephyr anyway?
Comment by Lorraine — April 24, 2007 @ 9:19 am
Very very nice! I’m with you, btw. The pick up around the collar is *all* important. Yours looks amazing!
Comment by Romi — April 24, 2007 @ 11:38 am
That is a very nice little finishing tip! I would never have thought of it. The resulting seam looks very good. I never liked the bulky seam on the inside of some of my cardigans.
Comment by Charm — April 24, 2007 @ 12:25 pm
Ingenious! Maureen Mason-Jamieson teaches a different method that creates a perfectly finished “seam” on both sides of the collar. She wrote two articles about it in recent issues of Knitters’Magazine (Spring and Summer 05, I believe). Her method involves lying a piece of waste yarn as one picks up sts. so you do, in effect, end up with a double pick up. It really solves the dilemma of how to best finish a cardigan collar.
Your Berry cardigan is stunning. Visiting your blog is the equivalent of knitting fireworks!
Comment by Laura — April 24, 2007 @ 2:45 pm
Thank you so much! I think that is brilliant. In that I haven’t made an adult sweater in years (although I do have one languishing on the needles), I was thinking more of log cabin blankets, but this would work there, too, and then the blanket could be reversible (I felt I had to put a backing on mine).
Comment by AuntieAnn — April 24, 2007 @ 3:57 pm
It certainly looks great!
Comment by Carrie K — April 24, 2007 @ 5:53 pm
Thank you! Another goody for my bag of tricks. The Berry Tree sweater is adorable, but what is the sweater in the first photo? It’s lovely, and as always, beautifully knit.
Comment by Melanie — April 26, 2007 @ 12:28 am
I’m attempting to finish a Debbie Bliss pattern from Junior Knits. It’s the Molly bolero. It needs to be finished by Friday (I’m in big trouble). I can’t get the front edging to come out right, I’ve tried everything, the instructions don’t make sense to me. Has anyone had experience with this pattern. My grandaughter has to wear it on Saturday morning and right now it looks like I should have made her a shawl (or bought one). Thanks for any help. Peggy
Comment by Peggy — April 30, 2007 @ 1:50 pm