Chicken bald back

[HENthusiastic]

Howdy.

Ive just started knitting my homespun yarn into a scarf. However the bottom of it is curling up (its only about 4" long so far ). Anybody got any ideas why? IS there something wrong with the way I've spun the yarn? Or something wrong with my knitting (I'm a novice knitter).

I'm doing one row of knit and one row of pearl.

Any thoughts greatfully received.

[Couperwife]

cos it does

 

if you knit a row and purl a row it will curl up.

 

if you start with about 4 rows of plain knit, it will hold it down.

 

if you dont want to frog it (rip-it) then just live with a curly scarf

 

of put a fringe on it to hold it down

 

oh, I love the wool by the way

 

cathy

x

[BarbaraJ]

Or undo and start again, it may undo fine

[Guest]

asked my mum for you (she's been knitting for over 70 years) and she said the wool probably isn't heavy enough but if you do about 8 rows of knit 1 purl 1, then that should hold it down.

[HENthusiastic]

OK. Thanks for all your advice guys. I cant bear to undo it. I'm not a fast enough knitter to be able to just undo it and get it re-knitted quickly. I think I'll live with a curly end on my scarf do a few rows of plain knit at the other end.

Thanks so much guys, I dont really know anybody whos a knitter, so I'm learning via books and internet. Thanks a lot for your help .

I am SO loving knitting with my own spun yarn

[Guest]

if you've got enough wool (because this will take some length off the scarf) could you turn the ends over and sew the side up to make pockets at the each end?

 

Like this...

 

 

or just turn the ends over and sew them and attach a fancy button and make faux pockets, do you know what I mean?

[Snowy]

If you block it at the end, you can reshape it. Pin it flat to your ironing board and spritz lightly with water. Leave it to dry and it will keep it's shape beautifully.

[HENthusiastic]

What wonderful ideas. I will try to straighten it and if that doesnot work then pockets it is . Thank you for all the wonderful ideas.

[ubereglu]

It's because you're knitting it in stocking stitch, that's why. It's not a problem though!

 

As it's pure alpaca wool you could press it by dampening the knitting and covering it with a tea towel, then gently press it with your iron on the lowest setting.

[HENthusiastic]

ok thanks. Its not going to curl all the way along is it? Don't people use stocking stitch for edges of things then, because of the curl?

I'm just glad its not my yarn!

[chickencam]

Most edges are ribbed either k1 p1 or k2 p2 for several rows, this gives elasticity and stops it rolling.

 

I recently knitted a jacket with a textured yarn and that only had rib on the collar. You had to cast on using the thumb method which makes the work less likely to curl.

[HENthusiastic]

Its all going horribly wrong . Now the stupid side edge is starting to curl! Should I just unpick the stupid thing and start again? Its my first alpaca product and I want it to be usable. Can't believe a scarf is this difficult

 

I did a scarf before in plain knit, but it stretched really badly, thats why I thought Id do stocking stitch.

 

Paaahhhhhhh

[Chook n Boo Mum]

HEN, if you start off with a few rows of ribbing and the first stitch of every row, both plain and purl, then your scarf shouldn't roll up.....according to my mum anyway

 

I've just finished...yes it's taken some time!!.....one of the Lidl scarf kits which is:

 

Cast on 24 stitches & knit 6 rows in garter stitch (all knit)

Row 7: 4 plain stitches 16 purl stitches 4 plain stitches

Row 8: All plain

Row 9: As Row 7

Row 10: As Row 8

 

Once the scarf is almost as long as you want it garter stitch 6 rows to finish and cast off

 

I hope this helps, and I really feel for you as it's going pear shaped, knitting in the first place is daunting enough, knitting your own wool must be so much harder..I have a fleece sitting in a sack next to me which should have some attention really

 

Sha x

[HENthusiastic]

Hi Wildmum.

Thanks for the help. I really am a novice knitter though, i dont even know how to do ribbing!

 

I got fed up last night and undid it all. I found a 'menu' on the tinternet that I understand. Ive just started. Its;

cast on an odd number of stitches. Knit one row. Next row do pearl one stitch, knit one stitch. Keep repeating.

Its only about 2" long so far, but no curl to be seen . I'm also using bigger needles which suits the yarn better.

 

Do you have your own spinning wheel Wildmum? How long have you been spinning for? I'm loving it.

[Chook n Boo Mum]

Ribbing is just knit purl knit purl, the smaller the rib the less stitches of each type you do to make up your piece. I'm not much more than a novice myself.....cast on...knit...purl...cast off...that's my limit......though I did used to manage to increase quite amazingly so learnt how to decrease in equal measure ..I must be such a disappointment to my master knitter mum She was surprised to see me knitting...or trying ... with a batch of double ended needles the other day and once I'd unpicked the whole thing I managed to get a reasonable wrist warmer for my DD...number 2 is about 2/3 done so should be ready for her birthday next week

 

No I don't have a wheel unfortunately, I'm going to try with the drop bobbin thingy, I haven't started yet as I've got to wash the fleece etc as it's one my BiL sheared from one of his sheep last season........it could be thoroughly Did you prep your fleece or send it away to be done?

 

Sha x

[HENthusiastic]

for your wrist warmers. HOpe she likes them.

 

I'm lucky with alpaca fleece, in that you dont have to do much with it before spinning. Its usually quite clean and doesn't have the oils in that sheep fleece does so it doesnot need washing until it is in yarn form. All I have done with it is picked it all apart so its loose, taking out any tiny bits of debris that are in it (very little) and then I have got hand carders which I use to make rolags (like sausage shapes of fleece), then spin! Fab. It looks tricky to be using the drop thingy. Hope you get on ok. Id like to hear how it goes. Maybe do a thread about it, or drop me a PM if you have time.

 

ps Ive discovered that my scarf is called "moss stitch".