Knit in Public Week: Day 5
I-Cord Edging Tutorial
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Special thanks to Mark Rougeux for today’s photo tutorial!
The i-cord is an attractive way to finish the edge of a piece of knitting. Scarves look particularly nice because the i-cord is made from slipped stitches, which creates a nice edge made up of stockinette chevrons. It can also create a more substantial edge to sew in the zipper of a cardigan. If you don’t want the cuff or the bottom edge of a pullover to be too form fitting, the i-cord will give you a tidy edge and keep the sweater from pulling in at the waist or wrist. This article presents three i-cord methods in order of difficulty, from easy to moderate.
Abbreviations for all three methods.
K = Knit
P = Purl
CO = cast on
Sl = slip as if to purl
wyib = with yarn in back
wyif = with yarn in front
CO 16 (10 cast-on stitches + 3 for each edge where you want the i-cord) for each method. This will make small swatches for you to use while practicing.
The first i-cord edge in this article will provide similar chevrons on the right and wrong side of your work. Essentially, no matter which stitches you place between the edges at the beginning and end of each row, the i-cord is knit in stockinette stitch. All samples in this article are done with garter stitch between the i-cord edges.
All rows: Sl3 wyib, K to last 3 stitches, P3. Turn.
When you turn your work and begin the repeat, do the slip stitch with normal tension. After the 1st & 2nd stitches, give the working yarn a firm tug to keep the i-cord stitches uniform. Without the tug, the i-cord tends to get a bit sloppy on one side. In the above picture, you will notice that the left edge isn’t as tidy as the right edge. This might be a good i-cord to do on just one side. For example, when making an opening for a zipper on a cardigan.
Note: The i-cord edging will become more evident and uniform after an inch or two of knitting.
The second i-cord edge produces similar results. There is no need to tug on any stitches in this method as things stay nice and tight. I actually like this i-cord method the best.
Right Side: K1, Sl1 wyif, K1, K across row to last three stitches, K1, SL1 wyif, K1.
Wrong Side: Sl1 wyif, K1, Sl1 wyif, work across row to last three stitches, Sl1 wyif, K1, Sl1 wyif.
Note: When knitting this method, always have the yarn in the back for knit stitches.
The third i-cord edge has a more pronounced i-cord look because it follows a more traditional i-cord pattern.
Row 1: K3, K across row to last three stitches, Sl3 wyib pulrwise
Row 2: P3, K across row to last three stitches, SL3 wyif purlwise
All three methods create very nice i-cord borders. Practice them all and find one that suites your needs and feels right for you.
Have fun!
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