help with edging

diggerb2

20 years ago

here's what i want to do:

knit a series of panels and then join them to k=make an afghan.

here is my problem:

i'm a crappy joiner. and cann't stand havinga whole afghan on my lap/needles at a time.

my great ides:

an edging on each side of the panel that would leave

distinct holes along the vertical edges so i could lace the panels together.

i thought like k1,yo, k2t the pattern k2t,yo,k1

would do the trick.but it doesn't seem to work.

what am i doing wrong?

when i check afghan patterns either you knit the whole thing as 1 piece, balancing like 200 stitches per row

or you knit panels and then finish by 'join the panels together'-- but how do you get a nice even seam(mattress stitch of course) with all the elements nice lined up?

thanks for help

digger b

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Comments (5)

donna_loomis
20 years ago
Digger, I'm not sure what pattern stitch you would be using, but here's an idea. You could knit the panels in manageable stitch widths, say 30 or 40. You could do them in stockinette stitch, except do the first 4 and the last 4 rows in garter stitch. Also, for the two outer panels, you would also do 4 stitches along the left edge on one panel, and the right edge on the other. Then you could put them together using the mattress stitch. It is really easy to do and nearly impossible to see that they aren't really one large piece instead of panels. Check it out.

Here is a link that might be useful: mattress stitch
diggerb2
Original Author
20 years ago
yikes mattress stitch is my horror. yes it would work great, but it never works for me-- i let my SIL do my joining for me because my stuff is lumpy, bumpy twisty and always comes out with 1 piece longer than the other-- like when you mis button a shirt.
digger
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dortycakes
20 years ago
You could try doing your k1, yo, k2t, just on the beginning of each row. When you turn your work, you'd do the k1, yo, k2t, pattern stitch again so you'll get holes on each side of the panel

I tried it, and it looks good. I think the reason it wasn't working for you is because you were doing your yo on at the beginning and end of each panel, rather than just the beginning. I don't know what pattern you're using, but you may have to do a couple of knit stitches at the end of the panel so it doesn't mess up your pattern.

You can then whip stitch your panels together. Or, if you crochet, you can crochet them together in a variety of ways, depending on how lacy you want it to look.
diggerb2
Original Author
20 years ago
thanks dorty,
i think that is what i'm going for.
i was thinking of doing 2 simple cabled panels, 2 moss stitch panels and a very fancy panel of cables and bobbles.
(cables and bobbles don't bother me in the least). each panel about 12 inches wide. and then alternate them to make the afghan. Just haven't made up my mind yet. it's the joining of the panels that gets me, and making sure that the elements match up. Thanks for your input, sometimes it's easier to have someone who really knows what they are doing tell what your simple mistake is.
i tried your suggestion on a 6" piece and it does what i want.
do you know if that sort of an edging will be strong enough to hold up to the stress of being laced together?
digger
csedgewood
19 years ago
You could crochet a simple single crochet, then chain 3(or more), skip a stitch (or more, depending on how many stitches you chained), single crochet again, etc., all the way to the end of a panel. Do the same to the other panel, matching the stitches chained and the stitches skipped. Then, lace it it together l-o-o-s-e-l-y. You will end up with a triangle shape on one side of the panel, a straight looking strand of yarn laced down the center and a triangle shape on the other side of the panel. Kinda lacy looking and easy too.