CrabEdge To The Rescue

Cherry Top needs a better bottom. That's right, a bottom. Funny thing about that stockinette - it curls. Why is that simple fact so easy to gloss over? It is like a test. Perhaps one day, by some miracle of the twist of yarn, no curling will occur. But alas, no matter how often that tendency is tested, that roll on the edge still happens.

Regarding Cherry Top - that curl is at the bottom where the openwork bit of 'lace' suddenly ends. No ribbing at the bottom! So what to do? Since this raglan top is not pattern based, I can't blame some other designer for poor planning. It is all my fault that there is curling.

And since it is all my fault, I get to decide how to control that bottom edge. This is an instance where a good reference book could be of help. Reference books that give stitches are fun to play around with - but that is sort of how I ended up with the curling bottom. Reference books that go beyond the how of a stitch or notes on other blogs and Ravelry are a true wealth of knowledge when the "why" of a stitch is explained. I love those knitters out there who readily admit when something did not work and then proceed in short words or long prose, to give a solution and even rate how effective that solution was on the remedy scale.

So, here is my helpful remedy of the day. A sturdy and tightly worked crab stitch around the edge. Look closely at that photo. Even without blocking the tightness and vertical inclination of the reverse stitch is making that edge lay flatter. It is a beautiful thing. I suspect that after the dye bath and blocking to size, this is going to be even better.

Yeah, it is too early to gloat - but I've got a feeling....