Banding Together

A side conversation with Anne (a prolific and talented Fair Isle knitter--see some examples of her work on Ideaphoria) led me to the realization that what people want is fewer digressions and more talk about stranded knitting minutiae. Well, she didn't exactly say that. And she isn't the only one to write me privately about some aspect of stranded colorwork.

At any rate, it's time to get back to my roots. (Speaking of roots and digressions, I've been letting my hair grow out to see what it looks like gray. My hairdresser in Seattle would say, "Why on earth would you do that?" I don't know, really. I'm just curious. I've met some really great looking women with wonderful gray hair recently. Why I think I'd be one of them I don't know.) Let's talk about adding two-color bands--button bands, neck bands, armhole bands--to stranded bodies.

Disclaimer: I must tell you that a quick review of all the stranded projects I've completed over the years would reveal that I have designed only one garment that used a stranded band of any type. And the three sweaters I'm starting now follow the same theme. This leads to rule 1 (and you KNOW how I love lists of rules!) about bands:

1. You can avoid using two-color stranded bands on your garments:

a.* Use I-cord instead. Please note that one row of I-cord is usually not enough to stop the rolling stocking stitch is known for on longer stretches of fabric. You can build several rows of I-cord, which will do the trick. Or add a hem behind the I-cord.

  I-cord band

Hem behind I-cord band

On shorter lengths, say, the neckline, knitting-up-and-binding-off a row where the I-cord meets the fabric (or even easier and looks just the same: crochet) will take care of any gymnastics. Plus this looks great.

I-cord (maroon) with crochet (mauve)

b. Use Meg Swansen's Purl When You Can method (yes, even on the vertical button band). Briefly, Meg introduces purl stitches when a color appears above itself--thereby effectively creating a corrugated rib without the disturbing regimentation. Meg expands on this method in several of her Wool Gathering newsletters; I recommend the Giant Latvian Cardigan issue (#67), which introduces the idea of the vertical PWYC border. I plan to use this technique in my Mudcloth Vest. Disadvantage? Sometimes it's nice to add a different color to the border, and you can't when you build the borders into the body.

c. Use plain ribbing or garter stitch or seed stitch. The arguments against plain ribbing correctly note that the borders will not be a substantial as the body of the garment. Also, plain ribbing became a design element on machine-knit sweaters in the 1950s--so many people prefer to make sure that their work is obviously the product of skilled hands by using a patterned border. Even so, I love plain ribbing (which can be multi-colored, by the way)! Turtlenecks and turned-up cuffs give some additional substance to a plain border; double-knitting can do the same thing. I'm plotting a double-knit shawl collar for the Curry Sweater.

Garter border

Multi-color rib

d. Plan a garment that doesn't need borders. Think Jumper/Pullover/Sweater. Think turtleneck or shawl collar. This is, of course, quite limiting, especially for those of us entering the Personal Portable Self-Heater period of life.

Ribbed neck

e. You can add facings rather than bands. This can be a bit tricky at necklines and armholes, but not impossible.

2. You can add two-color bands.

a. You can use standard corrugated rib. Knit 2 in color A, purl 2 in color B. Use whatever color progressions you'd like. These can add greatly to the garment's overall effect, they lie flat, they have body.

b. You can use any stranded pattern in stocking stitch and add a backing to keep it from rolling.

Wow--I don't have much to say about the points under Rule #2.

Most people who attempt to avoid patterned bands are trying to avoid purling in color pattern. But you can add steeks to bands and knit them in the round!

You can run but you cannot hide

So let's talk about the problems inherent in adding any type of band. The goal is bands that lie flat, don't droop or flare out, that complement the design, that add stability to the garment. First and foremost: you MUST know your stitch and row gauge! Whether two-color stranded extravaganzas or the simplest single-color garter stitch, you've got to (repeat after me) know your stitch and row gauge for every knitting technique you plan to put into play. I-cord, garter, rib, corrugated rib, flat stranded colorwork, single-color stocking stitch.

Because the name of the game is the relationship between what you've knit and what you're adding on to it.

We're talking math, dearie. And that's what most people are really trying to avoid when they talk about bands.

Even if you are following a pattern line by line and the designer tells you to pick up X number of stitches along the front edge, you really need to take a close look at your knitting. Trust No One!

More things to worry about:

A firmly knit pattern with diagonal elements will have a nearly even stitch/row relationship, defying your assumptions of 7 stitches/5 rows (or whatever your stocking stitch experience has been).

The relationship between number of body stitches and number of band stitches changes when on an angle. You might be picking up, say, 7 stitches for every 8 body stitches on the straightaway, but you'll need to pick up 8 for 8 on the V-neck angle. Meg Swansen walks through the issues of adding a band to a V-neck on her excellent video A Fair-Isle Vest.

If you have chosen to add a corrugated button band, the two halves of the band must line up when you close the cardigan. Many designers have you pick up in color pattern--trying to track picking up X number of stitches over Y number of rows while keeping the colors in the right spots can get pretty dicey, especially if you are going up one side and down the other. You might want to graph out what you plan to do.

And oh-my-God! BUTTONHOLES in patterned bands! That's a topic for another discussion. Suffice it to say that these are more easily avoided than bands themselves.

Life-Saving Tip

In the body of your garment (I suggest along the side somewhere) knit up about 40 stitches in the manner you plan to use (and that's another subject). Now practice your chosen band. Does it pucker along the pick up line? Does it lie flat? Do you like the colors? If this one doesn't work out, try a different band swatch. Really, a half hour spent now can save you days of work. And you know how it goes: you've put in a week knitting up these g-d'd bands and they look awful. You know it, but you can't bring yourself to rip and start again. So the sweater sits in the closet. For years. Don't let this be your fate!

Well, I don't know how well-organized or coherent the above entry is, but I've gotta go now. Let me know what your experience with bands has been, OK?

* And look! I get to use two-level lists this time! Oh, the joy.

Comments

[Katie]

Wow, great blog entry today, Janine! Thank you! Very informative...

[Anne]

Love the photos, love the comprehensive information! After discussing the situation with you, and deciding that I do want a corrugated rib band that matches the corrugated neckband, I did the math and discovered that, using a smaller needle size than for the body, I really needed to pick up one stitch for every row of my garment. I finished one band and it looks good. Now I have to match it on the other side, but when you pick up one-to-one that isn't as much of a problem as usual. Boy, I am not crazy about doing corrugated rib back and forth, though. It is very slow and fiddly. Thanks for all of the great ideas.

[Norma]

Holy macaroni! ..... maybe someday....but I'm not holding my breath...

[Angela]

Thank you Janine! Lots to think and mull on.

[Aarlene]

Woweee! next time I ought to practice pick up on my swatch. dang it, I wish I'd be a thinking knitter BEFORE I have to redo several times
If'n I keep coming here I just might do that.
Great points!

[vanessa]

brilliant!

[CarolineF]

I love all the tantalizing little snips of your knitted stuff. Wonderful unusual color combinations and I love that celtic knot band.

Good luck growing your hair out. I worry what I'll do when I decide this shade is too dark for my aging face. I found out what I'd look like with grey hair when I was 35 and decided I didn't like it...

[Roi]

Thanks for the bands tutorial. I'm printing it out and saving it in my copy of "Sweaters from Camp".

Letting my grey hair grow out was a liberating experience!

[anna]

thank you SO MUCh for sharing all your knowledge like this! i have a question... i've got this tiny seed of a fairisle design idea but I wanted to ask - do you usually stick to the rule of not stranding across more than 5 stitches?

[DeanB]

Let's hear it for beautiful gray hair! What matters is your smile -- if you've got that, the hair color doesn't matter.

[claudia]

There is some *serious* fair-isling going on over here.

[CarolineF]

Dear Ms. Janine, is that lovely 'flatstrandedborder' yours, or a chart to be found somewhere? I want to do a faux 2-color cable on the pocket of a felted bag and would love to use that or something I can derive from it. If it is shareable in any way please mail me! Thank you!