The Elusive "Perfect" Knit Ruffle

Let me just preface by saying that I have not found the perfect ruffle, per se. However, I have found the ruffle that I think I'll be using here on out.

So...a while back I was drafting a pattern for an Elizabethan-inspired scarflette. I intended to pick up stitches along the bottom row to attach a short ruffle. After several less-than-stellar attempts, I had exhausted most of the "Frills and Ruffles" detailed here. I even cracked open Knitted Trims by Lesley Stanfield, an invaluable book I highly recommend.

Becoming frustrated with the "Belle Ruffle," I begrudgingly decided to try a top-down version of simple gathered frills. Somewhere along the line, though, I made a beautiful mistake!

The ruffle was to form the bottom of a collar, and lay across the collar bone. So, I picked up 60 stitches along the bottom of my work. I knit the next row. The following row was a series of *k1, yo accross, knitting the last stitch. Then, I made the beautiful mistake. On the wrong side, I p3ed and on every fourth stitch, I wrapped the yarn around the needle twice. The next row, I knit to the double yo and then knit into the front and back of that funky stitch. After the "kfb" row, I simply continued in stockinette stitch for the length of the ruffle.

Since I was on a roll, I decided to try something else. I tried to keep the stockinette ruffle from curling by switching to a slightly smaller needle before binding off. Thee resulting ruffle was almost exactly what I was searching for. It had the right amount of flounce, the ruffles were slightly bell-shaped but less uniform. The bottom did curl up a little, but laid mostly flat after a quick spritz-blocking. The ruffles are subtle and neat. In the future, I may try the fiddly belle ruffle, but until then, I've got a go-to ruffle pattern that is easily memorized, can be altered for a different multiple of stitches, and looks, in my opinion, fantastic.

Fast Pattern

Row 1:       Pick up an odd number of stitches with WS facing. I had 61 stitches.

Row 2:       *K1, yo across, k1

Row 3:       *P3, P1, wrapping the yarn twice around the needle.

Row 4:       *K3, Kfb

Continue in stockinette stitch.

Bind off in a smaller-size needle.

5 Reasons to Block Your Knitting

When I was a young girl, my aunt knit me the most beautiful scarf. It was soft and wonderful, fading gently between jewel tones. It was long and plushy and I must have worn it every single day that winter. As time went by, however, the scarf began to stretch. It reached my knees and, eventually, started  dragging along the floor. 

Years later, when I began knitting on my own, I was encountering the same problem with my own knitting. Bags, scarves, and hats all stretched hopelessly out of proportion. I despaired. I really did.

These unfortunate incidents I would later dub “blowouts,” and I vowed that no hand-knit gift of my own creation would end up unused or unwanted because of a blowout. The solution: blocking my knitting. In my mind, there's just no reason not to block your knitting. But, if you’re still not convinced, allow me to introduce:

5 Reasons to Block your Knitting

1. Size does matter.
   As you progress from knitting simple items like scarves, hats, and dishcloths, to more complex garments such as mittens, socks, and sweaters, proper sizing becomes more and more important.
   
   Blocking your garments before seaming allows you to even up the pieces, as they will likely not be the exact same size, particularly if you are a beginner. Blocking pieces of the garment at the same time ensures that the front and back will be exactly the same size, arms will be the same length, etc.
   
   It is, of course, possible to get an accurate size without blocking, but will it stay that way? Even an accurately sized and knitted garment will be susceptible to blowouts if the stitches are not “set.”
   
   
2. Be Eco-Conscious (Economical, Ecological)
   Not wasting yarn just makes sense. Why use  more yarn than you have to? A knitted scarf will usually end up stretching a third or even twice its knitted length. The extra knitted fabric can result in a blowout, making the scarf far to long to be practical. Unless, of course, practical isn’t exactly what your going for:
   
   

   

   Dr. WTF

   
   
   By using the right amount of yarn, you can avoid buying too much and building a stash that’s going to exceed the amount of knitting one can do in a typical life span. The little half-balls that I often have hanging around my stash can quickly be turned into baby booties, potholders, or hats for unexpected gift-giving.
   
   
3. Let the Fibers Show
   Blocking stretches the stitches, so the true character of the yarn and stitching will show through uncrowded. Woolly yarns can be blocked lightly, to result in a gauzy fabric perfect for light shawls, shrugs, and scarves. Homespun yarns will display the various bulges and baubles that give it such an organic, natural look. Lace fabrics are often knitted of a fingering weight yarn, and blocking is almost always an essential finishing technique. This is because the stitches must be pulled tightly for the pattern to be seen.
   
   
4. Even up those Wonky Stitches!
   When your knitted fabric is pulled tight, tiny imperfections in your knitting will naturally even out and become uniform. Similarly, not-so-straight seams and edges can be made to lie flat. Curling edges, which occur so frequently when knitting in stockinette stitch, can be rolled down, particularly when steam is employed.
   
   
5. Give the Best Gift Possible (A Note on Professionalism)
   Giving handmade gifts can be stressful and awkward, particularly when a garment is involved. It is not enough to simply gift a handmade item, although it’s true that the thought does count.  It must be neat, attractive, and professional. It must be constructed well to stand the test of time. Blocking serves all these ends. Better stitch definition means picking up stitches along a border will be much easier. Seaming garments using blanket or kitchener stitch will look much neater, and will be less likely to bulk about the seams.
   
   Not every knitter has suffered the embarrassment of giving a substandard gift. This can be an awkward situation for both the knitter and the recipient. I once had such an encounter. I proudly presented a relative with a knitted beret for Christmas. She was very gracious. The guests had all gone home, and the guest bedroom was once more my own, and there, on my neatly made bed, was the beret.
   
   At the time, I was a bit hurt, but I’ve kept that hat. It’s much too large, the stitching isn’t even, and it’s puckered at the crown, from lack of experience with decreases and DPNs. I was rightly proud of the garment then, and I still am. It was my first hat and, despite its many imperfections, it has all the basic characteristics of a hat. But hindsight is 20/20. I would never wear that ratty thing.

Since then, I’ve mastered quite a few techniques that previously would have given me grief. I no longer shudder at the thought of joining a 4-stitch round, knitting lace or cables, or seaming a garment. But blocking has since become my most constant and steadfast knitting companion.