Edges are one of the best parts of knitting! It can elevate your work so that it’s crafted by hand. I’m always stoked when I catch a glimpse of an edge that I’m particularly proud of how it looks and how it functions.

However…

Edges can be maddening in its stubbornness to behave and lay flat.

Given this love/hate relationship, I thought I’d show you a few options.

And in case you’re wondering – those locking stitch markers are to help me know which is which.

You’ll thank me later.

Edges on Stockinette

The sl st wyib is a bit nubbier, but other than that, they look very similar. Both edges rolled in that classic stockinette stitch way.

Edges in Garter Stitch

Similarly to the Stockinette above, the big difference is that the wyib is slightly more nubby. Because of that, I’d typically choose the wyif – it quietly sits in the background.

Neither edge “broke” the tidy way that garter stitch stays flat. Although these are swatches that I blocked, they didn’t need it to lay flat.

Integrated I-Cord

This edge looks good! And, surprisingly, it didn’t add any bulk.

How to Work Integrated I-Cord

RS: k1, sl1 wyif, k1 (work the piece until 3 sts rem), k1, sl1 wyif, k1.

WS: sl1 wyif, k1, sl1 wyif (work the piece until 3 sts rem), sl 1 wyif, k1, sl1 wyif.

Binding off Integrated I-Cord

You might be thinking that you’ll have a lot of hoops to jump through. But, it’s really quite simple!

You can bind off on either a RS or a WS row. Either way, you still work the I-Cord stitches as knits.

Bind Off Row: K1, k2tog, pass k1 over, BO until 3 sts rem on LN, k1, k2tog, pass st over.

Elephant in the Room

You saw that the first WS edge looked loose, right?

It’s common to have the transition from Knit to Purl to have some slack. Watch your tension there, and even try tightening the k1 in that row, as well as the first body stitch.

Integrated I-Cord Can be NOT Stretchy

if your edge has that loose transition in the beginning, it can work in your favor if you need to block it.

But if you don’t have that loose stitch, you can still make your Integrated I-Cord stretchy! Just work it this way on every WS row:

WS: sl1 wyif, k1 wrapping it twice, sl1 wyif (work the piece until 3 sts rem), sl 1 wyif, k1 wrapping it twice, sl1 wyif.

When you get to the following RS row, you’ll drop that extra wrap (essentially creating an elongated stitch). Written out, this would be:

RS: k1, sl1 wyif (remember to drop the extra wrap), k1 (work the piece until 3 sts rem…and remember NOT to count that double wrap as 2 stitches), k1, sl1 wyif (remember to drop the extra wrap), k1.

That’s It!

There’s really not that much to an Integrated I-Cord Edge – it’s pretty, tidy and easy to work! Give it a try.