Knitting Gauge Swatch

[DancingStitches]

I am not very experienced when it comes to knitting and have signed up for a sock class at my LYS. I am suppose to make a couple of gauge swatches with a size 2 and 3 needle....my question is: why does my swatch keep curling up from the bottom? It is 35 stitches wide and I'm up about 10 rows but it's rolling up from the bottom and I do not know why. The shop is closed today so I cannot call and ask. Any suggestions?

[mamaoso]

That's just what happens when you knit.. If you don't have a few all knit stitches at the ends of your rows that is what it does.

[DancingStitches]

The sides are not curling - yet anyway - but it is curling up from the bottom and that's my problem right now. I guess I should call and ask at my LYS or ask at a knitting forum

[DesertCrocheter]

No, no, as mamaoso said, that is just naturally what will happen when you make stockinette (that's the pattern that you're swatching) with a knit stitch. That's what borders on pieces are for, to keep the stockinette body of a sweater or blanket from curling. You'll learn how to not let that happen later in your class. For now, sounds like you're just fine! Patty

[HomekeepingGran]

Next time if you want your swatch to not curl, try knitting 6-8 rows of straight garter stitch (straight knit stitch on front and back — no purls) before you begin purling the reverse side. It will help the curl at the bottom. Likewise you might add a few stitches to either edge of your swatch and knit about 4 garter stitches on each side there, too, to help prevent the backward curl stockinette will make.

 

You are not doing anything wrong. There is a slight difference in the length of the knit stich vs. the purl stitch, so stockinette (knit on one side, purl on the other) naturally curls up at the bottom and backwards at the sides — totally normal and to be expected. You cannot stretch it out or block it out because of the natural dynamics between the knit and purl stitches. In fact, if your piece didn't curl I would begin to wonder if you were making one of the stitches wrong somehow!

[DancingStitches]

Thank you so much - that's all I needed to know. I thought I was doing something horrible wrong