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Step by Step Guide to Knitting Neat Garter Stitch Edges, Knit Like a Pro

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Inside: Learn how to create a beautiful and neat garter stitch edges that will elevate your projects to a whole new level.

Members of Showstopper Creations can find an ad-free tutorial with ad-free videos HERE.

A slightly faded image of Two white hands showing the chain edge of a piece of knitting with the wood needles still in the knitting. The yarn is very pale pink and the background is purple. Over the image is the text, "Chain Edge for Garter Stitch", "Easy Peasy", and "Stitchopedia, Jessie At Home".PinPin

This tutorial was originally published on 1/20/2015. The most recent update was made on 9/19/2023.

Knitting is a versatile and creative craft that allows you to make beautiful and functional items. However, one common issue that many knitters face is the bumpy edge that comes with knitting in garter stitch.

While some prefer the rustic charm of this textured edge, others may desire a neater and more polished finish. That’s where the chain edge technique comes into play.

In this tutorial, you’ll learn the steps to create a smooth and elegant chain edge on your garter stitch projects. This technique is super easy, you’ll have it down quicker than you can say Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious. 😉

Why Chain Edge?

The chain edge, also known as the slip-stitch edge, slip stitch selvage edge, or selvedge edge, serves multiple purposes in knitting:

  1. Aesthetics: It provides a clean and polished look to your garter stitch fabric, making it perfect for garments, blankets, and scarves. It creates a neat edge on the sides of your project with a more finished and professional look.
  2. Picking Up Stitches: Sometimes you need to pick up stitches on the sides of your work. This can be very difficult with the regular garter stitch edges. The chain edge is much easier to pick up and work into.
  3. Seaming: If you plan to join pieces together, a chain edge creates a neat and even edge for seaming.

Incorporating a chain edge into your garter stitch projects can elevate the overall look and feel of your knitting. Whether you’re creating a cozy blanket or a stylish sweater, this technique adds a touch of professionalism to your finished piece.

Give it a try on your next project, and you’ll be amazed at the difference it makes in the final result.

Let’s get started with the step-by-step instructions, accompanied by photos. Then video tutorials for both right and left-handed knitters.

Two white hands showing the chain edge of a piece of knitting with the wood needles still in the knitting. The yarn is very pale pink and the background is purple.Pin

Written and Photo Tutorial

Garter stitch in rows is made by knitting every stitch in every row. It’s about as easy and basic as you can get. To make the chain edging on your garter stitch, you change the very first stitch of every row.

Stitches and Abbreviations

Below is a list of various abbreviations you may come across in patterns that use this technique.
Click on highlighted stitches for tutorials.
k – knit
p-wise – purlwise
rs – right side
sl – slip
sl1p – slip 1 purlwise
ws – wrong side
wyib – with yarn in back
wyif – with yarn in front
yfwd or yf – yarn forward

How To Make Chain Edge on Garter Stitch

The basic technique here is: Instead of knitting the first stitch, you slip it purlwise. Let’s break that down.

  • Before working the first stitch of the row, move the yarn to the front of the work (the side facing you) .
  • Insert your needle directly into the first stitch as if to purl (from your dominate side to your non-dominate side), keeping the working yarn in front of your work.
  • Slip the stitch from the old (non-dominate side) needle to the new (dominate side) needle.
  • Move the working yarn to the back of the work (the side facing away from you).
  • Knit all the remaining stitches of the row.
6 images showing how to slip the first stitch purlwisePin

Congratulations! You’ve successfully created a neat chain edge on your garter stitch project. Your finished piece will have a professional and tidy appearance that’s sure to impress.

Video Tutorials

For a more in-depth demonstration, check out these video tutorials. There are both right and left-handed versions to accommodate all knitters.

Right Handed Chain Edge Video Tutorial

If you can’t see this video, try watching it on YouTube HERE.

Left Handed Chain Edge Video Tutorial

If you can’t see this video, try watching it on YouTube HERE.

Adding a chain edge to your garter stitch knitting is a simple yet effective technique that can significantly improve the overall appearance of your projects. With the help of our step-by-step instructions and video tutorials, you can easily achieve this polished and professional look. Happy knitting!

FAQs

Can I use this edge on other stitch patterns?

Sure. You will need to slip the first stitch of every row purlwise, just as we did in the tutorial, and you will also need to make sure the last stitch of every row is knitted. If you do not knit the last stitch of the row, it will not work.

You can find more edge stitch techniques in the Stitchopedia under Knit, Basics & Techniques.

Wait! It says purlwise, do I need to know how to make a purl stitch?

No, you do not. If you can knit, and you can move the yarn to the front or the back of the needles, you are good to go!

Somehow I added extra stitches when I did this. What happened?

Make sure the yarn is in front of your work before you insert the needle into the first stitch. Then be sure to move the yarn to the back of the work after slipping the first stitch without wrapping the yarn over the needle, it should pass under the needles.

If you pass the yarn over a needle when you move it, you will create a yarn over that you will most likely knit into on your next row, therefor adding a stitch.

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© Copyright 2015 Jessie Rayot / Jessie At Home LLC All my videos, patterns, charts, photos and posts are my own work, so you may not copy them in any way. If you want to share this information with someone, then share the link to this post. If you want to share on your own blog / website, then you may use the first photo in this post and link back to this post. Also, you may not give away printed copies of this post.

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10 thoughts on “Step by Step Guide to Knitting Neat Garter Stitch Edges, Knit Like a Pro”

  1. Wonderful!!! You are the best!!! All your videos and instructions are super easy to understan!! Keep doing this!! Thankyou sooo much!! Regards!!!!

    Reply
    • Thank you! It makes me so happy to hear (read) that these are useful and easy to understand. That’s always my goal. 🙂

      Reply
  2. My friend has made this into a scarf and made it have the braid on both sides. Is this in your pattern also or has she made a new modification? I would like to know so she can publish this modification. Thank you.

    Reply
    • The chain stitch edging happens on both sides if you do it as I explain in the tutorial. However, this is not a pattern, it is just a technique that has been around for who-knows how long. So I can not claim ownership of it. If she writes a pattern and uses it and wants to say this is where she learned it and link back to this post, that would be quite kind of her, but its not something that she is required to do.

      Reply
      • Sorry my post went on to the wrong space. I am talking about the Dropped and Found stitch wrap. She made it so the braid is on both sides or the wrap.

        Reply
        • The braid is on both sides of the wrap in my pattern. – or do you mean front and back, not left and right? If she did front and back it is just a variation. She can tell people she used my pattern and just alternated the side she put the braid on for each braid, but she can not rewrite my same pattern and just change the sides of some of the braids.

          Reply

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