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How to Knit a Chain Edge

April 25, 2016 17 Comments

Learn how to knit a chain edge, an easy knitting trick to make your finished projects look amazing!

I mentioned this in the newsletter this week, but in case you missed it, I’ve got 2 new patterns ready to launch in the coming weeks! One feature both patterns have in common is a chain edge, and I realized a great way to tease the new releases would be to share my how I knit my chain edges!

Learn how to knit a chain edge, an easy knitting trick to make your finished projects look amazing!

To create a chain edge while working flat, each row of knitting begins and ends with a twisted stitch. The slipping of each row’s first stitch with the yarn in front and knitting through the back loop of the last stitch results in a braid-like edge. I love using a chain edge in garter stitch for a smooth, finished look. So often in garter, the edges of your work end up uneven or loose, which isn’t the cutest. Even if you try to tighten your edge loops as you go, simply tightening my edge loops was my go-to garter edge solution for years, it’s impossible to get the crisp, squared off look that comes from a chain edge.

There you have it! When you’re working flat, just slip the first stitch of each row with yarn in front, and knit the last stitch through the back loop, and your chain edge is set. It’s that easy!

How to knit a chain edge

Filed Under: Knitting, Knitting & Crochet Tagged With: chain edge, garter stitch, knit neat edges, knitting tip, neat edges

About Heidi

Heidi Gustad (she/her) is a craft book author & designer specializing in yarn crafts. Her work combines vintage and modern design elements, prioritizing color and graphic motifs. Her first book, Latch Hook: 12 Projects for the Modern Maker, is out now.

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Comments

  1. Sue Anna

    April 25, 2016 at 12:14 pm

    Heidi,
    How can I pin this for later?
    Thanks

    Reply
    • Heidi

      April 26, 2016 at 7:14 am

      When you hover over images, a Pinterest icon appears. If you click that you can pin it. You can also visit my Pinterest at Pinterest.com/handsoccupied and repin the post from my page. Here’s a direct URL as well: http://pin.it/hVSePY2.

      Reply
  2. Sue Anna

    April 26, 2016 at 10:44 am

    Thanks so much Heidi. Got it!

    Reply
  3. Tracy Strother

    May 6, 2016 at 11:24 am

    Do you slip the first stitch as if to knit or purl?

    Reply
    • Heidi

      May 6, 2016 at 12:04 pm

      Slip as if to purl with yarn in front. :)

      Reply
  4. Denise

    May 6, 2016 at 12:00 pm

    Heidi, would you need to add 2 stitches to your pattern in order to end up with the stitches needed to create the braided edge? I realize a lot of patterns would not have you doing anything other than knit or purl at the beginning but just wondering. This way of doing the edge looks a lot neater and tighter than just slipping each 1st stitch. Thanks for sharing!

    Reply
    • Heidi

      May 6, 2016 at 12:07 pm

      In the pattern I just released and the one I’m about to release next week, I write this chain edge into the pattern. As you have noticed, most patterns don’t include this. :) You don’t need to add extra stitches, just work the first and last sitch of each row using the slip/tbl tricks from this post. On the other hand, if there’s a lot of ornamentation near the edges, you could absolutely add an extra stitch in each row if you prefer that look.

      Reply
  5. Fiidele

    May 6, 2016 at 9:25 pm

    I’m having trouble figuring out how to slip the first stitch WITH YARN IN FRONT.
    Is there another way to describe this?

    Reply
    • Heidi

      May 7, 2016 at 9:21 pm

      At the 0:41 mark, this video demonstrates how to slip the first stitch of a row wyif: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=393N4z5mmPU

      Reply
    • Beth

      May 7, 2017 at 9:02 pm

      As I understand it…. At the beginning of each row, bring yarn to the front as if to purl, slip your first stitch purlwise, then move yarn to the back and begin knitting. On the last stitch of each row, knit into the back of that stitch.

      Thank you, Heidi! This works very nicely for very clean and even edges. No more uneven or sloppy looking edges.

      Reply
      • Heidi

        May 25, 2017 at 3:59 pm

        You’re welcome!

        Reply
  6. S.S.Smith

    May 22, 2016 at 9:06 pm

    I have a question on the baby basket weave blanket. You say on rows 2-4 k3 p3 and on 5-7 p3k3…on row 1 knit and then you say to repeat the patten..does this include every first row you know….or do you do something different?

    Reply
    • Heidi

      May 23, 2016 at 8:24 am

      You work row 1 only once. For the rest of the blanket, you work rows 2-7 over and over.

      Reply
  7. Lola

    January 22, 2019 at 12:00 pm

    Thanks for this great tip. Does it make the edge less stretchy than the body of the work, and if so, does working that edge stitch loosely help?

    Reply
    • Heidi

      January 22, 2019 at 3:20 pm

      Chain edges do affect gauge since there’s one less stitch-worth of yarn worked in every row. Working the stitch loosely can help, but many knitters find it challenging to do that consistently.

      Reply
  8. Elizabeth

    March 10, 2022 at 9:18 pm

    Can you tell me how you knit, not just the edge of this blanket, but also the frame? Thank you.

    Reply
    • Heidi

      March 16, 2022 at 1:23 pm

      I’m not 100% sure I’m answering your question correctly, so LMK if this helps: I used garter stitch (knit on the right side and wrong side) for the stitches closest to the chain edge in the pictured blue shawl.

      Reply

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Heidi Gustad from Hands Occupied / Craft Book Author and Knitting, Crochet, Latch Hook and Macrame Designer

Hi! I’m Heidi (she/her/hers), and I’ve been helping yarn crafters untangle various techniques on the internet since 2010. I got my start here, as a blogger, and since then I’ve shared more than a few tutorials here and on YouTube as I’ve grown as a pattern designer. 🧶 

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POV: Showing you how my new Bevelled Tank pattern POV: Showing you how my new Bevelled Tank pattern fits with no ease vs. 4” of positive ease. There’s a bit more length to the cotton (brighter color) sample, but both are cropped and feature shoulder seams designed to sit an inch back onto the shoulder instead of on top, giving it a little swing. Length is easily adjustable for folks looking for less of a crop. 
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Pattern: Bevelled Tank by @handsoccupied for @pompommag x @hobbii_yarn summer 2024. Available for free from Hobbii at the 🔗 in my profile.
Yarn pictured: @kelbournewoolens Skipper and Camper. 
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Let’s talk about fit and ease! . During the Beve Let’s talk about fit and ease!
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During the Bevelled Tank design process for @pompommag, I knit 2 samples using 2 different @KelbourneWoolens yarns. One was in Skipper (100% cotton, second photo) and the other was in Camper (100% 2 ply wool). The Skipper sample was knit for a 36” bust, which measures in at 40” with 4” of positive ease. And I knit the Camper Sample for my 40” bust with a 44” finished measurement. (BTW, I’m 5’5” for folks that find that measurement helpful in visualizing fit.)
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Based on the size chart for the Bevelled Tank, that means I knit one size 3 sample and one size 4. As designed, I conveniently fit a size 4 as intended with 4” of positive ease. When I wear the 3, there is no ease at all because the garment and my body are both 40” in size. Comparing the 2 garments, you can see how the fiber content (cotton vs. wool) and fit (no ease vs. 4” of positive ease) makes a difference in the look and feel of the finished garment. 
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These samples are a great way to compare what ease looks like on different bodies. While I can fit both a size 3 and 4, the garment with no ease feels more like pajamas or a bralette when I wear it. On the other hand, when I wear the one with 4” of positive ease, I feel comfortable enough to wear it to work, even as a crop top. Plus, it leaves me with enough room to layer it with a nice button down if I’m not feeling the cropped look one day. 
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After a 6 month hiatus, I am happy to say I’m ba After a 6 month hiatus, I am happy to say I’m back with a brand new pattern in 9 sizes, and it’s FREE as part of @pompommag x @hobbii_yarn’s summer design collection! (Link is in my bio.)
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In my December newsletter, I announced that I was soliciting test knitters for a pattern that had originally been selected for the summer ’24 issue of Pom Pom Quarterly magazine. However, the magazine ceased publication after its spring ’24 issue, leaving in-progress designs unpublished. (It happens.) As a result, I’d begun the long process of editing, testing, and photographing the pattern for independent release through the Hands Occupied pattern shop and Ravelry.
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You can learn more about the pattern on my blog and get the free pattern from Hobbii yarn - links to both in my profile. I’ll post sizing info in the comments for quick reference too. 🧶
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Here’s a nice throwback for you: my take on a vi Here’s a nice throwback for you: my take on a vintage knitting pattern from 1938 called the Fernlace Pullover. A pattern so nice, I knit it twice.
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Blue version 💙: knit with @eweeweyarns Ewe So Sporty in Sky Blue. Paired with the 1940s Boardwalk Duet sewing pattern from @decades_of_style 
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P.S. I did like this design concept, but to make the pattern more knitter friendly as well as more wearable, I am making some tweaks to the construction. Excited to share when it’s ready! 🥰🧶
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