Knitting with different yarns ?

Question

I knitted a Baby Afghan which required using 2 strands of yarn and it turned out great . I then went back and made another one using only 1 strand which has made it alot thinner. I am ready to bind off now but need to know, since I have used only 1 strand on this one, if I should bind off '' all the way around '' the Baby Afghan since it is so much lighter, before I block it ?

The first one using the 2 strands didn't need it, but just looking at this laying out it looks like it might look better if I bind it off '' all the way around '' before blocking it .

Any help will be greatly appreciated . Have A Great Day All :-) .

Answer 1

What our veteran friend is saying when she uses the term "live stitches" is those stitches which are on the knitting needle as you prepare to bind off.  Binding off only those stitches should be just fine.

If you want to go all the way around it would be easier to crochet, but I don't think it would make this any sturdier to do that.

If you want to do it for looks alone, a crocheted border would look nice and could go all the way around.  Alternatively, one can pick up stitches and knit around--but why bother?

Have you taken care of the hanging ends of all those stripes?  Those need to be woven in so that they don't show.  There are many internet sites with show how to do this "weaving in ends".

Answer 2

Do you have live stitches all the way around?  IOW was it knit in the round, even if it's square?  If so, yes, you have to bind off "all the way around" or your afghan won't last too long.  However, if you have only one edge with live stitches casting off that edge alone should be fine.  Keep in mind that binding off all around may make it difficult to block the afghan because the usual bind off limits the amount of stretch to the fabric.  You may want to bind off, in either case, by *k 2, pass 1 over, move the knitted stitch remaining back to the left needle*, and repeat this across which allows more stretch to that edge.  End your last stitch by pulling the tail straight up out of the last stitch and then weave it in so there isn't any little *ear* left over.