Applied/BO I-Cord Methods

I’ve been knitting a lot of I-cord edges and straps lately, for my new collection of cell phone/eyeglass cases, and thought I’d post on the various ways to knit applied/BO I-cord, as well as ways to deal with the dreaded color blip!

I’ve knit some samples to demonstrate each method, knit in 2 contrasting colors of Bartlettyarns Fisherman Bulky on size 11 ndls.

The way I used to knit a 3-st I-cord
With the body sts still live on either dpns or a circular ndl, CO 3 sts in the I-cord color onto a separate ndl.
K2, ssk (the last CO st and the first body st) = 3 sts rem.
Slip sts to other end of dpn.
Rep last row, until all sts are BO.

With this method, the blip shows through the center of the first *row* of I-cord sts.

I have used this method with live sts to BO, but I have also just picked up an edge st (as with a cardigan front edge) and worked it into the I-cord.  One of the blips is rather large, as that edge st was a bit looser than the others.  It also shows *between* the first and 2nd I-cord sts.

However, unless the last row or rnd of the body is the same (or close in color) as the I-cord color, this method will cause color blips, either in the center of the first *row*, or between the first and 2nd *rows* of I-cord sts.

Here's the I-cord worked in the same white yarn as the swatch – no special treatment is needed, as there's no color to show through.

The way I knit I-cord now
With the body sts still live on either dpns or a circular ndl, CO 3 sts in the I-cord color.
Knit 1 st from the body edge = 4 sts.
Slide sts to other end of dpn.
K2, k2togtbl = 3 sts.
Rep until all sts are BO. 

Even though a st is knit up in the I-cord color, before dec’g on the next row, a blip can still occur, even if less obviously.

3 ways to deal with the color blip
A color blip can occur when the color of the last row of the knitting (that the I-cord is worked onto) varies in color from the I-cord yarn color, as is clear with these red on white swatches.

This blip of color can peak through between the 1st and 2nd I-cord sts, along the front of the work, or through the center of the first I-cord sts, depending on which way the cord was attached.

Fix #1
I have seen some mention that by working the I-cord from the WS, that *row* of blips will land towards the WS of the work, instead of the RS.  I haven’t used this method, but, in swatching, the blips do indeed fall to the WS of the work, as expected.

And here's the crisp RS:

The 2 fixes I *have* used before follow.

Fix #2
The simplest fix is to knit 1 row/rnd in the color that will be the I-cord color.  As the I-cord curls around the edge, this extra row/rnd visually becomes part of the I-cord.

Fix #3
This fix is more fiddly (and time consuming), especially when working snugly.  This method was un-vented by Joyce Williams, mentioned in Schoolhouse Press’ “The Opinionated Knitter”, pg. 55, in their “Knitting Glossary” DVD, and I’m sure also in many articles.

Her method adds a yo to Elizabeth Zimmermann’s I-cord method of k2, sl 1, k1 edge st, psso.

With live (un-BO sts):
CO 3 sts in the I-cord color.
Slide sts to other end of the dpn.
K2, sl 1, yo, slip 1 body edge st, pass the yo and sl 1 over this last slipped st = 3 sts.  
Slide sts to other end of dpn. 
Rep until all sts are BO.

If the body sts aren’t live, as with a cardigan’s front edge:
CO 3 sts in the I-cord color.  
Slide sts to other end of dpn.
K2, sl 1, yo, knit up 1 st along body edge, pass the yo and sl 1 over the knit up st = 3 sts.
Slide sts to other end of dpn. 
Rep until all edge sts are incorporated into the I-cord.

 

I have also seen the yo coming before the sl 1, as follows:
K2, yo, sl 1, knit up 1 st along body edge, pass the yo and sl 1 over the knit up st = 3 sts.  
Slide sts to other end of dpn.  

BUT, I do not think this method makes the neatest looking edge.  There’s no color blip, but it messes up the appearance of the first *row* of I-cord sts.

I find the sl 1 and yo business, then passing the 2 sts over, slows down the I-cord process enough that I’d do almost anything *not* to work the I-cord this way!

If working the cord along a vertical edge, I’d still likely knit up sts along that edge in the I-cord color first, and of course, in the proper st to row ratio, before working the I-cord.

Happy Knitting!
Dawn