How can I stop knitting from curling?

Question

I'm new to knitting and I'm trying my hand a plain scarf. I'd like to do one row knit, one row pearl, etc, but in the past when I've done this, it has always curled up from the outside in towards the middle. Is there anything I can do to prevent this or fix the problem?

Even when I tried always knitting the first and last 5 stitches of every row, it just starts curling further in.

Answer 1

You might be knitting a little too tightly. You can either knit looser or when you are through make sure you block the scarf by wetting it and pinning it to a board. {heavy cardboard or a bulletin board will do}
Also you could crochet a border entirely around the scarf. That tends to even it out and provide a nice finish.

Answer 2

That stitch pattern curls notoriously...I've usually had good luck with knitting a stitch or two at the end of each row, but that can also be dependent on your yarn, I think.

Well, I'll toss you two options. First, there's using a different stitch pattern. I don't like stockinette for scarves (unless it's option two) because it has a right and wrong side. Try some of the double-sided stitches here: http://www.knittingonthenet.com/stitches.htm

Option two is to make a tubular scarf. Just knit it twice as wide as you want it, then seam the edges together on the long side and block it flat. This is nice because you get the stockinette on both sides, plus it's double-thickness so it's twice as warm. (For that matter, there's double-knit, too, if you feel the desire to pick up a whole new technique...)

Answer 3

This has to do with your stitch. You need to put a welt at the start of your knitting ie knit 1 purl 1 for a few lines then it stops it from curling. you could knit the whole scarf in this stitch, or knit it plain and when you have finished the scarf sew the scarf (longways) together and this will stop it curling. Hope this helps

Answer 4

That's called stockinette stitch. It always curls. You can prevent it from curling so much by putting a garter stitch or moss stitch border on each side of the stockinette portion of your project. For a garter stitch border, put about three knit stitches at the beginning and end of every row.