How to Create & Work A Knitted Rib Onto A Crocheted Vest or Sweater by Susan D. Kerin

Description

How to Work Knitted Ribbing on a Crocheted Vest or Sweater

This is ALL about:
1)  Gauge
2)  Measuring
3)  Math

[clear]
This is all about 1) Gauge 2) Measuring  & 3) Math.

1)  Complete the front and back crocheted pieces for the vest or sweater.

2)  Take your waist measurement or wherever  you wish the ribbing to ‘sit’ when worn; for example, measurement taken is 30”.   If you are not sure where/at what length to measure, put on a favorite vest/sweater and see where things lie.

3)  Using knitting needles two sizes smaller than the size of the hook used for the crocheted pieces (e.g.  size H-8 hk for body and size 6 knitting needles  for ribbing) work a swatch at least  6 inches wide and 4 inches long of  knitted rib in whatever kind of ribbing you wish to use, as in the typical (k1, p1) or (k2, p2).

4) Check the gauge of the swatch – how many stitches across in one inch, etc., for example, 5 sts = 1”.

5)  So based on the example of 30” around where the ribbing will sit, you would be knitting 30 x 5 = 150 sts.   But now consider:   The math in the example is based upon the ‘exact’ measurement taken.  If you wish to have the ribbing stretch a little when you put the sweater on, to make a more  snuggly fitting waistband, you will need  to decide how many ‘less’ stitches to cast on.   This is a relatively subjective decision, based on upon what you think you want.  If you are not sure, get a favorite sweater or vest that you wear and check its fit to help in deciding.

6) Seam the crocheted pieces.

7)  On the edge to be ribbed, rs facing, wk 150 sc sts around.

8)  W/rs facing and working across the sc sts, w/circular knitting needles, per example,  p/u 150 sts.

9)  Wk ribbing to desired length; bo in ribbing.

10) admire your work!

For armholes, follow the same procedure.

I personally do not believe in ‘crocheted’ ribbing and always change waistbands and armbands on crochet patterns when it comes to this.  Crocheted ‘ribbing’ can not be compared/correlated to knitted ribbing.  ‘Crocheted’ ribbing simply ‘looks like’ ribbing but it is absolutely not.  It has NONE at all of the properties of ribbing and has no memory (or extremely little) once stretched.    I have made beautiful crocheted vests that are set off absolutely beautifully with knitted waistband and armbands.

That is my opinion and, of course, opinions certainly make the world go round.