I-cord in knitting is a technique used to create a narrow tube of knitting that can be used for edgings, straps, or other decorative elements. To do an I-cord, cast on stitches onto double-pointed needles, knit in a tube, and slide the stitches along the needles as you go. This creates a seamless cord that is great for finishing a knitting project.
If you’ve been looking for a way to add texture and definition to your projects, I-Cord is the technique for you.
I-cord knitting involves casting on stitches onto double-pointed needles and knitting in a tube, then sliding the stitches along the needles as you go.
It’s really quite simple once you get the hang of it, so let’s dive right in!
What You'll Learn
Prepare Your Materials
Gather the materials necessary to create your i-cord and get ready to embark on a journey of crafting! Start by selecting yarn for your project. Consider whether you’d like to use a lightweight or bulky yarn, as this will affect the end result.
You may also want to calculate the gauge of your project so that it turns out just how you envisioned. Make sure you have enough of the desired yarn on hand before starting, as well as double-pointed needles in whatever size is appropriate for your chosen yarn.
Once you’ve gathered everything necessary for your project, it’s time to begin knitting! Cast on stitches onto double-pointed needles by creating a slip knot and sliding it onto one needle. Then knit across the other two needles, making sure that each stitch is evenly distributed among them.
Once all three needles are full, slide them together so that they form one continuous tube – this is how i-cord is created! If you need additional help with casting on stitches or forming an i-cord tube, there are plenty of helpful online tutorials available.
Knitting an i-cord can be done in either flat or round shapes; however, when creating a flat shape make sure that your work remains loose and not too tight around the needles. To keep track of where you are within the pattern, count every few rows until all of the stitches are knitted off each needle again – this will ensure that you have knitted evenly across each row and created a symmetrical pattern.
As you knit, slide the stitches along the needles as needed until only one stitch remains at each end – this ensures even tension throughout your work and prevents any gaps from forming in between rows.
When finished knitting up your project, simply bind off using whatever method works best for you; then weave in any remaining ends if necessary and voila – you now have a beautiful handmade i-cord item ready to be used however desired!
It’s amazing what can be accomplished with some basic knitting techniques – enjoy creating something special with yours!
Cast On Stitches onto Double-Pointed Needles
Gently grasp your double-pointed needles and, with a few simple motions, you’ll be ready to start your i-cord adventure!
Selecting the right needle size for the yarn you’ve chosen is very important. Needles that are too small will make it difficult to slide the stitches along as you go, while needles that are too large may result in an overly loose i-cord. If you’re unsure which size to use, consult the yarn label or a local knitting shop for advice.
Once you have decided on your needle size, thread them through evenly spaced loops of yarn until all of your stitches are cast on. It’s important that each stitch is firmly secured onto the needle so they won’t slip when knitting in a tube. As you slide each stitch slowly along the needles, take care not to accidentally pull any off while passing them from one needle to another.
With all of your stitches securely cast on and snugly placed around each needle tip, it’s time to start knitting in a tube!
Knit in a Tube
Now that your stitches are all set, it’s time to get knitting and transform them into a tube!
To begin, grab the two needles in one hand. With the other hand, hold onto the strand of yarn that’s connected to your cast-on stitches. Keep in mind to maintain an even tension on this strand as you knit. The color of this strand should alternate between the main color used for most of your project and a contrasting color you’ve chosen for this i-cord.
To knit in a tube, use one needle like a regular knitting needle and pass the stitch over from one needle to another as if they were both regular knitting needles. As you do this, move each new stitch that was just knitted to the empty double-pointed needle. This will help keep your stitches organized as you work along so they don’t become tangled or twisted up with each other.
Once all of these steps are complete, you’ll have created a tube using only two double-pointed needles! Keep going until your i-cord reaches its desired length by continuing to pass stitches from one needle to another while also sliding them along their respective needles as you go.
It can be helpful to periodically stop and check how much progress has been made by laying out your piece flat against a surface and counting how many rows have been knitted so far. This way, if needed, adjustments can be made before completing the full length of the i-cord section of your project.
It’s important not to rush through this step; take your time when moving each stitch around and make sure it’s secure on its respective needle before continuing on with more rounds of knitting!
When done correctly, your finished product should look like an evenly knit tube that’s ready for whatever comes next in your project – whether it’s joining two pieces together or adding decorative details like fringe or bobbles!
Slide the Stitches Along the Needles
Let’s slide the stitches along and get this party started! We’ll be shufflin’ around like nobody’s watchin’, in no time.
As you slide the stitches along the needles, make sure to keep a consistent tension. This will help create smooth curves and shapes when knitting the i-cord. It may take some practice, but with each pass of sliding those stitches, you’ll get better and better at it.
If you find that one side is getting looser than the other, try to keep your knitting needle tips as close together as possible every time you slide down a stitch. This will ensure that both sides stay evenly tensioned while also keeping all of your knitted work looking neat and professional.
When sliding down each stitch on the double-pointed needles, pay attention to how much yarn you’re using on each side so that your finished product looks even on all sides. You may need to adjust your tension here and there if one side starts to look too tight or too loose compared to the other side.
Once you’ve mastered sliding those stitches along smoothly, you can move onto binding off these i-cords for a beautiful finished look!
Bind Off the Stitches
Once you’ve mastered sliding those stitches, it’s time to bind off for a professional-looking i-cord! There are several alternate methods you can use to bind off your stitches. The most common method is to knit two stitches together and then slip the resulting stitch back onto the left needle. This process is repeated until there is only one stitch remaining on the right needle.
For a neater finish, try using a stretchy bind off technique such as a three-needle bind off or an invisible sewn bind off. If you make any mistakes while binding off your stitches, don’t worry! Just unravel back down to where the mistake occurred and start again from that point.
The next step in creating an i-cord is to weave in all of the loose ends. This will keep your cord from coming unraveled over time and give it a polished look. Use a blunt tapestry needle for this part of the project so that you don’t accidentally split any of your yarn fibers.
Carefully weave in each end by threading it through adjacent stitches on either side of the i-cord until it disappears completely into its background fabric.
Finally, once all of your ends are woven in, block your i-cord if necessary – this will help set its shape and make sure that any twisted sections are evened out before you go ahead with whatever project you’re working on next!
Blocking involves wetting or steaming and pinning out your knitting piece in order to achieve a desired shape or size; however, be careful not to overdo it as too much blocking could lead to distortion or stretching of some areas more than others.
With these finishing touches complete, your i-cord should now be ready for use!
Finishing Touches
You’ve done it! With a few finishing touches, your i-cord is ready to complete whatever project you had in mind.
If you’d like, you can add some embellishments such as beads or buttons to the i-cord for extra flair. It’s easy to do; simply thread the embellishment onto a yarn needle and stitch it into the cord. You can also use this technique to add tassels or fringe if desired.
Once all of your embellishments are attached, make sure to weave in any loose ends that may remain from casting on and binding off stitches. This will help keep everything tidy and secure so that your i-cord won’t unravel over time. To weave in ends, simply thread them onto a tapestry needle and hide them inside the loops of the stitches by weaving back and forth along the length of the cord.
Finally, give your cord a light press with an iron set on a low setting if necessary. This will help smooth out any wrinkles or bumps caused by working with double pointed needles or adding embellishments.
Once complete, take some time to admire your handiwork – you deserve it!
Conclusion
Congratulations, you’ve now completed your i-cord!
With a few simple steps and the right materials, you’ve created something unique.
Now it’s time to show off your creation and put your knitting skills on display.
As the saying goes: “Practice makes perfect.” So don’t be discouraged if the process isn’t perfect at first – keep practicing and soon enough you’ll become an expert!
