Front and Back of Work

It's easy to tell the inside from the outside of most knitted or crocheted garment pieces by the pattern of stitches: three-dimensional work such as cables and popcorn stitches are only apparent on one side of the finished work.

Up to this  point in this blog, I've only treated stitches that look the same on both sides of the cloth, with one exception: crocheting in the round.

When you crochet or knit [note: knit, not knit and purl] in the round, the bulk of the ruffle yarn remains on one side of the work, creating a tight ruffled texture on one side and the traditional appearance of knitting or crocheting on the other. When you work flat, the yarn  stays on the same side of the hook or needles, but each time you turn the work, you alternate working from the front and the back of the garment. This causes the ruffle to appear on both sides of the work, making it difficult to use for many garments other than The Scarf.

Knitting has a basic stitch that is different from the front and back of the work: stocking (stockinette) stitch. Alternating rows of knit and purl, the structure of the knit is seen on one side of the work, while a more condensed version of the garter stitch appears on the other side. With ruffle yarns, this usually-reverse side will contain all the fabric of the ribbon or mesh, while the knit side will appear as a loosely-worked traditional knit. Viewed from this side, the technique is called reverse stockinette stitch.

Crochet is another matter. In order to get a distinctive front and back of the work, we need to make sure that we are always feeding the yarn from what will become the outside of the finished fabric. Because this means switching the ball of yarn from in back of the work (when the ruffling is facing away from you) to the front of the work (between you and the hook, when the ruffling is facing towards you), I'm referring to it as "Ball Front/Ball Back". The following video describes the technique. 

The End of the Yarn

There are two places in our work in which we come to the end of the yarn: when we are about to finish a skein in the middle of our work (and need to graft in more yarn to continue), or when we come to the end of our work and need to secure the final stitches.

Because of its bulk, the ends of a ball of ruffle yarn cannot be woven into the work the same way we work in the ends of traditional yarns.

Adding More Yarn

We've come to the end of our yarn

Overlay the old and new yarns
(contrast used to demonstrate technique)

Work the two yarns as one until the old yarn runs out

When adding more yarn, overlap the last three or four loops of the ball you are about to finish with the first three loops of the  new ball. Work the loops of both balls together, the same way you did with the folded-over loops at the start of  your work.

Now working with just the new yarn

How the old and new yarns work into each other
(this would be invisible with the same color yarn)

Finishing Your Work

With a Pulled-Through End (Ribbon Yarns, Worked As Yarn)

As you approach your last several stitches, count out the number of loops you will need to complete those stitches, plus an additional four loops. 

When you get to the end of your work, pull the remaining yarn through the last loop.

Pull to tighten the last stitch and secure the tail.

If the stitch will not tighten (which is typical for ruffle yarns), you will need to use sewing thread to secure the tail to the back of the work.

With a Sewn-In End

As you approach your last several stitches, count out the number of loops you will need to complete those stitches, plus an additional four loops. 

Cut the yarn along its width. 

Fold back the last four loops of the yarn, the same way you did with the first two loops when starting your work.

Work as usual, binding off (knitting) or crocheting your final stitches.

At the end, you should have a single loop of doubled yarn on your hook or needle. 

Take a needle and sewing thread, and sew this loop, either to the first two unworked threads of the yarn's edge, or to the previous two or three stitches of your work.

With a Knotted End (Mesh Yarns Only)

As you approach your last several stitches, count out the number of loops you will need to complete those stitches, plus an additional few loops. 

Cut the yarn along its width. 

Using only the four extra loops, cut the yarn along its length between the second and third threads, or between the highest-number worked thread and the thread beneath it..(If the yarn has many threads, you may want to make a parallel cut several threads down, to end up with two "strings" of about equal bulk, plus an embellished tail.)

At the end of the work, pull the working threads through the loop formed by the last stitch, leaving the cut part of the yarn behind.

Using the pulled-through yarn as one "string", and the remainder as a second "string", tie the two strings together using a square knot.

Trim the trailing ends, (and if appropriate, the embellished tail).

Basic Stitches: Double Crochet

Double Crochet

Double crochet is, in my opinion, the quickest and most effective fabric, or filling, stitch in crochet. It works up more rapidly than single crochet, without the long bars and open spaces of treble crochet, double treble, or bullion stitch.

In ruffle yarns, the longer stitch of double crochet presents a deeper ruffle than single crochet. On the flip side, the longer stitch means a longer length of unruffled "back side" between rows on The Scarf, while reducing the "z-direction" — the thickness of the scarf. It makes for a thinner, more flexible scarf, and in a ribbon yarn, can bring to mind the curls of natural fleece or the evenly-spaced curves of an Elizabethan ruff.

Insert hook through next open loop of yarn.
	Insert hook through next open chain or stitch; wrap next open loop of yarn around hook. Use hook to draw the last thread through the chain or stitch.
Wrap next open loop of yarn around hook. Draw thread through the loop and yarn-over on the hook.
Yarn over once again, and draw through both loops on hook.
Row of Double Crochet (Flamenco by Trendsetter)	Row of Double Crochet (Twist & Twirl by Bernat)
After a few rows of stitches:
Flamenco (Trendsetter) Twist & Twirl (Bernat)	Top to bottom: Flaunt (Loops & Threads) Sashay (Red Heart Boutique) Starbella (Premier Yarns)

Starting Work: Crochet

The Foundation Chain

After preparing the yarn, unroll a foot or two so that the working edge is at the top, and the free edge is at the bottom.

Large Net and Ribbon Yarn

Fold over the raw edge between the second and third loops so that the second and first loops exactly overlay the third and fourth loops.

Starbella Flash	Ribbon Yarn (Loops & Threads Flaunt)

Considering only the working edge, the first double-loop from the folded edge is your initial slip knot. Insert the hook into the second double-loop and pull through the first for your first chain. Place a stitch marker through the first chain stitch.

Stitch marker through first chain stitch (lower right)

Continue to chain by inserting the hook through the next open loop of yarn and pulling the thread through the chain loop on the hook.

Small Net Mesh Yarn

Fold over the raw edge 1"-2" (2-5 cm) on a narrow yarn, or 3" (8 cm) on a wider yarn, matching loops on the working edge.

Insert the hook into the working edge about 1/2" (1 cm) from the folded edge.

Considering only the working edge, insert the hook about 1" (2.5 cm) from the loop already on the hook; pull through the loop on your hook for your first chain. Place a stitch marker through the first chain stitch.

Second chain. Notice stitch marker under thumb

Chaining

If you start your work with a chain, continue chaining in this manner until you have as many stitches as your pattern requires. Place a stitch marker through the last chain before starting your first row.

The First Row

The top chain of Flaunt is highlighted in yellow

The top chain of Twist & Twirl is highlighted in green

Looking  at the top of the chain you just completed, you should see what looks like a traditional chain stitch, formed by the working edge. This is the part of the work into which you will insert your hook for the first row of stitches.

Continue to use the next open loop on ribbon and large mesh yarns (or the loop about 1" from the previous yarn-over on small mesh yarns) for yarn-overs, while in all other ways forming your stitches as usual.

Notes

Remember to move up your stitch markers at the beginning and end of each row, or at the beginning of each round.

If for any reason you need to stop your work, remove your hook from the active loop and insert a locking stitch marker in its place.

The Working Edge

Many ruffle yarns have two distinct edges: one which looks like most of the rest of the net, and one which is thicker, wider, more-closely woven, or embellished with metallic thread, chenille, "eyelash" or "fur" treatments, or pom-poms.

The typical method of working this yarn is to work along one edge off the yarn, leaving the rest free to form ruffles and swirls.

For the purposes of this workbook, the edge which looks like most of the net will be called the working edge, and the edge with the trim will be called the embellished edge.

Red Heart Boutique Sashay

Premier Yarns Starbella

Patons Pirouette

On ruffle yarns without a distinct embellished edge, either edge can be considered the working edge, as long as that choice is kept consistent through the work*. The edge that is not worked is called the free edge. (For yarns with embellished edges, the terms "embellished edge" and "free edge" may be used interchangeably.)

Bernat Twist & Twirl

On ribbon yarns, the choice is quite simple: the edge with the loops is always the working edge; the edge with the bound fringe is always the embellished, or free, edge.

Loops & Threads Fabuloso

How to Prepare Ribbon Yarn

Unprepared Ribbon Yarn. Note how the width curls in one direction only.
(Fabuloso by Loops & Threads)

Look for the direction in which the end of the yarn curls. You will want to set the yarn so that the edges are curling upward.

Iron With the Curl Facing Upwards

Set the point of the iron in the center of the channel created by the curl.

After Pressing

As you iron, the curl will flatten out.

Spooled, Ironed Ribbon Yarn
(Flaunt by Loops & Threads)

Roll the flattened ribbon gently over an empty toilet paper roll or something similar.