Okie dokie I'm blocking my swatches (!!!) and have come up against a potential problem. My first and last stitch curl under. I figured it was because it was stockinette but after blocking a few of them they still curl under. It doesn't distort the swatch or anything but I don't know if it's because I'm blocking wrong or if that is understood to be the nature of the beast. If I pin them out it distorts my edges. I've looked at them and considered if it would cause an issue with things such as seaming and I don't think it would. That makes me think it's just something that happens when you block stockinette. Am I wrong? Should I try pinning and reblocking?

Hmmmmm. . . . you have me confused. I thought your questions got answered under your earlier September 7 post.

If the final results really bother you, I suggest there are at least two ways you can handle this. First, is just send the package off and let the Committee tell you if anything needs to be re-done. After all, the point of this program is to our work-product out for comment by knowledgeable, skilled knitters and many times we learn much more from request to re-do than praise for what we have done.

The other option is to put your binder together and then put the whole thing away and out of sight for a month of so. When I am very close to a project, I generally see only the problems. After I've been "away" from the project for a while, I can see the quality of what I made. Sometimes I look at something and say to myself "how'd I make that??" and "wow, that's pretty good." If you take some time away from your swatches, you may be less critical about any slight curl -- besides having them stored in a tight-layered situation which would occur when you put those swatches into the slips and then into the binder might take care of any remaining curling. <smile>

Nope, they didn't get answered to the degree I was hoping for. While similar, my question was a tad different this go around. I wanted to know if that one single selvedge stitch on both ends was going to curl regardless of what I did.

Thanks for answering though. While neither "solution" for my question is what I was going for, it's nice to see you put some time and thought into coming up with something for me. <smile>

Assuming you are using wool, if you wet block and pin the selvedge stitches, they won't curl. You won't distort the edges unless you stretch the swatch. With that said, send them in. Many of the swatches I see have the first and last stitches curled and it isn't the end of the world.

Arenda