Help with knitting: stripes

Personally, I sew the stripes first - then they match. But then you have to be really careful or you end up with a bit of a gather in the bits between!

If you knit ‘in the round’ with a circular needle, which is really easy, the stripes don’t exactly add up. At least not when I do it.

Thanks NfkDumpling I have tried that. It don't work for me :-(

Look up 'jogless knitting' and they explain tips on how to match stripes in the round - I just can't find any tips on 'matching stripes when knitting with two needles' [smile[

I always pin the seams of anything together before sewing, Use long pins, the ones with big, coloured round heads, so they don't slip through the knitting. And pin them perpendicular to the seam.

Would it help to slip the first stich and knit the last, including purl rows? That gives a marvellous edge to the work, and I used to crochet pieces together just inside the edge rows. Was always tidy.

Or perhaps working the stripes in the ribbing would look better matched when made up?

Please do let us know if you hit on something fool proof.

Persistentdonor I've tried that slip stitch trick which makes a lovely edge on scarves but for the seam of a hat it seems to make it too loose/holey when you sew up loop to loop (do you know what I mean?) I've tried making this stitch tighter but can't. It looks too loose when sewn up.

What I'm trying at the moment, is putting the finished hat flat, with the sides together, right side uppermost (rather than sewing it with right sides inside). Then with my sewing-up needle I catch the first stitch of the stripe at either side and pull them together. If I can get it to match like that, then I can turn the hat inside out and continue sewing the seam, having anchored the stripes. Finger's cross that it'll work.

Who would have guessed something to simple could be so complicated?

I sew knitted pieces together with right sides uppermost it makes for an invisible seam and that way you could keep the stripes lined up. If you look on utube there are lots of videos showing how to do it.

I sew seams right side together and ease the knitting as I go to match up the stripes. I hope this helps

I'd lay the knitting flat, right side up, with edges meeting and sew the join using 'mattress' stitch, enabling you to manoeuvre the stripes into alignment as you go. Good luck with whatever method you use!

Oops, I just repeated pretty much what DanniRae said, I should pay more attention!

Thank you all. I'm going to try matching the stripes with the right sides uppermost. I have just learned how to do mattress stitch today.
I think (hope) that's going to be the answer.

I agree with the method of lying the edges flat and joining with mattress stitch. The charity I knit for asks for baby hats to be sewn up this way as it avoids a thick seam that might rub against a premmie baby’s head. Good luck when you try it.

Yes, as Joybloggs thorntrees and others say, using mattress stitch should work and solve the problem.
Put right sides together, flat on a table, and pick up a stitch from each side.

www.simple-knitting.com/mattress-stitch.htmlhttps://www.simple-knitting.com/mattress-stitch.html

Try ladder stitching from the right side of the work then you can see the stripes clearly. I.e. Pick up the "rung" between the stitches and pull up loosely. Can't go wrong.