Garter Border Ballband

Something I've been working on since yesterday...

Ballband Dishcloth with Garter Border:

Here's a closeup of a corner:
For as long as I have liked this dishcloth pattern, I have wanted a border to go with it. I've tried a few options, but I think I'm finally happy with this one. I really like how it makes the discloth lie flat (Look Ma, no blocking!) It does take a little extra work though, because you will be simultaneously using a second ball of color A or the other end of the same ball of A for the border on the left. Basically, it's intarsia.

This is pretty much what I did. If you have any questions, please leave them in the comments section and I will answer them there.

I cast on 49 stitches (4 extra) using the usual 2 strand cast on. (When you start your first row, your cast on row should be looking like a row of purl bumps.)

I Knit for 2 rows with color A (the multi in the pic)

To make a garter ridge, you need to Knit the first two and last two stitches of every row (RS and WS)

So, in what would be Row 3 of the original pattern, K2 sts with color A, then join B and follow instructions until the end of the pattern row.

AT THIS POINT, you should have 2 sts left on your needle. Now, you join a second ball of color A or use the other end of the ball of A you already have. I'm going to call this "A2". Knit these last 2 sts with A2. Turn. K the first 2 sts with A2.

Twist A2 with color B (closes the hole). Move the strand of A2 forward, so it's resting on the WS of your dishcloth, which is now facing you (this puts it in the right spot for when you turn and work the RS). Continue working from the pattern until the end of the row. You should have 2 stitches left. Twist color B with A (the original). Move the strand of B forward so it's resting on the WS of the dishcloth. K2 with color A, turn, K2 with color A, pick up color B and continue. Keep doing this, knitting one garter border with color A and the oter garter border with A2 throughout the ballband pattern. You only twist colors on the WS. (I'm lazy, so that's what I did. Feel free to keep on twisting if you like.)

On Rows 1 & 2 and Rows 7 & 8, where the ballband pattern calls for K one row and P one row, I used color A only. Not A2. It gives you a break from twisting for a couple of rows. BUT, remember to keep making the garter border by knitting the first 2 and last 2 sts of every row.

At the end of the dishcloth, when you've finally finished row 8 for the last time, Knit 3 more rows, and Cast Off on the WS in Knit (K2 sts, pass first stitch over second stitch, K1, pass old stitch over new stitch, etc.) This way, on the RS of the work, the Cast Off row and the Cast On row will look the same (like a row of garter st)

Note: there is a way to twist strands of color without physically moving the balls of yarn around each other. It makes life easier and less tangled. I can't find a good visual of this online. If anyone knows of a site detailing this, please let me know. If not, maybe I'll try to take more pics and post it here later on.

Garter Border not your thing? Try a Seed Stitch Border. It'll be a bit fussier, but I think it would work too.