One of the most common questions that we get from beginner knitters is about how to stop stockinette stitch from curling. And for a good reason — it can be super frustrating!

After all, stockinette is the most iconic stitch associated with knitting. So why don't we have a simple solution to this problem? And why on Earth does stockinette curl in the first place?

The dreaded stockinette stitch curl has to do with the size and shape of the stitches themselves. The right side of stockinette (the side that forms the V-shaped stitches) is shorter and wider than the wrong side (the side with the purl bumps). Because stockinette works by pointing all of your stitches in the same direction, you don't get the same balance of stitches pulling and pushing on each other, like you do with garter stitch. The result is that it curls in towards the right side vertically and towards the right side horizontally.

The only time that this is a real problem for knitters is in stockinette scarves and shawls. Most other knitted items, like socks, hats, and sweaters, take curling into account with their shaping.

We've gathered our top tips and tricks for how to prevent this from happening, but keep in mind that there is no one way to prevent it totally. Try any of these six methods to beat that dreaded curl and let us know in the comments what works for you!