Tips 'n Tricks

Do you have a helpful hint or handy trick that will make any aspect of knitting easier? Share it! Post ideas on scrap yarn usages, stitch markers, color changing, maintaining your sanity while following a difficult pattern, etc. There is most probably someone out there that will benefit from your help. Need ideas yourself? Read others' comments--we all live and learn!

Friday, February 04, 2005Name: Eva Hayes

Subject: Unknitting rows

Comment: For difficult patterns or textured yarns I thread a sewing needle with contrasting color yarn, catch all the stitches,leaving the colored yarn in the knitting. I do this every 10 rows or so. To correct a mistake, I undo knitting to the colored yarn..Found this on internet somewhere.

Tuesday, January 18, 2005Name: Paula Jo Merrill

Subject: Counting stitches

Comment: I put a marker after every 1 or 2 pattern repeats, depending on the lenght of the repeat. Place a marker every 10-20 sts on a non-repeating pattern such as stokinette. This makes it much easier to find the dropped or added stitch when the count comes out wrong, especially when using the new textured or eyelash type yarns.

Thursday, January 13, 2005Name: ROSEMARY MALATESTA

Subject: Finishing Hats

Comment: I find that I can close the top of a hat tighter if I leave a long enough length of yarn at the end to pull the remaining stitches closed with a double thickness of yarn. Also I leave a long enough tail of yarn at both ends so that I can sew the back seam halfway from both ends to the middle so there are no visible tails to weave in at the cuff.

Tuesday, January 11, 2005Name: Joan Anderson

Subject: Casting on with dp needles

Comment: I've been knitting on and off for 40 years and still keep learning new things. Here is a simple tip: When casting on sts (like for mittens) cast them on on single pointed needles and do 4 or 5 rows, then switch to the double pointed needles. It makes it much easier and your work doesn't twist. There is only a tiny bit to sew up.

Saturday, December 18, 2004Name: Amy Finlay

Subject: handmade DPN's

Comment: I like to make my own Double Pointed Needles out of dowels from the hardware store (for the sizes that are possible). I sharpen them to a point with a long-pointed pencil sharpener, or shave them, and sand them with 150, then 400 grade (very very fine) sand paper. I also make wooden cable needles (short DPN's used for creating knit cables) this way. I like them better than metal or plastic cable needles, because they don't need that u-shaped bend to stay in the work. The other day my niece and nephew both wanted me to teach them to knit. I did, and I sent them home each with a pair of my handmade needles (2 DPN's each, which function fine as straight needles for small projects!), and small balls of yarn from my knitting bag. It's great to have home-made needles on hand to give away, because they're so affordable I think nothing of it!

Wednesday, November 24, 2004Name: Brenda

Subject: markers

Comment: I have been knitting for over 20 years and over the years I have either misplaced my markers or lost them- I used my husbands metal washers! when I am knitting a raglan sweater I just slide a washer on the needle and keep going- one package has about 50 washers for under a $1.00!

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