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, April 15, 2011Name: ldf

Subject: patterns

Comment: If working on a pattern that has repeated rows, I write them on notecards & do ea. part on a diff line ex:
P1, K1) 4x
K5, P16) 5x
K5
P1,K1) 4x
That way, when doing this row I can easily find my place & see which "batch" is next

Tuesday, April 12, 2011Name: joan jones

Subject: Half the time

Comment: When knitting small childrens garments, I knit the sleeves and fronts together. any mistakes are done together

Saturday, April 09, 2011Name: Maureen

Subject: Changing Colours

Comment: Knitting with furry yarn using 3 colours Try changing colour every row using garter stitch and definite repetetive sequence of colours eg for a scarf -Voila !!! No too distinct colour joins = nice for a change.

Saturday, April 09, 2011Name: Maryknits

Subject: Counting

Comment: To keep track of what row I'm on, I use a piece of graph paper. I write the number of rows down the left side, then check off each row AFTER it's completed. I have the graph paper paper clipped to the pattern and they are both attached to a clip board. At the end of the project I also know how many times I need to repeat the pattern to get the finished measurement.

Saturday, April 09, 2011Name: Maryknits

Subject: Unfinished Project

Comment: If you are knitting on straight needles and set a project aside and don't pick it back up for quiet a while, I recommend that you take out the last row you knit and reknit it. Otherwise the yarn may stretch out on the needles and leave a ridge across you project. I learned this the hard way.

Saturday, April 02, 2011Name: Jodi

Subject: Seaming

Comment: When I am stitching something together I hold the edges together with baby sized "butterfly" hair clips. They are available at a drug store or "dollar" store, and hold your edges together while you sew your seams.

Saturday, April 02, 2011Name: Kitty

Subject: Knitting

Comment: I print out my directions and place it in a sleeve then get a dry eraser and this way I can mark where I'm at then wipe it off whenever I am done. Makes things a lot easier when I leave it for awhile and then come back.

Also in a pinch I use chop sticks for knitting needles... Hope this helps

Friday, March 25, 2011Name: Jan

Subject: baby blankets

Comment: If you're making a baby blanket, make a miniature one (about hand-towel size) of the same yarn and stitch. If the baby adopts yours as their special "blankie", the smaller one will be a lot easier to carry around and travel with. Just let the parents know that they should wash them together each time so the small one will feel the same as the bigger one gets worn.

Friday, March 25, 2011Name: Jan

Subject: sweaters that "grow"

Comment: It's always disappointing when a baby or toddler grows out of a sweater you spent a lot of time and love on. If you knit the sweater top down and make the sleeves fairly straight, you can unravel the ribbing on the bottom of the body and sleeves, add another couple inches, redo the ribbing, and sew it back together. This works particularly well with a striped sweater - just knit another stripe and the addition will be less noticeable. Babies grow mostly in length and this will allow them to wear a sweater for much longer.

Friday, March 25, 2011Name: Susan

Subject: Cables

Comment: Instead of using cable needles and taking the chance of the stitches falling off I use stitch holders.

Tuesday, March 15, 2011Name: Diane

Subject: Casting On Measurement Of Yarn

Comment: Buying expensive yarn, don't want to waste it. If I need to cast on 50 stitches I measure the yarn from the beginning ball 25 inches. It comes out just perfect with no waste. Just divide the casting amount of stitches in half. Works for me! I don't know, you all might already know this. I just figured it out lately.

Saturday, March 12, 2011Name: Helen Harrington

Subject: Still Learning

Comment: Knitting for 64 years and this forum gives anyone the resources to keep on learning new skills for this exciting and rewarding fiber art.

Tuesday, March 08, 2011Name: Maureen

Subject: Mistakes

Comment: Purchasing more woool than necessary enables a section of a garment being knitted which has a miatake which renders it incapable of being used for the garment for which it was intended , to be made into a matching accessory eg a bag or scarf because the section of the garment can be reknitted without trying to undo the part with mistake and having to use the wool scavenged from the piece with the mistakes One does not then get depressed about knitting but can continue with the project with plenty of wool remaining ,especially if the mistake is noticed soon after it is made.

Monday, February 28, 2011Name: Barb

Subject: Markers

Comment: I cut pieces of plastic straws for markers.

Monday, February 28, 2011Name: Barb

Subject: Needle keepers

Comment: Use elastic bands to keep stitches from falling off circular or double pointed needles

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