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!

Wednesday, June 02, 2010Name: gingamgal55

Subject: storing patterns, place markers

Comment: I have recently started knitting again, and have gone crazy for lace. But, I kept loosing my place in the pattern until I figured out that I could store my pattern in a plastic page protector, and keep my place with a sticky note or even better, an address label. This comes in especially handy if you are forgetful like me and leave a pattern behind when you are out somewhere. Makes it easy to identify as yours, and some folks will even mail them back to you.

Tuesday, June 01, 2010Name: star trekker

Subject: storing yarn

Comment: When in dispute on how to organize you yarn, simply take a cardboard box and put dividers in it. That way the yarn will be organized and so will you!

Tuesday, June 01, 2010Name: Emma

Subject: Socks

Comment: I have been a knitter off and on for quite a while but after having problelms turning the heel of the sock, gave up socks for other projects. I have now begun to try to master the art of double pointed needles. For the rib part at the top of the sock I knit with a circular needle (I rarely use the regular straight needles) and when it comes time to change to the double points and divide the stitches on 4 needles instead of the three stated in the pattern. For me this makes it easier for me and no twisted stitches. It is then easy to seam the rib when the sock is finished.

Wednesday, May 19, 2010Name: Barbie Poseley

Subject: The "life Line"

Comment: I use wax coated dental floss when placing my life line!

Thursday, May 13, 2010Name: kaye

Subject: knitting

Comment: if you want to know how long the cast on is, wrap your yarn around the needle 10 times and release, hold yarn out and if you have say 30 stitches, measure out that length three times.

Tuesday, May 11, 2010Name: Sharon

Subject: Music Stand

Comment: "As Katy mentioned: Comment: i put my knitting patterns on a music stand, that way they last longer and it is a lot easier to see them, you dont have to keep looking down at the pattern and it doesn't keep falling on the floor lol"

I have gone one step farther and purchased a white dry erase (magnetic) board to sit on the music stand. It is about 11" x 17". Patterns and instructions that I use often go behind the board, against the stand. What I am working on goes on the white board. If I have a graph to follow I can use my 6" long magnet to keep my place. The stand also gives me a place to put a pencil or marker.

I got my stand at a garage sale and it sat for about 10 years until I read someplace else about using it for my knitting.

Tuesday, May 11, 2010Name: Sharon

Subject: Life Lines

Comment: I noticed a couple of posts that mentioned using yarn threaded thru the loops of the just finished rows - ie life line or safety line. I don't use yarn because I'm afraid it will leave some color or fragments behind. I use Ravel Cord. White ravel cord comes with knitting machines but can be purchased in colors. It is strong enough to use over and over again and will not transfer color to your project. Do not thread your safety line thru your stitch markers. To find ravel cord just type ravel cord into your search (Google) engine and you will find it. Inexpensive and a one time purchase. When I am knitting a sock I insert the line at the beginning of a section and then thread the tail in the first stitch of row 10, 20, 30, etc. so that I can keep track of the rows knitted.

Monday, May 10, 2010Name: ROSEANN

Subject: KNOTTING YARN

Comment: i should say never knot your yarn. wherever you are in your pattern, if you need to add a skein of yarn leave about 6 inches of the old yarn bring the new yarn to the needle by overlapping your yarns. knit both yarns together until all the old yarn is used up . it will look like it is woven & will not open. it makes your work lovely. enjoy!

Sunday, May 09, 2010Name: Mabelline

Subject: Cast on

Comment: when using the make-one cast on (you know, looping the yarn on the needle) i like to pull the sts widely as to prevent the loopies at the bottom.

Sunday, May 09, 2010Name: Mabelline

Subject: Yarns

Comment: My friends (the ones who dont knit... yeah all but one) love having random costumes, capes, cloaks, etc. So i can knit up a random pair of wings, or a long skirt, or a collar to a random cape, i always take a big (and cheap red heart brand) ball of yarn and size ten needles in my bag. Its also good for when i have insomnia at a campout!

Thursday, May 06, 2010Name: Knotty Knitter

Subject: stuffing

Comment: Everytime I end up with short yarn scraps (less then 2 inches)I put them in a ziplock bag. They accumulate very quickly, and when you have enough you can use as stuffing. It's a great way to save money! Hope this helps someone!

Tuesday, April 27, 2010Name: Denise

Subject: How to store circular needles

Comment: I store my circular needles and my double-points in pencil cases. The one with zippers. You can use a marker to write the size on the front, and then they can all be put in a binder so they are easy to find.

Monday, April 26, 2010Name: BJ

Subject: Keeping track of projects

Comment: Because I learned to catalogue my patterns in sleeves in a notebook, they're always easy to find. But I could never remember what I made it of nor whom I gave it to. Now I use a sticky note with the kind of yarn, date completed,to whom I gave it, and a small sample of that yarn tucked inside the same sleeve. I often repeat a pattern, so it's apt to have a few "stickies".

Saturday, April 24, 2010Name: carolina girl

Subject: leftover yarn

Comment: i use up my leftover yarn by knitting doll clothes. i knit the dolls too. they're fun and easy to make,not much of a commitment, if you only have small amounts left you can do stripes of all kinds, and my sisters (to whom i give most of the dolls and clothes)love them!

Saturday, April 24, 2010Name: carolina girl

Subject: top down sweaters

Comment: i only knit top down sweaters in one piece (i hate seaming) and they are wonderful! with the help of Barbara Walkers book Knitting From the Top, top down sweaters are very easy to design. you can make them in a variety of styles, from raglan to saddle shoulder to drop shoulder.

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