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!

Tuesday, February 10, 2009Name: Nicole

Subject: knitting anything (general)

Comment: When you're knitting for a long time so many days a week, use a wrist support that you can get at Walmart or Walgreens and hand warmers that campers use (Walmart 6 for about $2). It helps your hand in more ways than one. I'm 20 and I'm having trouble with my hand (being a pet groomer and on the computer a lot doesn't help)and I have a habit of griping the needle with my pinky too tight and also gave myself repetative motion injury. I put the hand warmers under the wrist support and place it where I need it most and it helps my hand from not hurting so much the next day (there's either little pain or no pain). Also I'm a lefty but I knit and crochet right handed. I was taught crochet right handed but I just recently taught myself how to knit. I've tried knitting left handed and it's hard, so I knit right handed. Still reading all the tips I can from this site and I'm glad I found it because now I know which needles are better for my hands and which might hurt them more. Thanks everyone!
Happy knitting!!

Saturday, February 07, 2009Name: Cecelia

Subject: Storing small things

Comment: To store small things, like stitch markers and point protectors, take a sock without a match and sew around the top edge. Just a plain over-under type stitch will do. When finished sewing, take the ends of your string and tie them together. Voila! A draw-string pouch!

Saturday, February 07, 2009Name: Marabeth

Subject: circular needles

Comment: after you buy new circular needles, stretch them over the top rack of your dishwasher, points down. and wash dishes as usual. the circular needle comes perfectly straight.

Tuesday, February 03, 2009Name: Marilyn

Subject: knitting needles

Comment: If you want to do a small project on straight needles, use two double pointed needles and put a point protector on one end of each as a "stop" ---when you have to put your work down, remove the one from the "empty" needle and put it on the other end of the one with your work to keep it from coming off.

Sunday, February 01, 2009Name: Simon from uk

Subject: Easy cables

Comment: I recently knitted a cabled scarf for my wife. Rather than using a cabling Needle, I used a PONY split ring marker which helped hold the 4 slipped stitches to the front or back with easy and no tangles :)

Sunday, February 01, 2009Name: Sparrow

Subject: dpn storage

Comment: I use plastic pencil cases to keep my dpns and knitting ect. in. They fit nicely in my knitting bag keeping everything to hand and often go on sale in the fall so are inexpensive.

Saturday, January 31, 2009Name: Winifred from Scotland

Subject: scraps of wool

Comment: I use up all my scraps of wool by either knitting or crocheting covers. You don't have to do it in any particular order of colour just as it comes. I do mine when I sit down and have a few minutes to spare. Its amazing how quickly it makes up. I find them great on a cold night after the heating has gone off and I am staying up to watch a film.

Wednesday, January 28, 2009Name: warren stephenson

Subject: scrap yarn

Comment: I make scarves with my scrap yarn. Tie the yarn on loosely, knit a row, tie another color, leaving extra on each end for fringe.

Wednesday, January 28, 2009Name: Abby

Subject: crazy shawl

Comment: I was looking through all my little bitty balls of novelty yarn yesterday, and I decided to knit a shawl. All you do is cast on, knit one, YO, knit to the end, and change yarn. do this until it is wide enough. Mine turned out really cool! I used size 17 circular needles, and it only took two days!

Tuesday, January 27, 2009Name: Lyn

Subject: Yarn Stash

Comment: I have been knitting for many, many years and as all knitters just LOVE to buy yarn on sales it's a bit hard to remember the bags of goodies you collect. I decided to make an excel spreadsheet with all the yarn I owned. It took me several days to sort it out! But now when I want to start a project, I go to my "stash" document to see what I own and had forgotten! Happy knitting

Saturday, January 24, 2009Name: Beth

Subject: Pattern Reading

Comment: I'm dyslexic and have a very hard time with the K2tog, ssk, etc. I look over a pattern and if I think I will get confused, I retype it in my own abbreviations that won't confuse me. This is time consuming yes, but, #1, it helps you learn the pattern quicker, #2, I find I have much fewer mistakes, which makes my knitting faster!

Friday, January 23, 2009Name: Karen

Subject: knitting with dpns

Comment: when you first start trying to knit in the round with double pointed needles, and the yarn and needles keep twisting and frustrating you, try putting something in the middle of the circle made by the three needles. it really helps

Friday, January 23, 2009Name: julie white

Subject: casting on with needles

Comment: if you cast on with needles, always knit the first row in the back of the loop to make a neater edge.

Friday, January 23, 2009Name: Carol Adams

Subject: pattern cover

Comment: I use those nice plastic page covers in standard size. They can be put in a binder. I put my patterns inside, then on the outside use that wonderful colored tape for each line of pattern. Keeps patterns clean and the tape can be used time and again. Plus you don't lose your place.....

Sunday, January 18, 2009Name: judi

Subject: inexpensive end protectors

Comment: I was given some colorful,fun shaped foam beads found in any craft department (even some drug stores & $1 stores.) They fit snug on any size needle and are so inexpensive.

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