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, November 19, 2008Name: Rowan

Subject: Keeping it together

Comment: When I leave the house, my purse holds my wallet, a measuring tape, scissors, a crochet hook, my project, a darning needle and scrap yarn. This way, I have everything I need. My knitting keeps me from stuffing receipts in my purse, and my project allows me to work anywhere I have a minute.

Tuesday, November 18, 2008Name: Hannah Beth

Subject: Stopping Work

Comment: I got this tip from my teacher:
When you are in the middle of a row (Or end or beginning, it doesn't matter!) You push all of your work down the needles and stuff the pointy ends of the needles into the yarn.

Sunday, November 16, 2008Name: Winifred Scotland

Subject: patterns

Comment: Always take care of your patterns never write on them. If you find it hard to follow a pattern when there are more than one size just copy and then you are able to mark it any way you want with the amount of rows you need to do or anything you need to remember. Then when you need to use your pattern again you just fresh and don't get confused. Keep your patterns in the see through sleeves and store them in a folder.

Tuesday, November 11, 2008Name: Johnica

Subject: Slipping work

Comment: When I am putting my project down -to prevent the stitches from falling off the needles I take the yarn and wrap it around the end then, the other end and all around ( from end to end) and then repeat. It prevents your work from slipping off and you dont have to have anything on hand to do it.

Friday, November 07, 2008Name: Patricia

Subject: Tip

Comment: If for any reason you are going to leave your project on hold, it is better to put a piece of waste yarn and out of the needles, this way, when you restart, your project will not have the marks of the needle.

Wednesday, November 05, 2008Name: Teresa

Subject: Circular needles to knit straight

Comment: I wish someone had told me when I first started knitting that you can use circular needles to knit straight rows! I would have saved so much money! I was buying a circular needle for this pattern and regular needles for that pattern. Plus it's easier to knit in chairs and lighter in your hands. I highly recommend the Denise interchangeable needle set. So many options for a much less expensive start-up cost! (And, no, I don't work for the company.) :]

Tuesday, November 04, 2008Name: Paula Jo

Subject: Well duh! moments

Comment: Most of what I make ends up being given as gifts. A few years ago I realized I couldn't remember what I had given to whom! Well duh! In my craft journal I now list the type of craft (knit, tatted, painted, etc.), the pattern, materials, etc. and the person I gave it too. I have a list of who got what!

For a long time I would follow the pattern as written, no matter what but sometimes it didn't work right or I didn't like the end result so I wouldn't use that pattern anymore. Well duh! Sometimes a pattern has an error in it. Now I have a few basic patterns I love and just use a pattern stitch or charted design I like. Usually I can make it work by adjusting the stitch count by 1 or 2 stitches. This works especially well with socks.

I like to have something to work on in the car but quite often I find I walked out the door without a project. Well duh! Now I keep a small project in the car all the time. It doesn't come in the house until I'm finished with it. These are usually small items like bookmarks so it doesn't take long to finish one even working a couple of minutes at a time.

I'm sure we all have our Well duh! moments and I'd love to read some of yours!

Sunday, November 02, 2008Name: Bernadine

Subject: My Traveling Knitting Bag

Comment: We spend a lot of time on the road and I always take a few projects with me, usually two totally different projects to fight the bore dum.
My Traveling bag is always a Shopping bag that you can buy at any shopping centre, and has scissors, ruler, darning needle, needle holder (leather one that my sister made me) and projects and pattern and a good book to read when the road gets too bumpy to knit.

Saturday, November 01, 2008Name: Winifred

Subject: knitting two at the same time

Comment: I tried is many years ago and found you had to be really careful in what direction you were going, because if you stopped at the end of one needle to answer the phone for any reason, when you picked it up again you can easily get mixed up in what direction you were going. I'm sorry but it didn't work for me, I found just writing all the rows down and marking them off as I knitted them kept everything the same length. Try it.

Thursday, October 30, 2008Name: Pien

Subject: two of the same items

Comment: Knit the two sleeves, for any top you are knitting, at the same time. This way they will be exactly the same (in my case also the same length). make sure you do not tangle the two balls of yarn you use (one for each sleeve). It might go a bit slower, but at the end you have two sleeves ready at the same time. I do the same for a left and right front of a cardigan (one needs to be the mirror image of the other). And many other projects that need to have two of the same.

Wednesday, October 29, 2008Name: Lisa

Subject: Stitch Markers

Comment: I use a bright colored strand of yarn to mark my stitches. All you have to do is tie a small strand of yarn loosely around your needles, and away you go. (If you need the marker in the middle of a row, you just have to knit up to that stitch and then slip the yarn on your needle)

Tuesday, October 28, 2008Name: sandra

Subject: storing

Comment: I keep all my tape measures/stitch holders/row counters etc in one of those nice boxes the laundry tabs/laundry gel are packed in. Thank you Mr Persil!

Tuesday, October 28, 2008Name: Carol

Subject: Neat Edgings

Comment: To make a neat edge always slip the first stitch in every row, this gives neat and firm edge, makes sewing up much easier.

Tuesday, October 28, 2008Name: Freda K Scotland

Subject: scrap wool

Comment: I keep a plastic sandwich bag in my knitting bag to hold all the wee bits of wool I cut off after I have sewn up a garment. It soon mounts up and I can use it to stuff anything even cushions, as it is so easily washed.

Tuesday, October 28, 2008Name: Anna

Subject: cold nights

Comment: It is the best on cold nights to knit. It is not so pleasant knitting in summer when you are knitting because the yarn does not go through your fingers as nicely as it would in winter.

If you have trouble with knitting and it is your first time it will get better. After about your first project you should have a hang of it.

happy knitting!

Notice: If you want to send me (the webmistress) a "thank you" using this form, that is fine (I appreciate it). However, I may not be posting it publicly for all to see, and I have no way of responding without knowing your email address.

Name Provide Your Name Subject Subject of Your Testimonial Comment What is your tip or trick? Type In the Letters/Numbers Submit

Notice: By submitting your content, you are agreeing to have it displayed on this page. I retain the right to edit and/or refuse unsuitable content. (Unsuitable content includes questions and help requests.) All submissions are checked before being published.