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!

Monday, October 27, 2008Name: Winifred

Subject: pins

Comment: I always use the pins you put through hair rollers to keep seams in place when sewing together. They are good for heavy wool as they don't get lost in the wool.

Friday, October 24, 2008Name: Alison - from Birmingham UK

Subject: Sticky needles

Comment: Another way of keeping the warn slipping smoothly over the needles is to rub them through your hair, against your scalp. The oil there will keep the needles slippery - it works for bamboo, plastic and aluminium. (I have seen this tip on this site before, but is is very useful and worth repeating.)

Monday, October 20, 2008Name: Dee Abbate

Subject: Bamboo needles

Comment: I love knitting with wooden needles but have found that the yarn doesn't always slide as smoothly as I would like...! I carry wax paper and rub them during my knitting. Have also used a 'very' small amount of hair conditioner it also works very well.

Also before knitting with mohair put in the freezer for an hour or so, knits much easier.

Monday, October 20, 2008Name: Winifred again

Subject: casting off

Comment: I am just finishing a small jumper and thought you would like to know how to make a neat shoulder. Usually you cast off so many stitches and knit to the end, purl 1 row, then cast off another set of stitches and I find I am left with a small hole, I know how to sew it in with experience but a beginner might not know. Leave stitches on the needle don't cast off any and when you finish the front put the two needles together and cast off the set amount of stitches and you will have a lovely neat shoulder, Practice will make perfection. You will be fed up with me sending messages.
Note from KPC Webmistress: Keep the tips coming!

Monday, October 20, 2008Name: Freda K

Subject: Clammy palms

Comment: I always keep a small box of talcum power in my knitting bag and when my hands get clammy which makes knitting difficult i rub them with some talcum and and away we go.

Sunday, October 19, 2008Name: Winifred Kennedy

Subject: knitting bag

Comment: Never use a plastic carry bag to keep your knitting in. Get a fairly strong bag and keep your knitting in that and only your knitting. Its like a joiners tool box. I keep scissors, tape measure, sewing needles, safety pins, stitch holders everything you need at hand, and I keep them in pencil cases, so I know where to get anything I am looking for. So when I sit down to knit I don't have to go looking for anything. I never use my scissors for anything else. Also it helps to keep your knitting patterns in good condition as there is nothing worse than a crushed pattern. I hope I am helping you.

Thursday, October 16, 2008Name: Winifred Kenned again

Subject: buttons

Comment: I knit a lot of baby and toddler jackets and jumpers. Most small matinee jackets take 4-6 buttons. I always buy more buttons than I need because when I go back to get more the design has sometimes changed slightly, but I can always use them up on jackets by putting a few coloured rows in - you can use up your odd buttons to match and they don't look out of place.
Also I would invest in a wool winder as they make up nice balls of wool that can be worked from the middle and saves your wool from running all over the place. You won't get so fed up doing your knitting

Wednesday, October 15, 2008Name: Winifred Kennedy

Subject: counting rows

Comment: I never have a problem at all with remembering rows, I always write down the number of rows to say 10 or 12. As I knit these rows I just score it off.
Also if I am doing a pattern I always write it down in my own language on a separate piece of paper making the rows 1, 3, 5, and so on and 2, 4, 6 an d so on are the purl rows. I have been knitting since I was about ten years old I am now in my sixties and I have never found a pattern hard by using this method. Good knitting

Tuesday, October 14, 2008Name: Jewel

Subject: Kitten

Comment: Fair enough Sandra, older experienced knitters will always "undo" when a mistake is found - than to continue... new knitters might at times have less patience to undo to where the mistake happened and thus never learn to fix errors - which is why new knitters should start with small easy projects and thread slowly until they have acquired the commitment and patience it takes to accomplish a mistake-free finished project one can be proud of.

Stitch markers: I place color coded paper clips as stitch markers - cheap and easy. Box of 100 will last you forever.

Monday, October 13, 2008Name: jenny

Subject: two item projects

Comment: When I am finished one mitten, I slip it on one of the needles I am working on. I don't lose it and it is always handy.

Sunday, October 12, 2008Name: shannon

Subject: place markers

Comment: I use mismatched hoop earrings for stitch markers, low cost and fun to look at

Sunday, October 12, 2008Name: Sandra

Subject: For Kitten

Comment: "My best advice when knitting, especially if you are new to it or learning a new technique is to ignore old people. They have ideas such as the best way to knit faster and refuse to consider that if you wanted your knitting over and done with you wouldn't bother knitting, you'd just buy it for much less in store. ignore people who tell you it's done wrong, every truely great knitter knows every piece contains a carefully placed mistake as an admission that no ones perfect. Well the modest knitters do anyway, can't say much for the older ego's who think their ways the only way."

Fair enough, I think this sounds like an unfortunately worded, angry outburst of someone who's just trying to learn and had something corrected too many times. Somewhere in there there's the valid point that when you're just beginning there's a line between helpful advice and being overbearing in your teaching. I think Kitten's comment was interpreted too harshly, she wasn't saying "old people are stupid". Rather, in her somewhat immature way, she was probably overwhelmed by all the tips, etc.

Saturday, October 11, 2008Name: azknitter

Subject: storage tip

Comment: For storage of any yarns, put in space bags. No bugs, no smells, no problems!!

Thursday, October 09, 2008Name: Alison - from Birmingham UK

Subject: Knitting in the 20th Century

Comment: Re Gracie's comments about knitting in the depression & war, my mother was telling me the other day how HER grandmother knitted all the socks for her grandchildren - my mother, her sister and brothers. Summer socks for the girls would be made from crochet cotton, while knee-length rugby socks for the 3 boys would be knitted in Patons wool, in team or school colours. In addition, underwear was knitted on incredibly small needles and all jumpers etc were hand knitted, in 4 ply wool as double knit was unknown.

When I knit I always feel a link to the women of the past. I find it comforting to know that family values have not changed that much.

Wednesday, October 08, 2008Name: Gracie

Subject: Kitten's "old people" comments

Comment: I just started reading section and came upon Kitten's comments - I had to go back and read what was written. "Old people" would knit as a necessity in the "olden" days and not always as a hobby. Diapers and diaper soakers were hand knit, anything and everything under the sun was hand-knit for babies to seniors, just because they couldn't afford to "buy" what was needed. Wool was "pure" and patterns were 10 cents, they survived by knitting through the depression and war - a lot can be learned from "old people" not just knitting tricks/shortcuts. They don't know it all, but I cherish their wisdom and advice, they've been through more than Kitten will ever go through in her lifetime. I've learned everything about knitting from my granny 60 years ago and would give anything to be able to knit for her today, my love, my teacher.

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