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, July 23, 2008Name: Ashley

Subject: on the Airplane

Comment: Just wanted to let everyone know that TSA does permit knitting needles to be carried on an airplane. I've done it several times sucessfully. You can check the TSA website and view their list of permitted items for more questions.

Monday, July 21, 2008Name: Amy

Subject: Weaving in that first end....

Comment: Cast on, and instead of letting the tail just dangle, pick it up and knit it together with the ball yarn. This weaves it in automatically, and you can just trim it down. If you use long tail, just pick it up. If you use any other, knit on row and knit the second with the doubled yarn. I can barely tell a difference on many different sizes of yarn.

Sunday, July 20, 2008Name: Elenora

Subject: Melodie post - fabric softener sheets, freshen yarns- not

Comment: I've a modest yarn stash stored in labeled cotton pillowcases on shelf in small ventilated closet. Stored a quilt of cotton fabric with used fabric softener sheet, it left oily residue which won't come out. Don't recommend use to "freshen" yarns. Maybe a spin in a dryer on air/fluff cycle (without heat) would help, and avoid long storage w/o air circulation especially with natural fibers. Best way is to use up what is bought, sooner and faster, and go shopping for newer yarns - more fun.

Thursday, July 17, 2008Name: Janet

Subject: keeping my place in a printed pattern

Comment: I find that I often must sit down my knitting to go do other things. Then I risk forgetting exactly where I was in my pattern directions. I use a post-it note to mark the row I am on. I can also make notes to myself on the sticky note if needed. Just move the post-it to the next row in the pattern so that you'll know where to start when you pick up your project again.

Wednesday, July 16, 2008Name: Kaitie

Subject: knitting in the round

Comment: After you have cast on all of your stitches on three or four circular needles, take the stitch on the end of one needle and then switch it with the one on the next needle. Now, it will be less likely to fall off and it will be easier to knit these.

Tuesday, July 15, 2008Name: Jill V

Subject: not much wool left?

Comment: when coming to the end of your ball of wool and you need to know if it will knit one more row, run the yarn across your work four (4) times - it will do it for sure. this came from a Patons "learn to knit" book. thank you Patons!!

Sunday, July 13, 2008Name: lily

Subject: barbie

Comment: I find it hard to knit so small so I use bigger yarn/needles.

Thursday, July 10, 2008Name: slr

Subject: mechanical pencils

Comment: I do a lot of business travel and cannot bring my knitting needles on the airplane so I use two mechanical pencils. This works fine for knitting Barbie dolls clothes and knitting doll house furniture.

Monday, July 07, 2008Name: Penny

Subject: "Kitten"

Comment: "Kitten" said to 'ignore old people'. My advice is to ignore Kitten. A knitter of any age may have something useful to offer; sometimes the tried & true methods are just that, because they have survived the test of time.

Saturday, July 05, 2008Name: Autumn

Subject: Needles

Comment: I have an extremely large amount of needles, and a way to keep pairs together is to put all of the ones of the same size in a rubber band! If you lose one of- say, sz 7 needle, you have of the others to use!

Tuesday, July 01, 2008Name: Eric

Subject: joining knitting in the round

Comment: I found that when you join the first row, start the first stitch opposite of the directions, with the short end. If the first stitch is Knit, then pearl the first stitch using the short in of the yarn, then knit the first stitch again, with the working yarn, and there you will have a good foundation with no long gap when you start the second row.

Thursday, June 26, 2008Name: Zach

Subject: knitting techniques/ideas

Comment: If you haven't already, get your hands on a copy of Elizabeth Zimmerman's Knitting Workshop. She's got some really neat ideas in it!:)

Saturday, June 21, 2008Name: knit chic

Subject: the most important thing

Comment: The most important thing of all is 2 have fun!:-)

Saturday, June 21, 2008Name: nina

Subject: old people

Comment: i think old people are wise and give you lots of good advice. keep on knitting!:)

Saturday, June 21, 2008Name: knittercritter

Subject: listening

Comment: whenever i go to a local yarn store, and i'm having trouble with a project, i simply ask whoever is there to help me. I am 11 years old, and i started to knit when i was 9, so i do have some experience knitting hard projects. That means i've asked a couple of times.

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