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!

Saturday, March 10, 2012Name: wlgirl

Subject: A better lifeline for frogging back

Comment: I had been having trouble with lifelines because they didn't really seem to hold the stitches upright and strong when I had to take out the stitches above....which defeated the purpose for me. I still struggled with getting the stitches on the life line back on the needle (they collapsed, twisted, etc.). Then, on another knitting forum an experienced knitter said she used a 1/8 or 1/16 wide satin ribbon for her lifelines because they held the stitches more upright when she had to reinsert the needle.

The first time (today) I used this method (as a seamstress I have lots of narrow satin ribbon), I found that when I had to frog back, the satin ribbon actually provided me a smooth, flat path for me to carefully thread a smaller knitting needle into the lifeline row. I just followed the path of the ribbon, carefully weaving in a narrower needle onto the stitches--I never could have identified them just by sight without the ribbon as a backdrop. Then I frogged back and the stitches were perfectly preserved on the approriate row without one twisted or dropped stitch. I never had to deal with putting stitches back on to a needle, which I've always struggled with.

I hope this helps someone else. It doesn't do you any good to unravel to the life line if you can't deal with the collapsing stitches when you get there.

Saturday, March 10, 2012Name: Sara

Subject: rubber bands

Comment: I use rubber bands to hold my needles together for storage. When I'm knitting i slide the band to the top of the "right side" needle. If you lose your place in the pattern you can look at the needle and see.if your on an odd or even row, right side or wrong side. Comes in handy on reversible patterns like garter or ribbing.

Thursday, March 08, 2012Name: Valarie H

Subject: Needle tips

Comment: When using double pointed needles I found keeping the stitches on the opposite side difficult. I looked into protective caps they make for needles but they tend to be a bit over priced. I found using foam ear plugs more economical. They work great at keeping the stitches on and protecting the needle tips plus they are one size fits all

Monday, March 05, 2012Name: Hannah

Subject: Needles

Comment: I would recommend if you are buying needles to get bamboo ones. They feel better, look better, and are easier to use

Wednesday, February 29, 2012Name: karen

Subject: stitch markers

Comment: A great thing to use as a stitch marker is an actual stitch marker. They don't get knitted in like yarn can when you use that. They don't have that little spiral bit to trap your yarn like a safety pin does. They don't stab you in the hand like bobby pins can. They don't slip off like cross sections of drinking straws do. They cost pennies to buy and are the best tool for the job because that's what they're made for. They can also double up as stitch holders for a small amount of stitches.stitch markers

Wednesday, February 29, 2012Name: Connie McCoy

Subject: Counting rows in a pattern

Comment: When I have a pattern with specific number of rows, I use little girl pony tail holders to count the row. As I knit each row I slip one on my finger, then I can keep track of which row I am on.

Wednesday, February 22, 2012Name: Janice

Subject: Following pattern rows in books/magazines.

Comment: I like to use the free refridgerater magnets that business like to give out (i.e. pizza places). I put one to the back of the page, and one to the front of the page, then you simple slip the magnet down as you finish the row.

Wednesday, February 22, 2012Name: huggy

Subject: counting rows

Comment: I knit tiny ghosts for my siblings and I usually knit thirteen rows before binding off {the thirteenth row is the binding off row} so here's my trick. When I'm knitting the ghosts I turn to the purl side and count the little bumpy rows.

Tuesday, February 21, 2012Name: valerie

Subject: knitting containers

Comment: I drink alot of coffee so i re-use the empty containers (folgers coffee) with snap on lids to hold my knitting yarn and projects. I simply snip a small hole in the lid, run my yarn through the hole and yarn stays clean and won't catch on hole. when not working with the yarn/ project i simply enclose circular needles, stitch markers, etc inside and it makes projects easy to store and stack one ontop of each other and they stay clean. these plastic cans are great for multi-color stranding. Great for traveling in a car. Just set plastic can on floor board and start knitting.

Tuesday, February 21, 2012Name: Sarah Noelke

Subject: recycling cotton balls

Comment: I knit little dolls and stuff their heads with cotton balls that my mom has in a bag in her room. Have any cotton balls lying around? maybe if you are knitting dolls or stuffed animals use some cotton balls to stuff them.

Monday, February 13, 2012Name: judith palmer

Subject: knitting needles

Comment: Give new life to unwanted knitting needles, try charity shops - cheaper than new.

Monday, February 13, 2012Name: mildred seamone

Subject: stuffed toys

Comment: I make dolls for charity and send them around the world, mostly Haiti right now as we have a contact down there. I crochet balls and stuff them with plastic bags, recycling them and keeping them out of the dumps. I also use them in stuffing dolls, along with foam as you cannot push a needle through the plastic and so where needed I use the foam.

Sunday, February 05, 2012Name: Susan

Subject: Keeping track of rows

Comment: I use a Post-it note to keep track of the rows on my pattern. Just move it down after each row. It stays sticky for quite a while. After it's lost most of it's stickiness, I can still use it for scratch paper.

Sunday, February 05, 2012Name: Sylvia

Subject: Matching seams on knitting

Comment: At beginning of every row I knit the first stitch, when joining match the knitted stitches together and hold in place with a hair clip that has plastic nobs on the ends, this stops the wool from splitting and all rows are even.

Monday, January 30, 2012Name: Claire

Subject: Row count

Comment: An easy way to check gauge is to pull the cast-on edge of your knitting towards the other edge. Count how many stitches the cast-on edge covers, and that's how many rows you have. The piece will be square once the cast-on edge reaches the other side.

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