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!

Sunday, January 01, 2012Name: Claire

Subject: Scarf length

Comment: If you're 5 foot or taller, you can gauge how long a scarf should be by measuring it against you. The standard length for an adult scarf is 60 inches, or 5 feet, so you'll always get a good length this way.

Friday, December 30, 2011Name: Letty

Subject: storing knitting needles, etc.

Comment: I use a small fishing tackle box to store my knitting needles and accessories in. It holds almost all sizes and styles and the little drawer on top has compartments for various supplies, like stitch holders, tapestry needles, markers etc. It 's easy to carry from room to room or store under a bed and I never have to go looking for anything.

Friday, December 30, 2011Name: KnittingLuver

Subject: Knitting Guilds

Comment: I advise anyone, whether beginner or pro, to join a knitting guild. A guild is a club where people with a common interest (like knitting!) get together. Other people in your guild will offer tips, you get a chance to work on your knitting, plus you can get inspirations for future projects. If a guild is not available in your area, you can start your own guild. I started a guild, and it's a lot of fun and simple to do! Normally guilds meet up at one of the member's houses and knit and talk for an afternoon, but here are some other ideas.

- Host a potluck. Everyone can bring in a dish, and after lunch you can knit all you want. (It's always easier to knit on a full stomach.)

-Have a Movie Day. More experienced knitters can knit while watching TV, so play a movie to enjoy while you work. Just don't forget the popcorn.

- Choose a day to have a Bring Your Child To Knit Day. Members of your guild who have children will love this. Everyone can bring in his or her kids. Older kids may be content to sit and watch you knit while joining in the conversation a bit, or they could knit with you. But supply lots of interesting toys for younger ones. If every kid brings in one or two toys of his/her own, the children will all have "new" items to play with. This is a great alternative to hiring babysitters, but be sure you chat about kid-appropriate subjects.

I know this tip is long, but knitting guilds are just sooo great! They are a wonderful way of making friends and they take time you may otherwise spend munching Cheese Curls and watching stupid videos on YouTube. Join a guild NOW!(or start your own).

Monday, December 26, 2011Name: KnittingLuver

Subject: Gauge Swatches

Comment: If you knit a lot, chances are you have gauge swatches from previous projects laying around. You can reuse them by sewing some into a scarf, or sew many into a patchwork afghan.

Wednesday, December 21, 2011Name: Saffron

Subject: making French knot eyes

Comment: I love making amigurumi, but sometimes, I run out of eyes to sew on. I'm usually too lazy to run to the store (especially when it's raining or I'm not in the driver's seat), so I just make the eyes out of yarn by making a French knot. For those who never learned how, you stick some scrap yarn through your darning needle, pull it from behind, hold the yarn with your thumb and while still holding, wrap the yarn twice around and twist the needle. Stick the needle close to where you came up. And there is a really easy eye/knot! If you want to see how, just search it up and some videos should pop up. This is more popular with sewing, but this is great improv, too! :)

Wednesday, December 21, 2011Name: marisa

Subject: knitting calculator

Comment: I am a tight knitter. i have been trying to find a knitting calculator so I can knit a pattern so it comes out as the size as told in the pattern.

Use this link to help you. It has many helpful calculators.

http://www.thedietdiary.com/knittingfiend/tools/index.html

Tuesday, December 20, 2011Name: Kaitlyn

Subject: adding yarn

Comment: when you want to add another color just cut cut the yarn you were just using (not to short) then tie another color of yarn to it.

Sunday, December 18, 2011Name: Steph

Subject: Scrap yarn

Comment: If you have scrap yarn lying around and have or know people who have cats, make some pom poms for them, my friend's cat was occupied for a while with just one, plus your saving money as toys can be expensive.

Wednesday, December 14, 2011Name: tje

Subject: winding your own yarnballs

Comment: I learned from a 1950's knitting book how to wind a ball of yarn and have it unwind from the center, not the outside. Measure out about 18" of yarn and fold it several times. Wrap temporarily with a rubber band, and then, letting this "ball" dangle down start your winding. When you need to, you can release some of the yarn in the folded section out, to prevent it from being wrapped into the ball. When you are all done winding, then release the folded yarn from the rubber band and use this end to start your knitting.

Tuesday, December 13, 2011Name: immy age 11

Subject:

Comment: when i weave in ends i end up with alot of about 7" scraps of yarn. but if you tie then all together you will come up with a ball of colourful bobberly yarn - Great!

Monday, December 12, 2011Name: Charly

Subject: Re-using leftover balls of yarn

Comment: Are you tired of having small balls and throwing them out cause you dont know what to do with it? Well think again, you can use them to make what I call a hodge podge blanket!

Sunday, December 11, 2011Name: KnittingLuver

Subject: Unique Yarns

Comment: If you don't want to buy expensive yarns from a store,you can make your own yarn with stuff that is probably in your home right now.

-Plastic bags make great yarn for reusable grocery or swim bags. Just cut up the bags you get at stores into strips about half an inch wide. Tie many strips together into a long length of plastic and wind that into a ball. It's eco-friendly and strong.

-Garden twine knits into a durable, open fabric. I like to knit a thin strip and use it to tie big bags of bird seed and fertilizer that I keep in my shed.

-Tie broken rubber bands together and knit with it. It makes a fun, elastic, stretchable piece that kids will love.

-Tie together lots of pieces of scrap yarn. You'll end up with a colorful creation!

-Shoelaces,fishing line, videotape......the list goes on and on. Be creative and you can keep on knitting forever without paying a cent. BTW, did I mention I love this site?

Friday, December 09, 2011Name: Tygah Knits

Subject: Untangle Circular Needles

Comment: Drop your needles in a pot of just boiled water, not boiling for several seconds. Take out, lay flat on the counter top, place something heavy on each end to hold in place for a while till they cool. They will then be strait as an arrow.

Friday, December 09, 2011Name: Tygah Knits

Subject: Cleaning up the selvedge edge

Comment: If you want to make your selvedge edge clean and look like the cast on / off ends, simply pick up stitches on the edge as if to knit from it with your yarn, then come back through on the other side and immediately cast off. Essentially cast on one row, then cast off the next. Makes a clean selvedge edge that matches the cast on / off ends.

Thursday, December 08, 2011Name: Rebecca

Subject: storage

Comment: I have kept the bags comforter, sheets come in and bingo it becomes a project bag or storage for my skeins of yarn. You can also use them to store finished items to keep them clean. Love it

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