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!

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Name: Milisa 10 years old
Subject: knitting
Comment: knitting is great thihg because you can go out and buy wool. If a don't have a hat a can always knit one. that is why I love knitting so much.

Name: pat holman
Subject: containers for balls of yarn
Comment: I save the Cheetos and Fritos round cans and punch holes in the plastic tops. Just drop your ball of yarn in the can and pull through the hole in the lid. These work great especially when using various colored balls of yarn.

Name: Ann
Subject: working from ball of yarn
Comment: I like to place the ball of yarn in an empty cube type tissue box. Draw the yarn thru the top of the box and this keeps the ball of yarn "in place" while you're knitting.

Name: pamela
Subject: begin with yarn from centre
Comment: I like to begin knitting from the inside of the ball of wool by carefully pulling out the very centre of the ball. This stops the ball rolling and it is quite compact to get at the wool.

Name: Cathie
Subject: yarn starting
Comment: I'm fairly new to the art of yarning. one thing drives me crazy, balling the yarn takes forever! I started to use the bottom of an old empty cd holder. Set the skein over it and it will spin off as needed. Works pretty well.

Name: Alison - from Birmingham UK
Subject: Thanks for the lifeline
Comment: Many thanks to Jeanne for the tip about the lifeline. I have not much experience of lace knitting, but now I'm trying my first pair of lace socks, using the fish-scale lace pattern from the Red Dwarf Knee High socks pattern.

I have been carefully counting my stitches, but now have an extra stitch in the lace panel. I am scared to 'frog', so will probably unpick 1 stitch at a time.

>From now on, I will use the lifeline method...................

PS - this is my second pair of toe-up socks. I love the way you can try them for fitting as you work.

Name: Sarah
Subject: ravelry
Comment: ravelry.com is a great place to go if you're a beginner knitter! although there's a bit of a waiting list to join, once you're in you'll find lots of support and answers to all your questions. don't completely desert this site, though.. kuz it's awesome!

Name: Elizabeth Rebecca Firth
Subject: knitting
Comment: Make your knitting loose and it will be easy. So give knitting a try.

Name: Jeanne
Subject: Lifeline - keep your place
Comment: I'm a new knitter, but I like working on challenging patterns. I learned to put a "lifeline" through a finished pattern to hold the place. For example: my pattern has 4 rows, then repeats. When I finish the 4th row, I thread a piece of ribbon through the finished row with a tapestry needle. Then continue knitting as usual. If I drop stitches or mess up, I can always put my needle back in the row with the lifeline, then just un-ravel the knitting back to a known-good row. It has saved me a lot of re-work! Remember to keep your lifeline in place until you finish another full pattern and put a new lifeline in place.

Name: cherry1cauldron
Subject: knitting
Comment: when knitting a squares pattern throw - knit practice squares first, so any mistakes you encounter will be on the first squares ..so you will know what you are doing for the same square second time round ...

Name: Rosemarie Robinson
Subject: friendship squares
Comment: With a group of friends, a lovely way is to share "friendship squares" and make a rug for each person. e.g. if there are 9 of you, each knits three squares for every person, (giving you 27 towards a rug). Our knitting group decided on a uniform size (6" square) in 8 ply wool on 4mm needles with a border of 5 sts right around knitted in moss stitch. The pattern was up to the knitter, and some did plain basket-weave, others more complex leaf patterns, etc. The recipient decided what colours they would like and whether or not electing pure wool or synthetics. I chose autumn colours, others wanted squares in a natural shade, some pinks, purples, blue & whites, and so on. You sew up the squares yourself adding whatever border you wish. And what a great way to have a keepsake!

Name: knittergirl
Subject: oddball scarf
Comment: I just knit an awsome scarf out of little balls of yarn. I used 19 needles, and all my balls of yarn held together. whenever I ran out of one kind, I just used another.

Name: Francoise
Subject: socks
Comment: When knitting socks, for the heels and the toes, use tooth floss with your wool. The socks will last longer and not wear off so easy.

Name: The Knitting Nut
Subject: buying pattern books
Comment: When buying pattern books, I always buy them used (saves paper and money) -The 11 year-old Knitting Nut

Name: knittergirl
Subject: faster knitting
Comment: running your needles under your hair will make your knitting faster and smoother.

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