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| Featured Pattern of the Week: Luscious Little Pumpkin |
        Interested in crochet? Visit our sister site: Crochet Pattern Central  | Tips 'n TricksDo 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! Name: Nancy Kittle Subject: Markers Comment: I find that the small colored rings they provide with electric toothbrushes to identify whose brush it is, work perfectly as markers. Name: Linda Ewen Subject: Binding Off Comment: I always bind off on a larger needle. For children's sweaters I use a much larger needle (sometimes a size 13 on a garment knitted with size 6). In some cases this makes the neckline a little ruffly but on children it's cute and it avoids having to add buttons. This also helps with binding off sleeves and necklines that are going to be turned under. Name: Caryl Subject: DPN Bamboo Comment: Free Bamboo DPN, recycle those chopsticks you get when you eat out oriental. Put the ends in a automatic pencil sharpe ner, sand and you are ready to go. You may want to cut off an inch, though I am working without this adjustment just fine. I am a newbie and wanted to start learning socks, but could not buy a set of DPN's without driving 30 miles. My wonderful husband came up with the idea after finding some in his supply cache. Name: Janet from Tacoma, WA Subject: storing needles and hooks Comment: For holding almost 50 years-worth of knitting needles, a clear plastic shoe bag on the back-side of a door or hanging in a closet is great! Each pocket has a number. Keep a knitting needle gauge pinned to it. (Crochet hooks I keep in 2 fabric silverware holders: one for steel hooks and one for larger aluminum hooks.) Name: Janet from Tacoma, WA Subject: wool or synthetic yarn? Comment: Get your yarns mixed up or lose a label? This may help: when wool is burned it will leave a soft ash. When synthetics burn, there is a melted plastic residue. When testing this, use a small piece of yarn, a candle and an aluminum foil lined container. Hold the yarn with pliers or tweezers. Name: Janet from Tacoma, WA Subject: thrift store needles Comment: If you go to a thrift store to look for knitting needles, take your needle gauge with you. Most DPNs and circular needles are not marked with their size, nor are the really old straight needles. I also carry along a list of the needles that I already have with needle size and length. Name: Janet from Tacoma, WA Subject: Journal of my knitting projects Comment: I keep a note card for each knitting project and include a sample of yarn, a yarn label, date when garment/project was begun and finished, size, where the pattern is, a picture of finished garment, needle size, cost of yarn and how many skeins, etc. The note cards can be taped into a notebook or filed in a recipe box. With almost 50 years worth of knitting, my journal is a joy to look back on. Name: Janet from Tacoma, WA Subject: point protectors Comment: Small segments of medical tubing fit snugly on knitting needle tips and won't slide. Name: Sue Subject: needle storage Comment: I use my children's orthodontic rubber bands to keep pairs of needles together when not in use. Thanks to everyone for all the helpful tips. Name: R.C. Subject: Knitting Comment: Instead of buying your bobbins, I use the little plastic tabs from the top of a loaf of bread. Not the twisters but the plastic tabs. They can be used to carry different colors or when you cast on leaving a tail, wrap it around a bobbin. I do so I don't start knitting with it oops! Name: Crista Subject: DIY Stitch Holder Comment: When I first started knitting I didn't know to buy stitch holders and I had an unfinished scarf after running out of yarn, so I took a wire clothes hanger and unfastened it at the top, slid my stitches through, and then twisted it back to close it until I had a chance to go buy one. Name: Mother Subject: Mitten Thumbs Comment: When knitting mittens in the round I find it easier to knit my thumb increases on a fourth needle. It makes keeping track so much easier. ENJOY Name: Josofina Subject: Neat edges Comment: To get very neat edges to your knitting, always SLIP the first stitch off the needle purlways, and always KNIT into the back of the last stitch on the row. Name: abs Subject: none Comment: the best and easiest decrease is knit 2 together (k2tog) and purl 2 together (p2tog). Name: zlata ehrenstein Subject: hobby Comment: Your comments and hints are as valuable as ever. I learned much from them. I use knitting as a tranquilizer in the evening to unload after a long day. Also, in the middle of spring cleaning, when the work look like it is never going to get done, I always have some piece that I am working on. I find it really helps to like the piece I chose to do. I look forward to finishing it. Select a Page << Prev 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 Next >> Share your own hints by filling in the form below... |
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