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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: Sharon Subject: Music Stand Comment: "As Katy mentioned: Comment: i put my knitting patterns on a music stand, that way they last longer and it is a lot easier to see them, you dont have to keep looking down at the pattern and it doesn't keep falling on the floor lol" I have gone one step farther and purchased a white dry erase (magnetic) board to sit on the music stand. It is about 11" x 17". Patterns and instructions that I use often go behind the board, against the stand. What I am working on goes on the white board. If I have a graph to follow I can use my 6" long magnet to keep my place. The stand also gives me a place to put a pencil or marker. I got my stand at a garage sale and it sat for about 10 years until I read someplace else about using it for my knitting. Name: Sharon Subject: Life Lines Comment: I noticed a couple of posts that mentioned using yarn threaded thru the loops of the just finished rows - ie life line or safety line. I don't use yarn because I'm afraid it will leave some color or fragments behind. I use Ravel Cord. White ravel cord comes with knitting machines but can be purchased in colors. It is strong enough to use over and over again and will not transfer color to your project. Do not thread your safety line thru your stitch markers. To find ravel cord just type ravel cord into your search (Google) engine and you will find it. Inexpensive and a one time purchase. When I am knitting a sock I insert the line at the beginning of a section and then thread the tail in the first stitch of row 10, 20, 30, etc. so that I can keep track of the rows knitted. Name: ROSEANN Subject: KNOTTING YARN Comment: i should say never knot your yarn. wherever you are in your pattern, if you need to add a skein of yarn leave about 6 inches of the old yarn bring the new yarn to the needle by overlapping your yarns. knit both yarns together until all the old yarn is used up . it will look like it is woven & will not open. it makes your work lovely. enjoy! Name: Mabelline Subject: Cast on Comment: when using the make-one cast on (you know, looping the yarn on the needle) i like to pull the sts widely as to prevent the loopies at the bottom. Name: Mabelline Subject: Yarns Comment: My friends (the ones who dont knit... yeah all but one) love having random costumes, capes, cloaks, etc. So i can knit up a random pair of wings, or a long skirt, or a collar to a random cape, i always take a big (and cheap red heart brand) ball of yarn and size ten needles in my bag. Its also good for when i have insomnia at a campout! Name: Knotty Knitter Subject: stuffing Comment: Everytime I end up with short yarn scraps (less then 2 inches)I put them in a ziplock bag. They accumulate very quickly, and when you have enough you can use as stuffing. It's a great way to save money! Hope this helps someone! Name: Denise Subject: How to store circular needles Comment: I store my circular needles and my double-points in pencil cases. The one with zippers. You can use a marker to write the size on the front, and then they can all be put in a binder so they are easy to find. Name: BJ Subject: Keeping track of projects Comment: Because I learned to catalogue my patterns in sleeves in a notebook, they're always easy to find. But I could never remember what I made it of nor whom I gave it to. Now I use a sticky note with the kind of yarn, date completed,to whom I gave it, and a small sample of that yarn tucked inside the same sleeve. I often repeat a pattern, so it's apt to have a few "stickies". Name: carolina girl Subject: leftover yarn Comment: i use up my leftover yarn by knitting doll clothes. i knit the dolls too. they're fun and easy to make,not much of a commitment, if you only have small amounts left you can do stripes of all kinds, and my sisters (to whom i give most of the dolls and clothes)love them! Name: carolina girl Subject: top down sweaters Comment: i only knit top down sweaters in one piece (i hate seaming) and they are wonderful! with the help of Barbara Walkers book Knitting From the Top, top down sweaters are very easy to design. you can make them in a variety of styles, from raglan to saddle shoulder to drop shoulder. Name: Jessamine Subject: top down sweaters Comment: You are so right, Carolina Girl. Top Down Sweaters are the best! Tip #1: When trying on top down sweaters, (for instance, to see if the length is right) slip stitches from the circular needle you're working on to a spare circular needle. You can then spread out all the stitches and see how you should proceed. Tip #2: If you are making a sweater as a surprise for a family member, walking up to them and measuring various body parts is going to arouse some curiosity. (Ask me how I know this :)Instead, sneak a sweater that fits them well out of their room and measure THAT instead. You probably won't need to add ease. (Unless you intend the new sweater to be larger than the original. Tip #3: ALWAYS CHECK GAUGE!!!! Name: Tessa Subject: Tips Comment: Here are my tips which I've found useful over the years and which I hope will be helpful to others. 1. Do not bind off the stitches for the shoulder when knitting sweaters but leave the them on spare needles. When joining the seams, hold the two needles together with right sides facing each other then take a another needle of the same size, place in the first stitch on the nearest needle and push through to the first stitch on the furthest away needle. Knit the two stitches together and keep the resulting stitch on the right-hand needle. Knit the next two stitches in the same way then slip the first stitch over the second as you would do normally when casting off. Work along the rest of the two in the same way. A bit fiddly but easier than grafting and the pattern, if there is one, always matches exactly. 2. If you are re-using wool, wind it into skeins then place in warm water. Squeeze out excess water then hang out the skeins to dry. Your yarn will no longer have any kinks in it and it will be like knitting with new wool. 3. My husband made a container for my knitting needles using a piece of plastic drainpipe. He moulded a piece of metal round the base and put a plastic lid on it with a hanging strap. It's now been in use for almost 40 years. Name: Carly Subject: Cable needle storage Comment: I love all the tips about storing cable needles in hair, but I have very short hair, so I only use the curved cable needles, and I keep it hooked around my ear when I'm knitting cables. I haven't lost one yet! Name: rosemurphy Subject: knitting Comment: when I cast on stitches for left and right fronts, I cast on extra stitches for front bands and work them all at the same time. Much easier than making them seperate. Name: Lucy Subject: Cable needles Comment: If you dont have a cable needle or have lost your cable needle you can use a stitch holder or a safety pin. Works for me! 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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