Knitting Tips from August, 2014 Meeting

We met inside on August 14th which turned out to be a good idea because nearly everyone at the meeting had at least one tip to share.  Vicki took good notes, I took some too, between us we hope we've got them all.  If not, remind me at the meeting next Thursday and I'll post them here.

  

Kris Kyles

1)    When making Top-Down socks, cast on over two needles, remove the extra needle, knit first row, then join into a circle.

2)  The Repeat Row Method. Make an index card with the number of rows in the repeat pattern on top of each other on the left-hand side.  For a 4-row pattern, for example, write the 1st 4 numbers from top to bottom on the card, then start a second column with the next 4 numbers, etc.  If you are on row 23, find 23 to the right of the 1,2,3, or 4 columns, and you will discover you should be knitting row 3 of the 4-row repeat pattern. My card looks something like this:

1 5  9  13  17  21  25

2 6 10 14 18  22  26

3 7 11 15 19  23  27

4 8 12 16 20  24  28

Nancy Snow

            Cast on over two needles if you find your cast on tends to be too tight.

Victoria Jicha

            Life line – inserted directly under the left needle, and several rows below the left needle.

Mitch Woesner

When knitting with two strands of yarn at the same time run them both through a drinking straw to keep them even and untangled.

? Thibaudeau

            Use a two compartment makeup bag for notions; keep sharp notions on one side.

Julie LaFavre

            I like to attend fiber shows. Before you go, have a pattern in mind that you would like to make, also the amount of yardage you need.  A lot of yarns can be specialty items and finding additional yardage is difficult.

Becky Moore

            Keep yarn skein clean by putting it in a zip lock baggie for road trips.

Sally Halstrom

When knitting with more than one ball, she keeps two strands in one bag to keep the yarn from tangling

Kathy Eisenshenk

            For clean edges, slip the first stitch as if to purl

Julie Deprey

            Do not knit mohair wearing black slacks

Pat Hickey

1)    To eliminate the hole when changing from K to P, wrap yarn in opposite direction then knit in the back of the stitch

2)    Repairing mistakes in lace – Block to the error, then the stitches will be easier to pick up…. And use a life line!

Andy Trotti

            No ruler?  A Dollar bill is 6” long.  Fold in half for 3”.  Fold in thirds for 2” and 4”

Cheryl Brocher

Elastic Bind Off (From Love of Knitting Magazine)

K1 *Reverse yarn over (wrap in opposite direction as usual) K1, pass YO over last knit st., then pass first st. over last knit st.  Repeat from * to end.  Cut yarn and pass through the last stitch.

Sewn Bind Off (From Cast On Bind Off) (Elastic edging for cuffs or neckline)

1. Measure a tail of yarn that is 3 times the width of the knitting to be bound off.  Thread this onto a blunt tapestry needle.  Work from right to left with the right side facing you.

2. Insert the needle PURLWISE through the first 2 stitches on the needle and pull the yarn through. Leave the stitches on the needle.

3. Insert the needle KNITWISE through the first stitch on the needle and drop this stitch off the needle.

Repeat steps 2 and 3.  You will end with 1 stitch left of the needle.  Insert the needle through this stitch PURLWISE, drop the stitch from the needle and weave the end in.

Laurie Brungraber

                      When making mittens, use a crochet hook to pull up stitches to close holes  

           in the first round of the thumb, then k2tog in the second round to decrease to the        number of stitches the pattern calls for in the second round.

Barbara Malcolm

            How to Remember Right- vs Left-Leaning Stitches (From fringeassociation.com)

A stitch will always lean in the direction the working needle is pointing when you work that stitch.  When you insert your working needle into the front of your stitch(es) as for K2tog or m1R—you insert it from left to right.  The working needle points to the right and the resulting stitch will lean to the right.  When you knit through the back of your stitch(es)—as with SSK or m1L—you insert the working needle from right to left.  The working needle points left and the resulting stitch will lean left.

            SSK 

I learned from the Yarn Harlot’s blog a few years ago that when the pattern calls for a ssk you can simply knit the stitches together through the back loops.  The decrease is the same (looks the same, leans the same) as if you had slipped them each to the right needle and then knitted them together.