Well, it’s that time of the week again. Another bunch of tips to make you knitting a little easier – I hope. Without further adieu, here we go …
Don’t measure – You know those things you always have to make – the ones called swatches? It’s a bit of a pain to measure a 4×4 (10×10 cm) square. So don’t. It’s a lot easier to actually cut out a square out of cardboard and place your swatch on it to check the size. You can even get a good idea about whether or not you can block it to size. You might want to make this out of slightly thicker cardboard so it will last, or better yet, see if you can find a piece of plastic that size!
Pay attention to your tail – When working with reversible patterns, you sometimes lose track of which side you’re on. If you look at the tail when you begin your first row, you’ll see it’s on the right of the work. If this is your right side row (it usually is, though not always), then in the future you’ll just have to take a quick glance to see where the tail (extra yarn from your cast on) is to know which side of your work you’re on.
Read twice, knit once – Carpenters have a very simple rule, measure twice, cut once. Knitters can learn a lot from this. You should always make sure you understand the pattern before starting your knitting, and when working textures (especially lace and cables), it is a good idea to double check the instructions so you know what you’re doing. This will help prevent unnecessary frogging later on.
Finish where you start – Believe it or not, your gauge can be affected by climate conditions like humidity. It is a good idea to start and finish a project in the same geographical zone. I actually know of someone who had to frog an entire sweater because they took it with them from Canada to Mexico on vacation. The difference in the gauge was so noticeable they had to rip it back and start over!
Keep your swatches – Swatches have many uses (I told you about using them for pockets previously). Another one is to use them to create a multi-colored, multi-textured project (sweater, scarf, blanket …). You can also pick up stitches around the swatch and practice mitered corners. If you go far enough you can make a cushion cover from a test swatch from say a cable pattern. The possibilities are virtually endless.
Buy an extra ball – It’s a good idea (if your budget will allow it) to buy an extra ball of yarn. Not only are you ensuring that you have enough of the yarn in the color and dye lot of your choice, it will give you the confidence to make adjustment to the pattern, knowing that you’ll have enough yarn for your modifications. Now you can make that sweater a turtle neck instead of crew. Or maybe make a small scarf as an accent.
Enjoy using these tips and I’ll have another 6 for you next week!
Hugzzz 😎