Yikes, I almost missed this post. With yesterday being Thanksgiving here in Canada, today felt like a Monday rather than a Tuesday. So I guess the first tip for this week is to check your calendar when you wake up – especially the day after a holiday! At least, I should … So then, here are the tips for this week. And keeping with Thanksgiving, I have gotten each tip from someone else and am now giving acknowledgment and thanks to them and for their tip (even if they didn’t know ).
Twist and Tie – I consider the little wire twist ties that are used to close up bread wrappers and found abundantly in the produce department at the grocery store an essential item in my knitting kit. They can be used as stitch and row markers for any size needles or yarn. I use them when marking pattern sections, aid in counting large numbers, and stitch holders for a small number of stitches.
Sue Atkins
Reynoldsburg, Ohio
Bag It – When working with multiple balls of yarn or even one ball of yarn that is apt to fall apart as you are using it, I suggest putting each ball in a separate zippered plastic bag — the kind you find in the grocery store — zip it up and work this way. It will prevent lots of tangles and hassle as you knit.
Shirley MacNulty
Sugar Mountain, NC
Easy does it Lace – When knitting with lace weight yarn that comes in a ball, always start from the outside of the ball. In this way, you eliminate the chance of knots coming from the center of the ball. I am currently knitting a shawl of doubled lace weight yarn and have had to break the yarn, throw away those knots I can’t get rid of and start over with the outside of the ball. Don’t learn the hard way as I did!
Cathy Goldman
Forest Hills, NY
Safety Pinning – I use quilter’s safety pins as stitch and place markers. I find they work better than regular split stitch markers which come open and lose your place; the quilter’s curved pins work better than the usual straight safety pins. I also use these safety pins to “grab” a dropped stitch and pin it before it goes any farther. I also roll up my tail cast on yarn and pin it, to keep it out of the way. And, of course, pin it to tell you which is the right or wrong side of your knitting
— Karen Carroll
El Dorado, Kansas
Take it on the road – Travel stores and even travel sections of drug stores have a wide variety of small containers that work well for carrying all sorts of small knitting tools. Little boxes and cases that snap closed, with various compartments to hold stitch markers, point protectors, pins, yarn sewing needles and more. They are usually very sturdy since they’re designed for travel and inexpensive.
— Ann Volkes
New York , New York
Weigh in – When you’ve completed your project, weigh it — in grams or ounces — and note the weight on a post-it note you can keep with the pattern. Then, if you want to knit it again, you‚ll know exactly how much yarn you need. This is especially helpful if using leftovers from your stash!
— Cheryl Austin
Rochester, NY
* Special note with this tip – mark the yardage of the yarn as well so if you want to substitute later you’ll know how many meters of the sub you’ll need.
Thank you Sue, Shirley, Cathy, Karen, Ann, and Cheryl. All of the above tips came from readers of Knit Net – an online knitting magazine. If you haven’t heard of it before, you’re missing out and definitely want to check it out. Here is the link to their website – KNIT NET. You’ll enjoy this publication 6 times a year and can subscribe so you don’t miss an issue and also have access to lots of back issues. Enjoy and Thank you Sharon for Knit Net!
Hugzzz 😎
