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 ).<\/p>\n
Twist and Tie<\/strong> – I consider the little wire twist ties that are used to close up bread wrappers\u00a0 and found abundantly in the produce department at the grocery store an essential item in my knitting kit.\u00a0 They can be used as stitch and row markers for any size needles or yarn.\u00a0 I use them when marking pattern sections, aid in counting large numbers, and stitch holders for a small number of stitches. Bag It<\/strong> – 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\u00a0 — zip it up and work this way.\u00a0 It will prevent lots of tangles and hassle as you knit. Easy does it Lace<\/strong> – 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! Safety Pinning<\/strong> – I use quilter’s safety pins as stitch and\u00a0 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\u00a0 cast on yarn and pin it, to keep it out of the way. And,\u00a0 of course,\u00a0 pin it to tell you which is the right or wrong side of your\u00a0 knitting Take it on the road <\/strong>– 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.\u00a0 Little boxes and cases that snap closed, with various compartments to hold stitch markers, point protectors, pins, yarn sewing needles and more.\u00a0 They are usually very sturdy since they’re designed for travel and inexpensive. Weigh in<\/strong> – When you’ve completed your project, weigh it \u2014 in grams or ounces \u2014\u00a0 and note the weight on a post-it note you can keep with the pattern.\u00a0 Then, if you want to knit it again, you\u201all know exactly how much yarn you need.\u00a0 This is especially helpful if using leftovers from your stash! * 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.<\/p>\n
\nSue Atkins
\nReynoldsburg, Ohio<\/p>\n
\nShirley MacNulty
\nSugar Mountain, NC<\/p>\n
\nCathy Goldman
\nForest Hills, NY<\/p>\n
\n\u2014 Karen Carroll
\nEl Dorado, Kansas<\/p>\n
\n\u2014 Ann Volkes
\nNew York , New York<\/p>\n
\n\u2014 Cheryl Austin
\nRochester, NY<\/p>\n