This post has been accumulating over time. As I've bumped into ideas that are making the knitting process easier and yet are so simple, I doinked myself in the head and say "why haven't I thought of this before?" Here's a brief list of some ah ha moments for me.
1. Using two strands of yarn from one skein or two balls of yarn to cast on using the long-tail method.
I cannot count how many times I have used the long-tail cast on oh, 100, 200 or 300 stitches only to fall 50 stitches short of the right amount of yarn causing me to frog and start over. Second time to be sure there is enough yarn I over compensate and end up with a yard too much yarn. Then I saw this link and wondered why I had to be shown this rather than coming up with it on my own. It will save so much time on those big number long tail cast ons.
1. Using two strands of yarn from one skein or two balls of yarn to cast on using the long-tail method.
I cannot count how many times I have used the long-tail cast on oh, 100, 200 or 300 stitches only to fall 50 stitches short of the right amount of yarn causing me to frog and start over. Second time to be sure there is enough yarn I over compensate and end up with a yard too much yarn. Then I saw this link and wondered why I had to be shown this rather than coming up with it on my own. It will save so much time on those big number long tail cast ons.
 |
| Image from cocoknits.com |
2. Listening to pod casts while I knit rather than TV.
It has taken me far too long to find knitting videos and knitting pod casts. But now that I have I much prefer them to knit to than watching a random television program. There are a few reasons. Most of the video podcasts I watch are rather slow paced, one needs to look up only once in a while to see the WIP* or FO** or new acquisition. With podcasts one only needs to listen. The television shows we prefer contain a certain amount of non-verbal action and at times I do miss these clues when I knit. Finally, when I listen to podcasts or watch a YouTube video on knitting I am learning something new during almost every session, not something that happens with television viewing. A couple I am quite fond of right now are:
Sticks and Twine with Eric
Handmade and Woolen (formerly Tiny Paper Foxes) with Jenny and Devon
3. Using a round plate to block a beret.
At one point I decided to knit a beret, perhaps well before I started writing here. It was complete and I struggled to figure out how to create that circular look of a beret after it was wet soaked. I placed it in as round a circle as I could muster (this took quite a bit of time from my POV) and it worked OK. The next time I visited my LYS and mentioned the predicament, the clerk immediately suggested a plate. It was such simple a solution.
4. Using a school bag to store small items in a traveling knitting bag.
When I travel with knitting it is important to include all the accessories needed to knit. I need a bunch of safety-pin-like stitch markers to mark mistakes or as additional maker should I lose one, a crochet hook to help fix mistakes, a tapestry needle and scissors. These always have to be with me. Then depending what I'm doing there might be more small things like waste yarn for life lines or a stitch counter or beads. Sure a plastic zip closure bag can be used to store this stuff, but I have had the scissors cut through the plastic allowing the other items to slip out. So when I saw someone using a small pencil case to organize and protect these accessories I was blown away. One now lives in my knitting travel bag.
5. Getting a clean colour change when knitting in the round.
For years I have allowed my knitting in the round projects to have that little jog one gets as you start a new round in a new colour. This happens because knitting in the round creates spirals not rows. It just seemed to me the jog was something to be accepted until I watched this video from VeryPink.
It is so simple, just knit one round with the new colour to the stitch marker. Slip the marker and pick up the right leg of the stitch of the old colour below and place it on the left needle. Now knit the picked-up stitch and the first of the new colour together. Viola - a less prominent jog. See the difference below.
I will stop with these five for today. Trust me I have many more tips and tricks I've learned but will hold on to them for the future.
* Work In Progress
** Finished Object
It has taken me far too long to find knitting videos and knitting pod casts. But now that I have I much prefer them to knit to than watching a random television program. There are a few reasons. Most of the video podcasts I watch are rather slow paced, one needs to look up only once in a while to see the WIP* or FO** or new acquisition. With podcasts one only needs to listen. The television shows we prefer contain a certain amount of non-verbal action and at times I do miss these clues when I knit. Finally, when I listen to podcasts or watch a YouTube video on knitting I am learning something new during almost every session, not something that happens with television viewing. A couple I am quite fond of right now are:
Sticks and Twine with Eric
Handmade and Woolen (formerly Tiny Paper Foxes) with Jenny and Devon
3. Using a round plate to block a beret.
At one point I decided to knit a beret, perhaps well before I started writing here. It was complete and I struggled to figure out how to create that circular look of a beret after it was wet soaked. I placed it in as round a circle as I could muster (this took quite a bit of time from my POV) and it worked OK. The next time I visited my LYS and mentioned the predicament, the clerk immediately suggested a plate. It was such simple a solution.
 |
| There's a plate in there. Photo from leahmichelledesigns.com/ |
4. Using a school bag to store small items in a traveling knitting bag.
When I travel with knitting it is important to include all the accessories needed to knit. I need a bunch of safety-pin-like stitch markers to mark mistakes or as additional maker should I lose one, a crochet hook to help fix mistakes, a tapestry needle and scissors. These always have to be with me. Then depending what I'm doing there might be more small things like waste yarn for life lines or a stitch counter or beads. Sure a plastic zip closure bag can be used to store this stuff, but I have had the scissors cut through the plastic allowing the other items to slip out. So when I saw someone using a small pencil case to organize and protect these accessories I was blown away. One now lives in my knitting travel bag.
5. Getting a clean colour change when knitting in the round.
For years I have allowed my knitting in the round projects to have that little jog one gets as you start a new round in a new colour. This happens because knitting in the round creates spirals not rows. It just seemed to me the jog was something to be accepted until I watched this video from VeryPink.
It is so simple, just knit one round with the new colour to the stitch marker. Slip the marker and pick up the right leg of the stitch of the old colour below and place it on the left needle. Now knit the picked-up stitch and the first of the new colour together. Viola - a less prominent jog. See the difference below.
 |
| Image from newstitchaday.com |
* Work In Progress
** Finished Object
Comments
Post a Comment