Fixing a tight cast-on (by Ina Gilmore)

For the longest time, I had trouble knitting socks.  I’d cast on and the cast-on row was much tighter than the rest of the leg. Which meant I either had socks that fit in the leg and were too tight at the top cuff or the top fit and the rest of the leg was too loose.  Nothing worked.  That is until I knit my first pair of toe-up socks and discovered this elastic bind-off.  It was perfect! The leg fit me right and the bind-off was elastic enough. So of course I thought I’d just have to get used to knitting toe-up socks.

Almost immediately I found a traditional cuff down sock I really wanted to try. One I really needed to knit following the pattern before I tried it toe-up.  I searched and could not find a cast-on that was elastic enough. In frustration, I put the pattern aside and started another project.  A scarf. One with a lace pattern knit starting in the center, with a provisional cast-on and that’s when I had my “A-ha!” moment.

A provisional cast-on enabled me to knit the sock from the cuff down, remove the provisional row picking up the “live stitches” and use the elastic bind-off.  It worked! And quickly became my favorite cast-on for traditional socks.

Provisional cast-ons are used for a variety of projects including:

• A toe-up sock cast-on.
• Knitting from the middle out to the ends. This works especially well with a one-way design such as a cable or some lace patterns as in the scarf I knit. It also works well for patterns closed at both ends, such as knitting a ball.
• If you start a project but want to decided how the end will look later. One example is knitting a pair of socks, but you’re not sure how you want the cuffs to look. Knit the socks, and decide at the end.
• If you’re not sure you have enough yarn for a project. If you start a pair of socks above the ankle and knit the feet, you can then go back and knit the legs deciding on length. Or even changing to another yarn at the same place.

Wondering how to cast-on provisionally? This video shows you three techniques.  They all work and help you knit happy!

Four Fabulous Tricks for Knitting in the Round (by Robyn Devine)

It may seem like an advanced move, but knitting in the round can be mastered by beginner knitters with ease. And by adding it to your knitting bag of tricks, you will open up an entirely new world – one of hats, sweaters, and socks!

Getting started with knitting in the round can seem tricky on the best of days, but with just a few tips and tricks you can be joining to work in the round in no time at all. When I began my circular needles journey, these four tips helped me immensely.

Trick #1 – Make sure your circular needle is shorter than your finished circumference. If you’re knitting a hat for a 20” head, grab 16” long circular needles. If you’re knitting a sweater for someone that’s 36” around, be sure you’re not using your 40” long needles. Seems self-explanatory, but I spent many frustrated hours fighting with needles that were just a bit too long for projects I was working on. When in doubt, go a bit shorter – you’ll never regret it!

Trick #2 – Cast on one extra stitch. When you join for working in the round, knit that last stitch you cast on together with the first stitch you cast on. You will have the correct number of cast on stitches, and you will have a much less noticeable join for your work.

Trick #3 – When casting on a large number of stitches, to ensure you don’t twist them (and create a Mobius on accident!) knit the first few rows of the pattern before joining. You’ll have a much clearer view of joining your stitches together, and you can use your tail to sew up that open spot later.

Trick #4 - Use a different color stitch marker to mark the beginning of the row. When you are using stitch markers to mark decreases, increases, pattern changes and the like be sure your “beginning of the row” marker is a different color, shape, or size. This will help you more easily distinguish it from your other markers.

With these four simple tips, you will find yourself knitting around and around before you know it! You can use this new-found skill to whip up some sweaters for all the folks in your life, hats to keep their noggins warm, and maybe even donate a few things to a local charity!

What’s In A Notions Bag? (by Robyn Devine)

Most advanced knitters carry around with them a bag, full to the brim with tools to help make their knitting time easier and more productive. But when you’re just starting out a trip down the knitting aisles of your local craft store (or a visit to the notions section of your LYS) can send you into a tizzy in a hurry – all those extras, many with little to no explanation!

Never fear, Robyn is here! With this handy list of my seven favorite items you’ll want to have in your notions bag from month one – along with what each item is used for and some possible substitutions! – you can be sure you’ve got everything you’ll need to make your knitting time just as productive as the pros!

Stitch markers. These bad boys can be bought in bunches of plastic, multi-colored packs, or you can purchase them from Etsy sellers and other knitters. I’ve had my plastic ringed stitch markers almost from day one, and have slowly acquired some pretty beaded ones that I whip out when knitting something extra special. Don’t feel like you need to spend a lot of money on these, though – especially at first. You can even substitute strands of contrasting colored yarn, safety pins, or hoop earrings in a pinch!

Yarn-only scissors. No matter how new you are to knitting, you’re going to need to cut your yarn ends off at some point. I recommend keeping a pair of “knitting-only” scissors in your knit-kit. This way your scissors won’t get dulled by cutting paper, hair, or anything else, and you always know where your scissors are! Mine came from the dollar bin at Target, although I know knitters who have spent up to $20 on their pairs.

Cable needle. You may not think you need this at first, especially if you’re not cabling quite yet. I’ve used my cable needle to pick up errant stitches, however – this is actually more often what I use it for! I got a three-pack at my local craft store, so I know I’ve got a cabling needle that will work for any size cable I want to make!

Darning needles. When weaving in ends, I’ve known knitters to use crochet hooks, but I prefer a plastic, blunt-tipped darning needle. Buy these in bulk, as you’ll find they are the item that most often goes missing!

Row counter.  I’ve pretty well stopped using mine at this point, thanks to an app on my iTouch – if you’ve got an iPhone or iTouch, you can find knitting apps for free! Most knitters, however, slip this onto their circular needle so they never lose track of which row they’re on!

Tape measures. I buy mine at the local craft store when they’re on sale for $1 – they’re known to be stolen by my kitties for play toys, and can break pretty easily. I should probably buy a nice one that won’t break, I guess. This comes in handy for measuring gauge, for measuring length/width of your knitting, and for determining sizing.

Pencil. I keep a mechanical pencil in my knitting bag at all time – perfect for marking rows and notes onto my knitting patterns, and great in a pinch to write something down or even pick up a stitch!

While there may be dozens of other tools knitters will tell you to pick up, or tools you’ll come to love in your years as a knitter, this basic kit will keep you happily knitting from day one!

Process Knitting (by Mary Fran Riley)

There are many ways to approach knitting.  Making finished objects,  making hundreds of swatches to learn various techniques and knitting for the process.

I love a beautiful hand knit project as much as the next gal (or guy).  I really do!   I have three sweaters on needles, a pair of slippers begging to be sewn together and felted, a pattern waiting to be typed and yarn for about ten other specific projects calling my name.   I am a process knitter.  What’s that?  I knit because I love the action of knitting and not for the contentment of completing finished pieces.

When I knit I become part of what I am knitting. It is a movement and a flow. The knitting itself is the point, not the finished product. It is about a connection I get to a project.  It’s about the satisfaction I get using my hands to create something.   A kind of satisfaction I don’t get from my creative industry job.  It is a break from the sterility of computers and the perfection they give.

I have a short attention span and always get bored with a project long before it’s done.  Including hats.  After I have experienced the best there is about a pattern, I am ready to move on. I usually finish hats when I run out of short circular needles and need them for another project that I so very much need to knit.

I always have my knitting with me and knit every chance I get – air planes, trains and cars are my friends.  Long boring meetings and college classes provide great opportunities for me to knit away!

My aversion to getting to the end of a project might be because of my deadline driven professional life.  Sometimes it’s just nice to create and not have the pressure hanging over the process.  Sometimes I feel I should be creating better goals for myself and try to finish more of my projects.  I’m afraid that by doing this I will taint my pure connection to the act of knitting.  I will turn knitting into a task that is always looming.

So, I will continue on my path to knit with every type of fiber that I can find followed by an attempt to learn as many techniques and stitches along the way.  Maybe, just maybe, all of this will end up in a higher project completion rate for me.  Maybe it won’t and I am ok with that too.

I am certain I’m not the only knitter out there who knits for its calming effects.   I hope I am not the only person who knits just to knit and not to make a finished work piece.

Not All Needles Are Created Equal (by Aubrey Mayes)

We’ve all been there. Perusing our LYS or hobby/craft store, our heart all a-flutter with the prospect of the new pattern we just found, looking for perfect needles. But what exactly is the perfect needle? How do you determine which set to buy? It may seem like an obvious answer for some, but these are actually some of the most repeated questions I receive. Just like you wouldn’t buy the first yarn you see, the same should go for the trusty needles you depend on for your craft. There are many types of knitting needles, and all have their merits- and downfalls.

When purchasing new needles, always be sure it is a brand you trust. If it looks like something that would crack under the pressure you would put on it, then it’s probably not a financially sound choice. Also, though they may be more expensive up front, they do make sets of interchangeable circs, and I must say that they are worth the money in the long run. Interchangeable circs come in virtually any size, are usually made of quality materials, and do not generally need to be replaced as often as others may need to.

The first kind of needles I bought for myself came from EBay- a nicely sized lot of various gauges of needles, all plastic, save for an afghan set- which only cost around $5, including shipping. These needles demonstrate the importance of quality when it comes to the material the needles are made from. Slowly, one by one, all but two pairs of those EBay needles have broken. The plastic used in the needles was very low quality, and it could not handle the strain of garter stitch coaster knitting, let alone anything that required a purl stitch. It was not until I was stranded in the middle of a project with one and a half size 5 needles that I realized the importance of quality.

            Not all plastic needles are poor quality. They are still not my personal preference, but they can be a little easier on the hands, and can come in handy when knitting something quickly, without dropping stitches. On the upside, plastic needles can be less expensive, and are definitely a good buy in a penny-pinch. On the downside, they can break very easily if they are very flimsy or have a small gauge. For instance, a size 2 may not endure as long as a size 10. When shopping for plastic needles, here are the things you should ask yourself:

• Is the plastic strong enough even in a small gauge to complete my project?
• Are the tips strong enough to not snip off as it enters a tighter stitch?
• They may be the best deal, but is the lack of quality worth the price drop?

Granted, just because they are plastic, it does not mean they will snap on their first project- to the contrary, many brands have high quality needles at low prices, just be sure you know what you’re buying.

            Aluminum needles are very popular with the knitters I have met. They usually cost a little more, but I must admit, I do love them myself. They generally have a long usage life, and are easily cleaned. They are also some of the best for knitting quickly, due to the slick surface. This quality can also be their downfall, as the slick exterior makes it easier to drop stitches, especially if you aren’t fully paying attention to what you are knitting (i.e. at a movie or a knitting circle) You can also not carry these onto an airplane or in federal buildings. When it comes to buying aluminum needles, I adore Susan Bates needles- not very expensive, high quality, and very durable. I also prefer aluminum needles when it comes to circs and DPNs, because it makes working in the round flow a bit better.  Here are some questions you should ask yourself when shopping for aluminum needles:

• Am I buying these needles to use multiple times, or for a single project? (Esp. helpful when looking at prices)
• Are these quality needles, or just showy?

 Bamboo needles are really having a heyday, and I must admit, I am an avid supporter of bamboo needles. For instance, bamboo replenishes itself quicker that other trees, so I don’t feel as though I am damaging the environment as much. They also allow for quick knitting, but without the tendency to drop stitches like aluminum needles do. They are also a lot easier on your hands than aluminum needles, which can be especially helpful if you are a knitter with arthritis or carpal tunnel. On the other hand, they can be a bit more susceptible to breaking, though bamboo is highly sturdy and dependable. Also, dogs are very prone to chewing on them, and that is one test they do not endure well (Ask my size 8s…).  When you go to buy bamboo needles, ask yourself these questions:

• Is this a respected and reliable brand?
• Is this something I can keep out of my pets reach?
• Is this brand an environmentally friendly choice?

Some helpful, general tips:

• Never buy needles you question before your project is cast on.
• Lowest price does not always mean lowest quality, and highest price certainly doesn’t mean highest quality.
• Don’t buy needles based solely someone else’s opinion or your own opinion. Always follow instinct, but don’t always allow your instinct to be driven by trends.
• Remember that needles are not only a financial investment, but an investment in your project. How can you expect a quality finished object if you are not using quality needles?
• Remember to always check gauge and length, whether the set is straight or circular.

 Happy knitting!

How to Knit on Circular Needles (video)

An easy, up close, demonstration of how to knit on circular needles by Judy Graham, Knitter to the Stars, who’s knits have appeared in movies, TV, and concerts for over 30 years and who has been hand knitting for over 50 years.