Five tricks to using DPNs without pain (by Robyn Devine)

Picking up your first pair of double-pointed needles can be both incredibly scary and supremely exhilarating. To make something using them instantly makes one feel like an expert knitter but to charge forward and use them takes a fair amount of “yarn balls”!

While it can seem overwhelming – why did five of them come in the pack, how do I go from one to the other? – mastering them is much easier than you may think. All you need are a few helpful hints to get you pointed (HAH!) in the right direction. Here are five tips I’ve picked up along the path to mastering my DPNs.

Trick #1 – Be sure your stitches aren’t twisted before you join for working in the round! This same advice goes for knitting with circular needles – by twisting the stitches around the needles, you end up knitting a Mobius at best, and a hot mess at worst. Take a few extra minutes to be sure your stitches are situated properly before you begin, and you’ll have much fewer headaches as you knit along.

Trick #2 – To prevent the “jog” that happens when switching between needles, move your stitches from one needle to the other. Most first-time users of double-pointed needles will comment on looser stitches at the change point between their needles. To prevent this, simply knit the first stitch off each needle onto the last needle, rather than onto your new needle.

Trick #3 – Use three different colored needles so you always know where you’re at in your round (ex: red, then yellow, then blue, done. Yellow, then blue, then red, done!) One of the biggest mistakes I made when learning to use DPNs was losing track of which round I was on. By using different colored needles, I was able to track where I was at in the process and keep my rounds straight!

Trick #4 – When decreasing for a hat, the space between needles can count as a stitch marker! This equates to less stitch markers used, and an obvious point for decreases!

Trick #5 – If you have trouble joining for working in the round, cast on with two sizes larger of a DPN, and then switch all stitches to the right sized needles. You’d be amazed at how much more room you feel you have!

Test out these tips one at a time or employ them all at once and you’ll find your double-pointed knitting adventures becoming easier and easier!

 

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!

Seven Tips for Lace Knitting (by Ina Gilmore)

 

The first time I knit lace, I didn’t know it was lace.  It was a big project for a beginner: a Feather and Fan striped afghan for a dear lady who minded the cold.

Back then I thought lace knitting was old-fashioned and impractical. Like doilies knit with very fine yarn and needles usually by an elderly aunt. Carefully kept in a drawer most of the year, only brought out for special occasions: like during her visits! So, had I known, I probably would have not made that afghan. And missed out on making an elderly friend very happy.

Today lace stitches are incorporated into knitted articles as small as dishcloths and baby booties, or as large as afghans and shawls.  The patterns can be simple for beginning knitters or complex for the most advanced knitter. You can choose a pattern with a small lace trim, or one that’s all lace.

So, if you’re thinking of knitting lace, what are some tips for the novice lace knitter? Whether you consider yourself a beginner or an advanced knitter, before you cast-on for your lace project consider:

• Choosing your pattern wisely. I tend to divide lace patterns into two categories: those where the rows alternate between lace and straight knitting or purling — and those where every row is lace knitting. In general, the patterns with the alternate rows are less complex. If you’re starting a project with long rows like a shawl, consider how many stitches will be in the row. When you’re knitting long rows, you may want to choose a pattern with alternate rows. And if you prefer knitting to purling, when there are 500 stitches in a row even an experienced knitter may yearn for every other row to be knit rather than purled!

 

• Knowing how to read your knitting stitches. Reading your knitting is a lot like reading a book. Initially, you learn the letters (individual stitches).  With practice you learn to read words (groups of stitches making a pattern such as a leaf). Because lace patterns — with frequent increases and decreases — more likely result in dropped stitches, checking your work by reading the stitches saves time while reducing the frustration of repeatedly ripping your work and re-knitting.

 

• Counting early and often. Lace projects can be challenging. The pattern can be complex, or maybe it just takes more concentration than a non-lace project. And frequent interruptions can make even an experienced knitter consider an easy project difficult.  Double-checking your stitches by counting frequently can reduce the stress of a complex pattern, increasing your success.

 

• Looking closely at the pattern to make sure you can knit all the stitches. Lace stitches incorporate various kinds of increases, decreases, and may even have you knit or purl in the back of a stitch.  Feeling comfortable with all the stitches involved can make your knitting easier.

 

• Using a knitting lifeline allows you to partially unravel your knitting when needed without dropping stitches. Crochet cotton or embroidery floss are two favorites. You want a line that will easily slip onto your stitches without leaving fuzz behind. Two links you may find helpful:  a post on lace lifeline tips, and a video on using a lifeline (scroll down to the subsection Fixing Mistakes to find the video Using a “lifeline.”)  Bonus Knitter’s tips: Experienced knitters often choose white or natural (light beige or tan) thread or yarn as the lifeline. The lighter colors are less likely to bleed onto the lace fabric. And they avoid waxed dental floss because it can leave pieces of wax when it’s removed.

 

• Choosing a pattern that has either written instructions only or both written directions and a chart if you’ve never knitted from a chart before.  Written instructions allow you to learn to read the chart while you work, and help decrease mistakes when those symbols are confusing.

 

• Knitting a swatch first allows you to double-check your knitting gauge, and choice of yarn and needles.  Lace often has a three-dimensional aspect. You may or may not care for the way a particular yarn or size needle alters the pattern from the designer’s.  Knitting a swatch first can save you frustration because knitting a small swatch in the long run is easier than starting a pattern and deciding a few inches later it’s just not right.

Depending upon your situation one or more of these tips can increase your lace knitting success. ..and remember to Knit Lace Happy!

   

Different Ways to Cast On (video)

In knitting the easiest way to cast on is the simple cast on or easy wrap. Discover different ways to cast on in knitting with tips from a knitting teacher in this video.

Pam Grushkin learned to knit at a young age and she now teaches knitting both independently and through yarn shops.