Great tips here! Especially the life line! Since I haven’t knitted much I can’t tell you how many times I ripped out the whole piece because I couldn’t get the stitches or kept dropping a stitich or just plain messed it up trying to frog. Sorry I don’t have any tips maybe some day I will have knitted enough to contribute.
Knit Tips & Tricks
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I keep safety pins in my box. If I’m needing to pick up a lost stitch, I like to anchor it first, just in case it decides to undo itself further down the row.
My girlfriend found me the neatest knitting gadget. It’s a small crochet hook on one end and a knitting needle on the other. It’s about 3 inches long. I sadly use that thing every time I knit:roflhard: , but it sure is handy!
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GREAT idea about the safety pins, Kelly!
It can get pretty nerve-wracking trying to catch those stitches. This is a super safety net.
Thanks,
Ruthie
Don’t worry, Kitty-Kat! 
It won’t take long before you’re either frantically searching for solutions or inventing your own. Desperation, NOT necessity, is the real mother of invention! And there’s not much more desperate than a knitter who’s balled something up after putting in hours and hours of work. :teehee:
So stay tuned, learn lots, and then send in your solutions, too! They’ll be appreciated, especially since you’ll probably be looking at things with a new (to knitting) pair of eyes.
Thanks, again!
Ruthie :knitting:
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I don’t ever remember to mark paper when I’m knitting. So the paper and pencil to keep track just wasn’t working for me and neither would the row counters that sit next to you.
I use the ones that hang on your work. Like this one.
And the lifeline, that’s has saved me so many hours of re-knitting.
I use hairties for stitch markers. They move easily because they are stretchy.
I also keep a copy of all the patterns I use on my computer. I just save them as doc or pdfs. That way if I lose my copy I can print another.
Raverly has help me a lot too with keeping track of what I’m doing for big projects, like yarn I need and such.
I also keep my work in plastic ziplock bags. And my statch too.
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If I find a pattern that I know I will use over and over, I write each row on an index card, punch a hole in the top left corner and attach the cards with a binder ring. You can then flip through as you continue each row. On the last card (well, the card before any finishing instructions) I note how many repeats of the pattern to make (actually, I do all this on the computer and laminate the cards - that way I can tick off any repeats with-in the rows, or if there are sections of the pattern that are straight repeats (ie. knit 8 rows…) ) I will also usually start the cards with a pic of the finished product, then any special instructions, then onto the pattern rows.
hope that was clear!
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Hi Kelly
Is this the sort of gadget you mean? Looks really handy, kind of thing that should be superglued to my wrist :??
:figureditout:when I’m working ‘awkward’ patterns, as I call them
Many thanks for posting, I’ll definitely get one.
Ellie
I have been reading so many useful tips here. I have all sorts of ‘gadgets’ I’ve purchased since resuming knitting, but I must get one of the Coats and Clark knitting needle on one end and crochet hook on the other. I do keep a crochet hook at hand, small scissors, retractable tape measure and my indispensable row counters, yes two, as I would be lost without them. Heck, whatever works is fine. Keep the tips coming in as I know for certain I am learning a bunch from I’ve just read.
[QUOTE=MAmaDawn;1132101]I don’t ever remember to mark paper when I’m knitting. So the paper and pencil to keep track just wasn’t working for me and neither would the row counters that sit next to you.
Hi! I also got impatient with marking paper or turning a stitch counter when I’m knitting. I just wanna keep going! 
But there were times I had to count rows and/or repeats in a pattern. So I just put some pennies in a bowl and sat it next to me and then I could take one out (one-handed, of course!) and line it up on the sofa or table next to me. I could tell which number of repeat I was on just by looking at the coins.
I guess for a more complex pattern you could use nickles AND pennies and even quarters, depending on how much you have to keep track of (and if you’ve been to the yarn shop, how solvent your finances are!!!:roflhard: )
Either way, I found this simple. Hope it works for 'ya!
Ruthie
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[QUOTE=margz3;1132180]If I find a pattern that I know I will use over and over, I write each row on an index card, punch a hole in the top left corner and attach the cards with a binder ring.
Hey, Margaret!
I wrote up a tip a bit earlier about how I use index cards, too - they’re wonderful! But you added a whole 'nother dimension!!! The binder clip ring and LAMINATING the cards!!! Wowser! :yay:
You go, girl!!! This thread is turning out so great!
More, more, more…
Ruthie
Yes! That’s it. My gf found it at an Artco store, which is like an outlet for crafts? I have never been. It was in the dollar section. She hasn’t seen them since.
Gosh, I will look for a backup one, now that I know you can buy them. Thanks for posting the link.:yay:
I honestly lost it for 2 days (under the couch), and had to resort to a regular crochet hook. It just isn’t the same.
I like to use an old daily desk calendar for counting rows. The small one’s that have a separate page for each day. Even though it only goes to 31 days, I just repeat the pages. I also use a separate set to keep track of row counts for a pattern, just have to remember to flip the pages at the end of each row.
I’ll have to get one of those crochet hook/needle things, sounds like a great idea!
I always have to have paper and pencil to keep track of my knitting, row counters just don’t work for me, I forget about them. I find it harder to ignore the big blue clipboard that has all my current patterns attached to it!
Two of the best tricks I’ve learned are tinking and inserting a needle into a destination row. Both of which I learned from this article.
I find it tricky inserting a knitting needle into a destination row so I tend to use a piece of thread or something but the idea is the same.
This thread is GREAT!
Here’s my tip. For all those little things that can get lost in the bottom of the knitting bag, use one of the little make-up bags that you get “free with purchase” from many of the major make-up companies when they have their “Free with purchase” deals. I keep my scissors (on a cork, so it doesn’t poke through), tape measure, crochet hook, stitch markers, lifeline thread, plastic needles and a piece of sand paper and a piece of rubber jar opener stuff. What are the last two items for? Sand paper is for lightly sanding rough edges on either needles or finger nails! (I know–a nail file would work, but they disappear) and the jar opener rubber stuff is for the Options needles. Works great for tightening them.
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Stitch Markers, Stitch Markers, Stitch Markers … I use them for even the smallest repeat or to remind me to knit the two or three stitches at the edge of a dish cloth. Even if a pattern only has 4 or five stitches in it, I know immediately if I have made a mistake.
My favorite stitch markers are jump rings. I get them in the jewelry making area of the craft store. They come in all sizes, they are inexpensive (so you don’t feel like you have to search for a lost one) and you get a whole bunch of them.
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This is a really great thread! I don’t have any new knitting tips. I do however, have a tip for shopping for your knitting accessaries.
This is the time of year Target, or any of the places that sell school supplies have great prices.
I was in Target yesterday just wondering around and found these in the school supplies. I’m going to keep my dpn’s in the 3 ringer pencil pouch. My odd’s and end’s in the zipper bag. my circular needles that I use most often in the plastic box. they were all very inexpensive.
The ringer pouch was $1.49 ea. the zipper bag was $2.99, The box was $2.99
My tip is to use those little tins that have mints in them for your small items to keep from losing them in the couch or chair, etc. I even bought a can of cookies the other day because it was tall (about 7") and about as big around as a CD. My first thought was…I could use that for needles. I always put something soft in the bottom of the container to protect the needle points. Also, go on E-bay if you need needles, yarn, etc. I like the vintage needles and they’re always available and you can usually get them at a good price. That’s one way to add to your supply of needles.
Hi
Being of a natural bodging nature (making something for nowt and a perennial pack rat) I’ve been using the cylinder from the inside of a cling film pack to store my DPNs - or Scuds as my hubby refers to them.
He says I nearly had his eye out once - :roll: men are such babies - it was a good quarter of an inch from his eye socket - dunno why he was making such a fuss.
Sorry … oh yes, the cylinder. I got the inside foamy round pad thing from a coffee jar lid, cut it to size to fit the bottom of the cylinder and fixed it in place with duct tape. To stop the needles from spilling out the top of the container, I make a little pom pom and pop it on top.
This doesn’t sound very appealing but if you have any small children or grand children lurking around, you could ask them to paint the cylinder with acrylic paint or get some pretty gift-wrap, and stick it to the cylinder with PVA glue.
I’m sure there are lots of decorative effects they could do and it struck me as being a cheap and cheerful present for them to make for their favourite knitters at Xmas.
Ellie
PS - Sorry, I meant the idea might not sound very appealing - not anyone’s children or grandchildren :oops:
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Hi - I’ve just got to share this with all of you. Today I went to a welding supply shop and bought a tube of stainless steel “tig rods” for just under $16. The tube holds about 25-30 1/16" rods, 3 feet long, which is more than enough for blocking my largest afghan. They came in a nice, heavy plastic tube with a loop at the top for hanging!
Also, I stopped at Lowe’s and spent another $16.88 for a big package of those snap-together floor mat tiles (the ones for kids with letters of the alphabet) that will make a perfect base for stretching the afghans on the rods and then pinning them down right into the mat tiles.
For under $32 I’m set to block almost anything. So maybe go hang out at your local welding supply shop, too!
Ruthie:happydance:
PS - If you need flexible stainless steel wire for blocking curves, they also sell that. It’s a very large spool of wire, though, so you might want to divide the wire (and the cost) with other knitting friends.
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Hey, Ellie -
GREAT idea about decorating the cans/tubes that are recycled for holding needles and other really important knitting “stuff”!
We’re having a family party next Sunday (24-26 people) and when we get them all together I try to have some art projects for the little ones and the ladies as well. The male types are self-occupying with sports, playing pool/ping pong, etc. so they’re no worry. Usually I have some small ceramic or wooden pieces and a bunch of acrylic paint and craft brushes and we get around the kitchen table (which is covered with thick brown paper) and paint while we talk. Then everybody gets to take home a little keepsake of the day.
I’ve got some of those tube type cans that Pringles chips come in and those’ll make a GREAT project for the little ones (7 and 9) to decorate for me for my needles. (they like to make things for Granma). It never even occurred to me until I read your post!:doh:
So thanks for that!
Ruthie :happydance: