Place stitches on waste yarn?

#1

New here, I’m wondering if anyone can help me figure out a pattern. I’m working on the Biker Boy sweater from Son of Stitch & Bitch for my husband and have gotten stuck where I’m supposed to be joining the arms to the body. Part of the pattern says “place stitches on waste yarn” but I can’t find any explanation for how exactly to do this, do I knit them with a small scrap of yarn but leave them on the needle? or just pull a piece of yarn through them and let it hang separate from the rest of the pattern? Can’t seem to find any help in my books or online.

Then you’re supposed to knit some stitches from the sleeve, then some from the body and it’s turning into a jumbled mess of needles and yarn! I have at least 3 circular needles wrapped up in this thing. I’m really confused and frustrated and about to frog the whole damn thing! :wall:

#2

Yes. If it tells you to just place them on a strad of waste yarn, then all you are really doing is using the waste yarn as a stitch holder. Nothing more than that. Don’t knit them onto the waste yarn, if you do that you’ll end up frogging and possibly losing stitches.

#3

dead fish hat!?!?! ok, I demand a pic when it’s done.

#4

It’s probably like when you knit mittens and you need to leave a hole for the thumb to be worked on after the hand is done. I have a picture here that shows how I just pulled a longish piece of yarn and knit it in place and left the ends out so I could pull it later to reveal the stitches I needed to later pick up and knit the thumb.

There is a good video of this technique on YouTube that was great for me. This technique can be done on any number of knitted items but, as I’ve noticed is usually for button holes and thumbs on mittens.

#5

You would be using the odd yarn as a stitch holder; I like to use another circular, or an actual stitch holder, though that can be too stiff. You can thread some yarn (or crochet thread, dental floss, or whatever) onto a tapestry needle and weave it through the sts.