Stitch Markers

General Knitting
1

Okay…this is a very silly question! What do you use stitch markers for? I’ve seen some very expensive ones that I could make myself (I make jewelry) made of wire and beads. Some come with a safety pin that has no coil and some have hooks at the end.

So…whaddya use them for?

Thanks in advance!

Denise

2

Stitch markers sit between two stitches and are “slipped” (that is they are moved from one needle to the other without being knit or purled) every row.

You use them to indicate something and the possibilities are many.

  1. You may use them every pattern repeat across a row so you can be asured you have worked the pattern correctly.
  2. You could use it to indicate the a point where you’ll need to work an increase or decrease for say, a hat.
  3. When knitting in the round, you would definitely need it to mark where a round begins/ends.

You get the point :slight_smile:

3

Okay, cool, thanks!!!

4

Ah, I’ve just used markers for hte first time, I used them wrong, and my mitered bottom turned out sort of swirly. Than I searched this site for markers and discoverred that I’m not using them correctly. I guess I should have come here first.

But I’m still confused.

Okay, so I place the marker between the sts. When I get to it, I st, st, st, than skip the marker over the needle, and st, st, st, until I get there again, right? Than am I supposed to move the marker up so that it is still usable? Is that the way this works?

I think I’m starting to get it.

Thanks!

5

The stitch marker goes ON the needle…it gets slipped from one needle to the other when you come to it, so it automatically stays in the same place.

6

OOOOOOOOOOOOOHHHHHHHHHHH! (A lightbulb went off that was so bright even my dogs blinked). You mean, it goes on the needle and doesn’t even connect to the yarn at all!!! Now i get it.I figured, since it had the little slit, that I attachedit to the yarn.

Wow, what a nearly beautiful felting project I almost had. Oh well, next time it will be perfect!

Live and learn!
Thanks!!!

7

The little slit in some markers is so you can put it on or remove it from your needle at any time. You may decide that you don’t need it in a particular place or find that a marker would be helpful somewhere. I don’t really like those because they get caught in the yarn sometimes. There are plain circular ones of plastic, or what I use–a different colored yarn tied in a loop. Always available, and free!

There are people who make their own that are beautiful.

8

Just my 2¢, but I personally do not generally like the split ring stitch markers. They have their purposes, but for general use, I find them a poor substitute for the non-split rings.
I’ve had problems with the split rings getting caught on things and some have come off my needles unexpectedly.

My favorite stitch markers, are the rubber ones.
Like these (scroll down)
I have had regular plastic stitch markers break, but these never do. Love 'em.

9

Some of mine have come off, too.

10

:figureditout: wow been using mine wrong too good thing for this post. Mine are open then you can snap them close so I was placing them on the knit stich and closing them thanks guys!! :smiley:

11

I sure hope that those rubber gaskets/rings are $3.50 BY THE PACKAGE of 12 or more…otherwise this is a HUGE rip-off if it is for each ring. You can get these rubber gaskets at any home repair or hardware store for less then a $1 each.

12

I gave up on the little plastic ring markers that I bought. They kept flipping off and falling down the deck spaces!!! I made some with beads, and I love them. I just copied some I saw on the internet. They have enough weight to them that they don’t fall off. And they are easy to flip over if they are in the way. I’ve bought the little brightly coloured hair elastics too, and they aren’t as slippery as the plastic rings. I use my markers a lot for top down baby cardigans to mark the sides of the fake raglan seam so I don’t have to think!!! When I get to the markers it’s time! samm

13

Me too!

14

Go to the hardware store and ask where the O rings are. (They are in the plumbing area!) You can pick your size(s) and get a dozen or so for about $3 They are perfect! :happydance:

15

Me too![/quote]

Yup, me too. I have a simply awful cheapest cheapo yarn I use just for that.

Nadja xxx

16

How funny! I just bought the colored rubber ones that come in multiple sizes for different size needles…then I looked at the link you posted and realized that I have millions of those things in my husbands workshop. DOH! :wall: