Easy Fair Isle

If you have a hard time knitting Fair Isle using both hands, use this easy method instead. Knit one round using just color A and slip the other stitches with yarn in back making sure they are stretched out just enough to lay flat. Then knit the next round using just Color B and slip the color A stitches purlwise with yarn in back. Two rounds knitted this way covers 1 row in a charted design.

Neater Cuffs on Sleeves

To make neat cuffs on a sweater that is knit flat, either knit the sleeves down to the cuffs or use a provisional cast on and knit from the top of the cuffs to the top of the sleeve. Sew the seams using a mattress stitch. Then pick up the cuff stitches and knit in the round using double pointed needles or 2 circulars so you have a seamless cuff.

Slip Stitch Edges

Use a slip stitch as a decorative front edge on sweaters or the edge of scarves and afghans but never use it where you are going to sew a seam such as on sweater front and back or sleeve pieces. It’s not a strong enough edging to hold a seam stable.

Long Tail Cast-On

The most common cast on method is the long tail. To make sure you have enough yarn, use the general rule of 4 times the length of the hem of whatever you are knitting as your guide.

Yarn Storage

Short of yarn storage space? Use fish stringer lines and use the snap hook part of the chain to hang yarn skeins.

Bindoff

To keep from having a pointed nub at the end of your cast off stitches (especially when making scarves), don’t work the last stitch at all. Just slip the last stitch and then finish by pulling the yarn through that stitch and weaving it to hide the tail.

Bulky Wool Yarn Joining

If you need to join bulky wool yarn, use needle felting tools to marry the ends together so they felt together. You’ll save length, eliminate knots, and give the project a seamless look.

Felting and Shaping

After felting an item, if you need to shape it, steam it. Steam, stretch and shape and re-steam if needed. It’s the washing agitation and shock of cold water that actually felts and shrinks an item, not the steam.

Edge Stitches

When you have a project where you’d like an attractive chain stitch edging (like a scarf, dishcloth or the front edge of a sweater), slip the first stitch of every row to eliminate the edge bump.

If the first stitch is a knit, with yarn in front, insert your needle as if to purl and slip the stitch. Then move the yarn to the back (between the 1st and 2nd stitches) and continue knitting the next stitch. If the next stitch should be a purl, keep the yarn in front and continue purling like normal.

If the first stitch is a purl, insert your needle as if to knit with yarn in back and slip the stitch. Move the yarn to the front and continue to purl. This will create a chain edge.

HOWEVER, do not use this technique if the edges are to be sewn together such as in sweater pieces. In that case, you would want a sturdier edge and would knit or purl the edge stitches in pattern.

Blocking Circular Shaped Knitting Projects

To block a circular project, pin the center of the project to your blocking board, attach a cord (like dental floss or smooth cotton yarn) around the outside edge. Measure from the center to the outside edge while you pin the edge using the cord as your guide to make sure it ends up round and not oval shaped.

Binding Off

To keep bound off stitches from being too tight and pulling in your project (or not being able get a sweater over your head), use a needle 1 or 2 sizes bigger to bind off. The nature of bound off stitches is non-elastic so make sure you either knit very loosely or use a bigger needle.

Threading Beads Onto Yarn

Use a dental floss threader as a needle when stringing beads onto yarn. They look like a giant embroidery needle and are very flexible. Put your yarn in the loop as if you were threading the needle. Pick up the bead and slide it down over the loop which will collapse and you can pull the bead on to the yarn. This works especially well if you have a tight fit between the bead and the yarn.

Scarf Edge Stitches

To make a pretty scarf selvedge edging, the easiest is to slip the first stitch of every row purlwise which makes the edge look like a chain stitch. Another edge idea is to add 8 stitches to your cast-on. Then k1, yo, k2tog at the beginning of every row or k2tog, yo at the beginning of every row.

Casting on in the Middle of a Row

Most times when you have a pocket or buttonhole to insert in your project, the pattern will say to cast on a certain number of stitches while you are in the middle of the row. It’s easily done if you turn your work around (wrong side toward you) and use a knitted on or backward loop cast on method. Then turn your work so it’s front facing again and continue to knit.

Yarn Weights

If you have the perfect pattern but not quite the right yarn to get started, use this general guide:
If you double lace weight yarn, you’ll get close to sport weight;
Doubling fingering weight gives DK weight;
Doubling sport weight gives worsted weight;
Doubling worsted weight gives super bulky weight.
Or you could use the problem as an excuse to go yarn shopping!

Casting On Using Double Pointed Needles

When using double pointed needles, instead of dividing your stitches among 3 or 4 needles when you cast on, use just 2 needles. You can knit the first couple of rounds on 2 needles no matter how many stitches you have. Then divide your stitches onto 3 or 4 needles. This will make it easier to make sure you don’t have twisted stitches.

Buttons and Buttonholes

If you are knitting a cardigan and want to make sure the placement of the buttons are exactly opposite the buttonholes, knit both fronts at the same time and knit a reverse stitch or another marking stitch on the button band in the same row as you make your buttonholes on the buttonhole band. Sew your button over the marked stitch.

Stretchy Cast On Edge

For most knitters, it’s easier to make a stretchy bind off than cast on edge so if a tight cast on is a problem for you, try this. Use a provisional cast-on, then come back later, pick up those stitches and bind off.

Gauge Problems

Usually, if you can get the right number of stitches per inch but have too many rows per inch, your yarn is too thin. If you can get the right number of stitches per inch but have too few rows per inch, your yarn is too thick.

Bind Off In Ribbing

To make a smoother bind-off in ribbing, always have your yarn in the back of the stitches whenever you pull the finished stitch over to bind off. So after a purl stitch, move the yarn to the back before slipping the stitch off the right-hand needle

Creating Scarves

An easy way to create a scarf is to look at all of the free dishcloth patterns available online. Most are about 8” wide which is a good size for a scarf. Just add a 3 stitch garter border and knit to length.

Decreasing Slants - k2tog or ssk

If you have a hard time remembering when to use a k2tog and when to use a ssk while decreasing when using a chart, here’s a tip for you. The symbols on the chart follow the shape of how you work the stitch so use this guide:
/ follows the curve of the number 2 so you k2tog (knit two stitches together)
\ follows the curve of the letter S so you ssk
(slip 1 stitch knitwise, slip 1 stitch knitwise (or purlwise), then knit both of those stitches together through the back loop)

Blocking Acrylic Fibers

Blocking really finishes your knitting projects. Even if you are not using natural fibers, blocking is possible. Check out this link (http://beadknitterpatterns.blogspot.com/2009/11/how-to-block-acrylic.html) to block acrylics which will show you a before and after blocking photo along with detailed blocking instructions. Or click the title of this post to see the article.

Ribbing Transition

For a good looking transition from ribbing to stockinette or a pattern in the main portion of your garment, on the last ribbing row, SLIP every knit stitch purlwise and purl every purl ribbing stitch. On the next row, change to a larger size needle and begin the body of the garment.

Circular Needle Bind-Off

When binding off using circular needles, most times there will be a noticeable edge where the first and last stitch meet. To take care of that, using the tail of your yarn threaded on a tapestry needle, insert needle into the first bound-off chain to the left of the first stitch. Go under both loops of that chain, then insert the tapestry needle back down into the last chain (which is where your yarn tail came from). Pull slightly to even out and then weave the end into the back of your work.