Cable Needles

If you still have the old style plastic hair picks (or beg a couple from your hairdresser), they make good cable needles. You can push them into the yarn while holding the cable stitches and while you store the needles between making cables.

Picking Up Stitches

If you need to pick up stitches, such as around a neckline, the easiest way is to use a crochet hook and then slip the stitches on the knitting needle. Remember they will be twisted on the hook so make sure you slip them to the needle going through the back.

Ripping Out & Picking Up Stockinette Rows

If you need to rip out stockinette stitches more rows back than you want to tink, insert a smaller sized needle into the front leg (right half) of each stitch in the last correct row so those stitches will be aligned right on the needles when you start knitting again. Even if you happen to pick up the back leg of the stitches, just knit into the back or realign the stitch on the needle when you start knitting that row again.