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How do I knit with 2 strands of different colors at the same time?
Holding two colors of yarn together to knit (or crochet) is a great technique to learn. All you really need to do is hold the 2 strands together and treat them as a single strand for EVERYTHING that you do, except for seaming the project.
Marled yarns (that give you that fun, 2-color, heathered sort of look) are usually just 2 strands of different colors twisted together to form 1 yarn. You can get this same effect by holding together 2 strands of different colors.
Begin by keeping the 2 balls or skeins separate (vs. having them wound together). This will help especially if one yarn is more elastic than another or has a very different texture, as your tension will cause one yarn to feed more quickly than the other. If they feed differently and are wound together into one ball, it can be a real mess as one strand starts bunching up along the other.
If you have those plastic yarn ball holders that
have holes in the top to let the yarn flow freely,
they are helpful when using 2 strands. They will
keep the balls from running into each other on
your floor or in your knitting basket. I just
use 2 separate shopping bags (the small ones that
sit flat on the floor and have 2 handles) and
let them sit on the floor.
Hold the 2 strands together as one and cast on your stitches. Both strands will need to be in your hand for tension control. Hold them BOTH exactly as your normally do with 1 strand. The only real trick it to remember to use both strands at all times and to be sure to insert your needle (or hook) into (or under) the double strand of the stitches. When seaming a sweater knit with 2 strands, it is usually easier to pick just one of the strands to use for sewing all of the seams.
Once you have mastered using 2 strands of yarn,
you can use this technique to do lots of interesting
things! Carry a fancy yarn with sequins, fringe,
or other embelishments with a more sturdy and
smooth yarn. Combine a fluffy soft yarn with a
plain cotton or wool yarn to add softness and
texture to your project. Add stripes by using
2 yarns for a few rows, then only 1 of the strands
for the next few rows, etc. OR use 2 strands of
a lighter weight yarn for a project that calls
for a bulkier yarn. Experiement and have fun!
How do I make a tassel?
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click here.
My
cast-on is always too tight. What can I do?
If you are
doing the "double cast-on" technique, also called
the "long tail cast-on" (i.e. you are casting-on
using 2 strands, one around your index finger
and one around your thumb), pause after you cast-on
a stitch, BEFORE you tighten it.
Look at the cast-on stitch and notice that the
strand closest to you (in front) is the strand
that tightens at the base of the stitch, while
the other strand (in back) is the strand that
is going around the needle. 
As you tighten, begin by pulling on BOTH strands.
When the back strand is still loose on the needle
(just a smidgeon bigger than the size you are
after - see the example at right), STOP pulling
on the back strand and only continue to pull on
the front strand. Try to tighten the front strand
as much as you can, which will keep the base of
your stitches looking nice and neat. It takes
a little practice, but it's worth it to have a
nice looking edge.
You'll know if you are loose enough if you can
EASILY slide your cast-on stitches across your
needle. If you can't, take the time to remove
the tight cast-on stitches and redo them.
Remember, you only have to cast-on once per project
piece, so take your time casting-on so you can
have a nice looking edge.
Some books will suggest casting-on with 2 needles
to make your stitches loose. Don't do it! I've
found that this creates cast-on stitches that
are TOO loose, which causes your first row to
look bumpy and messy.
"You can also use a needle 1 to 2 sizes larger
than your project needles to cast on. This really
provices a neat cast on without being too loose
of stopping to look at every stitch!" --
Starr F. Jonesboro, AR. Thanks
Starr! I forgot to mention that trick. But do
REMEMBER to switch back to the correct needle
sizes once you start knitting!
-- SweaterBabe
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How
do I thread thick yarn into a yarn needle?
Here's a great
trick for getting yarn threaded into a yarn needle
without any special tools. Take the end of the
yarn and lay it on your index finger (of your
left hand if you are right- handed). Place the
thinner end of your yarn needle on the end of
the yarn (STEP #1 photo) and then fold it over
as shown in the STEP #2.
Now, pinch the folded part of the yarn with your
thumb and index finger over the yarn needle (STEP
#3 photo). Remove the yarn needle. The "folded"
pinch can now be easily shoved into the eye of
the needle (STEP #4).
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STEP #1
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STEP #2
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STEP #3
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STEP #4
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This trick
works for all types of yarns - the thick and thin
ones, the super bulky ones, and even the fluffy
or multi-stranded ones. Happy sewing!
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Why
do the stitches on the ends always seem so big?
This is a
question I get in all of my beginning knitting
classes. Often as you are knitting something,
you will be bothered by how loose the beginning
and end stitches of each row seem. You may notice
this especially when knitting the Garter stitch
(knitting every row). This is normal and is not
because you are a new knitter.
My first recommendation is to not let it bother
you! If you just go with the flow, you will notice
that the "looseness" of these stitches
will not actually be noticable once you get past
that row and your edges look fine. If you are
still bothered by it, what you can do is use a
tighter tension at the beginning of each row when
you work JUST the first stitch. Just pull a little
more ONLY as you do the first stitch to take up
the slack (looseness) and you should get a slightly
firmer looking edge.
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What
is an "edge" or "selvage" stitch?
An "edge"
or "selvage" stitch is a stitch worked
at the beginning and end of each row to create
a neater, more presentable finished edge to your
work. It is often used in situations where no
additional finishing will be done to the edge
of the knitted piece, e.g. for scarves, necklines,
or armhole edges.
One type of selvage stitch, called a "chain
stitch selvage" is created by always "slipping
purl-wise" the first stitch and always "knitting"
the last stitch on every row. This creates a neat-looking
finished side edge that resembles a bound-off
edge. By slipping the first stitch, you are essentially
only working the edge stitch on every other row,
which helps to create a firmer, more finished
edge.
Another type of edge stitch, most commonly worked
when working the body of your piece in Garter
Stitch (where every row is knit), called a "slip
garter stitch selvage" is created by always
"slipping knit-wise" the first stitch
and always "knitting" the last stitch
on every row. This creates a slightly tighter
finish that if you just knit the first and last
stitch on every row. It will blend perfectly into
your Garter Stitch fabric, but look neater.
There are other types of selvage stitches (please
refer to guides like Vogue Knitting). Your pattern
should include explicit instructions if it requires
a specific type of selvage. I like to use them
when making scarves for extra nice edges.
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What
is ribbing?
Ribbing is
when you alternate knitting and purling on the
same row to create a fabric with vertical "ribs".
It is the pattern stitch you often see for ski
scarves and hats, as well as any part of a sweater
that needs to be more elastic, like the turtleck,
waistband, or cuffs.
Ribbed fabrics naturally pull-in, which is why
they are perfect also for close-fitting, shaped
sweaters and ski hats. And they look similar on
both sides, making them very popular for scarves
and blankets.
The simplest ribbed pattern stitch is the 1x1
rib, which means you alternate knitting 1 stitch
and purling 1 stitch. When you turn your row,
each knit stitch is knit and each purl stitch
is purled, creating the vertically aligned ribs.
Ribbing can have chunkier ribs by working more
stitches into each rib, e.g. alternating knit
4, purl 4, or uneven ribs, e.g. alternating knit
3, purl 6.
The only real trick with ribbing is remembering
that you must MOVE the yarn from back to front
when you transition from a knit stitch to a purl
stitch and you must MOVE the yarn from front to
back when you transition from a purl stitch to
a knit stitch.
"MOVING" the yarn just means to literally
move it between your needle tips to the front
of back of your work. If you forget to move it,
you will end up with an extra strand of yarn laying
over your needle, which you will easily mistake
as a new stitch on your next row.
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How
do I knit a blanket on straight needles?
Unless your
blanket is rather small (like for a doll) or made
in stripes, you don't! It is far better to use
circular needles to knit it!
With long circular needles, the many stitches
that make up the width of the blanket can easily
sit on the needles and along the long plastic
cord joining the needles. Circular needles come
in many lengths - 12" to 60" (measured
including the needle tips). The longer ones are
great for holding the many stitches that you may
have per row when you make large projects, like
blankets. Also, with circular needles, the weight
of your knitting, which can be substantial when
you are getting towards the end of your blanket,
sits comfortably on your lap instead of being
held up by your arms, which can make for very
tiring knitting! Plus, if you try to knit too
many stitches on straight needles, the stitches
may start to bunch up too much, get tangled a
bit, or start popping off your needles when you
set your knitting down! Not worth the trouble,
just use circular needles!
Just treat each end as separate needle and don't
be confused by the fact that the needles just
happen to be connected to each other. When turning
rows, simply switch needle tips to the other hand
and work your next row, just like you do with
the straight needles.
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How
can I play with some of the new fancy yarns?
A super simple
way to create wonderful textures and experiment
with fancy yarns is to knit with two yarns at the
same time! All you need to do is hold the two strands
together the WHOLE time and treat them as one strand.
Just make sure you remember that you are using
two strands and be careful to not accidentally
forget to carry one. Also, it's best to keep the
two yarns as SEPARATE balls of yarn.
Why? Because as you work with both balls, your
tension is often different for one versus the
other (because of the elasticity and texture differences
in the yarns), so it is much easier if they can
feed into your hand separately. If you try to
wind them together first, one will often bunch
up and become really annoying as you knit.
Try combining any thin, eyelashy or furry type
of yarn with a more simple, plain yarn to give
your fabric more structure. Or add some sparkle
to a basic mohair, wool, or cotton yarn by combining
it with a strand of yarn with a glittery texture.
As a bonus, when you work with multiple strands
of yarn, you often can just stick with the basic
Garter stitch (knitting every row) to let the
yarn combination be the highlight of your piece.
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I
knit too tightly - what can I do to fix this?
If you find
that your stitches are so tight that it's a struggle
to knit, there are a few things to consider.
If you're a new knitter, be careful that you
have not gotten into the habit of pulling the
yarn to tighten your stitch right after you knit
(or purl). This is an easy habit to pick up, so
just watch for it and remind yourself not to do
it.
If that's not what appears to be happening, then
perhaps you are holding the yarn in your hand
with too much tension. The next time you knit,
see if you can try holding the yarn a little looser
by winding it less times around your fingers or
grasping it with more of a relaxed hold. Knitters
are usually taught some way of weaving the yarn
through their fingers to control their knitting
tension. From my experience in teaching hundreds
of students, this is a great starting point, but
every knitter needs to find their own way of grabbing
and holding onto the yarn. And most will just
by trial and error and practice!
Knitting should
be a relaxed hobby that should not strain and
cramp your fingers. The yarn coming from the ball
needs to be held in your hand in some fashion
so that it has a little bit of tension. It's this
tension that helps keep all of your stitches even.
Holding the yarn too loosely, or not at all, will
make your knitting overly loose and uneven. Holding
the yarn too tightly can hurt your fingers and
make all of your stitches too tight.
I tell my students not to worry about how they
hold the yarn, as long as they do it every time
in the same way. It may take a few hours of practice
to figure out what is most natural and comfortable,
but that's what it takes... and then it becomes
second nature. Once this happens, you won't need
to worry about the tightness or looseness of your
knitting - the real goal is that your stitches
look even. Some people will always be loose knitters
and some will always be tight knitters. You can
always change your needle size to adjust your
size of your stitches.
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What
is the Stockinette Stitch?
Stockinette
Stitch is the name of the fabric that is created
when you alternately knit 1 row and purl 1 row.
The fabric ends up with 2 different sides - the
"knit side", which is smooth and has
little stitches that look like "v's"
and the "purl side", which looks like
little "pearls" or bumps. Unlike the
Garter Stitch, which is created by knitting EVERY
row, a Stockinette Stitch fabric does not lay
flat. It's edges will curl in towards the purl
side of the fabric. Because of this, it is not
ideal for scarves unless you don't mind scarves
that roll up. However, this rolling is ideal for
hats and kid's sweaters where the sides are usually
seamed (like the back seam of a hat or the side
seams of a sweater), so the curling tendency is
limited to the bottom edges - giving you finished
looking rolled edges, like you see in this baby
hat.
If you working in the Stockinette Stitch, put
down your knitting and are unsure when you pick
it back up whether you should knit or purl the
next row, follow the rule "knit the knit
side and purl the purl side". So, if you
are just about to start your row with your stitches
sitting on your left needle, take a look at which
side of the fabric is facing you. If it is the
knit side, then you should now knit 1 row. If
it is the purl side, then purl the next row.
Stockinette
Stitch is abbreviated St st and is VERY commonly
used in knitting patterns. As you get into knitting
from patterns, you will become very familiar with
it.
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How
do I know what size needles to use for a certain
yarn?
When you buy yarn from a yarn store, it comes with
a ball band that provides lots of information about
the yarn. Most ball bands will at a minimum tell
you:
1) Yarn company and name of the yarn,
2) What the yarn is made of,
3) How much the ball weighs,
4) Approximate yardage,
5) Washing, drying, and ironing instructions,
6) Yarn color and dye lot number,
7) AND suggested needle size and approximate gauge!
The suggested needle size will either be clearly
labeled "the suggested needle size", or it may
merely be a number shown next to an image of 2
crossed knitting needles (and sometimes a crochet
hook as well). It could also be shown under a
little diagram of a gauge swatch that says "10x10cm"
at the top, 24M (or some other number) underneath,
and 34R (or some other number) along the side.
This little diagram is showing the typical Gauge
that you will get using the suggested needle size
for a 10cm x 10cm swatch (in this example, it
is saying you will get 24 stitches and 34 rows).
Now - this suggested needle size is the approximate
size to use if you want to use your yarn to knit
a solid fabric, i.e. something that is not see-through
at all. Feel free to use larger needles sizes
if you prefer a looser fabric. Using a smaller
needle size is not suggested unless you want a
very dense, tight fabric - which may undermine
the beauty and softness of a fabulous yarn - although
there may be some occasions where you need this
(e.g. when knitting the ribbing on a sleeve cuff
that's supposed to be snug).
Also, be careful that European yarns will most
likely list the needle size in mm, NOT in U.S.
sizes. Ask the yarn shop owner if you are not
sure whether the needle size given is in U.S.
sizes or in mm. Here is the SweaterBabe.com
needle size conversion chart for you to reference.
Always make a habit of keeping the ball bands
at least until you are done with your project.
They come in handy too when it's time to wash
your handmade treasures!
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How do I add a new ball of yarn?
If your project requires more than one ball of
yarn to finish it, how do you add on the new ball
of yarn when the one you are using runs out?
Ideally, you notice that you are running low
on yarn at the beginning or end of a row (rather
than in the middle of the row). As a general rule
of thumb, if you have a length of yarn that is
at least 3 times the width of your knitting, you
should have enough to finish one more row.
Trim your yarn so you only have a 6-8" tail.
Then, grab your new ball of yarn and line up the
two tails (one that you just trimmed and one from
the new ball of yarn) so you are grabbing both
strands of yarn. Knot them together with a simple
overhand knot, but keep it loose, and position
the knot so it sits right at the edge of your
knitting (just under your needle).
Now, just begin knitting with the new ball of
yarn, allowing the knot and 2 tails to just hang
off the edge of your knitting.
When you are done with your project, undo the
knots where new balls of yarn were added so you
can weave in the 2 loose ends and finish your
knitting neatly.
Using this same technique, you can also begin
adding stripes with different colors or different
textures of yarn. Just tie on a new color or yarn
in the same manner as above. When you are done
with your stripe, tie your original color yarn
back on, or a new color ot yarn to add keep striping.
Think of all the new possibilities! Add a mohair
stripe to your wool scarf. Or alternate stripes
in a glittery yarn with a soft fluffy yarn to
create a beautiful evening accent scarf. Experiment
and have fun with it!
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Can I use circular needles instead
of straight needles?
Yes! In fact, I prefer to use circular needles
for all of my projects. I never have to worry
about losing one needle or sifting through my
needle drawer to find a missing mate!
To use circular needles instead of a pair of
straight needles, just treat one end as your "right
needle" and the other end as your "left needle".
When you are done with a row and ready to turn,
just switch needles as you do with straight needles,
i.e. the "right needle" becomes your "left needle"
and vice versa (they just happen to be connected
with a plastic cord).
Circular needles, in fact, are ideal for your
larger projects, like blankets. Instead of letting
all the stitches bunch up at the end of your straight
needles, the stitches will sit on the plastic
cord connecting needles and the weight of your
knitting with be in your lap. This will take the
strain off of your elbows and forearms when you
are knitting. Also, when you set down your knitting,
just push all the stitches onto the plastic cord.
This way, they won't run the risk of slipping
off your needles, which is a real danger with
straight needles when you have lots of stitches.
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Why do I have extra stitches?
If one or both of your edges is slanting or seems
to be growing, then you might be accidentally
adding stitches at the beginning of your row.
This is an easy and common boo-boo for beginners
and is easily avoided if you know to watch for
it!
The next time you are just about to start a
new row, be careful that your yarn is coming out
from the correct side of your fabric. If it is
not, you can easily mistake a stitch from your
previous row as two stitches and end up with an
extra.
So, before you stick your needle anywhere to
begin your row, pull downwards on your fabric
and notice how the yarn will naturally pop to
the front or back of your fabric. Now with the
yarn in the correct place, the first stitch on
your needle will be much more obvious. As a double
check, the first stitch should always be the loop
coming directly from the ball of yarn.
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What is the Garter stitch?
Garter stitch is the name of the fabric or pattern
you create when you knit every stitch on every
row. It's a great pattern stitch for items that
should lay flat, like blankets. and look the same
on both sides, like scarves.
It can also be created by purling every stitch
on every row, but since most people find knitting
easier and faster, it's best to knit your garter
stitch.
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What is the wrong side?
The wrong side of your work is the side that will
face inward or is the "inside" (for
sweaters), or it is the bottom (for blankets).
So, when a pattern says "ending with a WS
row", it means to finish working a row that
is on the wrong side. The instructions that follow
will be telling you what to do with a row on the
right side, or the outside of your piece.
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