Knitting Tips
Whether you are a beginner knitter or advanced, there is always something new to learn with knitting. I've selected the best advise and tips from top designers and knitters and keep continually adding to my list. Just click on the text in bold to find out more.
- A DK weight sock recipe
Yes, DK socks! DK yarn is fair bit thicker than the more typical fingering-weight sock yarns. This means that the resulting socks will be thicker and warmer—and quicker to knit! These are all wins. Recipe here..... - Blocking hand knits
For the vast majority of your knitting, blocking is so simple. And the benefits are remarkable. Blocking tidies up your knitting, evening out stitches and smoothing the fabric. And blocking brings the fabric to its finished shape and size. - Brioche - all you need to know from the expert
The Queen of Brioche Nancy Marchant explains all about Brioche. She has spent many years learning the stitch, coming up with a universal stitch abbreviations the BRK and the BRP and designing some lovely patterns - Brioche Video Tutorials
Sandra's tutorials , increases and decreases in 2 coloured Brioche - Buttonholes
Learn to knit series - buttonholes, horizontal and vertical - Casting off / Binding off
Learn to knit series - Casting off knitwise and purlwise , instructions and diagrams - Catching fair isle floats
Keep your Fair Isle knitting neat and tangle-free with these simple steps - Central Double Decrease
A tutorial explaining how to do the CDD central double decrease - Charting lace
How to create lace motifs - Dandelion Stitch video
The Dandelion stitch , a stitch so often used in The Feminine Touch Designs - Design Tutorials - THESE ARE GREAT
How to use Excel and other software for designing anything - Designing Lace Shawls
A blog about designing lace shawls - Elongated stitch step by step
Learn how to work the elongated stitch that's the main feature of Sandra's woven shawl - Excel for Pattern Writing - Part IV
This is the last in a 3-part tutorial covering this spreadsheet, and one of several tutorials on using Excel for designing. - Foot size tables
Remember: socks should generally be made with about 10% negative ease in the foot circumference. For an adult sock, about an inch is standard. - Garter tab cast on
Many shawl patterns start with a garter tab. Sometimes the instructions clearly indicate that’s what you’re doing, but often they don’t. They just start with a narrow strip of garter stitch, and very little clue as to what it all means or how to do it. - German Short Rows
Tutorial - How to work German Short Rows - Hiding the gaps when knitting in the round
When you’re knitting in the round, you’re actually working a spiral, so that end of the round sits one “row” above the start. This means that the top and bottom edges of the cylinder of stitches will always be misaligned. This doesn’t look great at the cast-on edge, but it’s even worse at the bind-off edge because the stitches of the bind off lean in the direction of the knitting, pulling the first stitch towards the second, which makes a big gap. - How to add an Icord border to a finished edge
add a beautiful finishing touch to your creative garments - How to block a lace shawl
Once finish knitting and binding off a lace shawl, you may be a bit ‘at a loss’ for how to finish the project. If you haven’t blocked before, simply follow along with these instructions and get started. - How to Cable
Simple cabling instructions with some free patterns too - How to do to an Horizontal Invisible Seam on Garter Stitch
This is an invisible method to horizontally join two pieces of garter stitch end to end that gives a beautiful, finished look - How to dye wool with food colouring
Even though the world is full of gorgeous yarns, kettle-dyed, hand painted, and painstakingly designed. Independent yarn dyers agonize over their colour choices, dye methods, and fibre content. Even though there's a plethora of yarn, no one knows exactly what colours are your favourites: and after all, dyeing your own yarn is just plain fun. - How to knit the Knot Stitch
This video knitting tutorial will help you learn how to knit the knot stitch. This stitch creates tightly knit diagonal rows of knots making for sophisticated texture. The knot stitch would be great for sweaters, hats, purses and scarves. - How to knit the Raspberry stitch
How to knit the Raspberry stitch how to do the two stitches used to make the raspberry stitch, which are purl 3 stitches together, and knit 1 purl 1 knit 1 in the same stitch. - How to read a knitting pattern
To follow a knitting pattern a beginner must learn several knitting conventions. This tutorial covers the language and shorthand that knitting patterns contain - How to Steek!
How to steek a hand knit sweater - How to stop stocking stitch from curling
If you cast on and knit a stocking stitch square, cast off and let it go it will often roll itself into a tube. A project that can’t roll at both ends (such as a sweater or even a baby hat) will tend to curl up at the loose edge. If you pin both cast on and cast off down, it may roll at the sides. This is known as a rolled brim or rolled edge, and is a design feature on many patterns. But if it’s not what you had in mind, what can you do? - How To: 1-Color Brioche in the Round
Video showing you how To do 1-Color Brioche in the Round. - Intarsia cables
Faye Perriam explains how to apply intarsia techniques when working with cable and stripe patterns. - Joining in the round
“Distribute stitches evenly across needles … place a marker … and join for working in the round, being careful not to twist.” How? - Kitchener Stitch
How to graft the kitchener way - Lace knitting & Eyelet stitches
Learn to knit series - Lace knitting & Eyelet stitches - Learn Entralac
Entrelac is huge amounts of fun to knit, and creates very cool fabrics, but it is a bit weird. It seems like you’re doing some very odd stuff. The Scrap Tote - Learn Entralac here - Needle Conversion
Needle Size Conversion chart and explanation - Needles in the modern age of sock knitting
There have been so many amazing developments in sock knitting technology in recent years. More than 25 years ago, when I first started making socks, it was DPNs—double-pointed needles—or nothing. Now you can work socks on tiny circulars, two circulars, magic loop, and the latest innovation—flexible DPNs. These are all alternatives for working small-circumference pieces, offering a choice for those who don’t love DPNs. Read more here.... - Picking up stitches along an edge
Learn 2 knit series - learn to pick up stitches along an edge, instructions and diagrams - Provisional Cast On
How to do the needle and hook method. - Skill Builder - Cables
Skill Set: Beginning Knitting gets knitters started with left- and right-twisting 2 x 2 cables that teach all the basics. - Skill Builder - Combining Knits and Purls
There are only two stitches in knitting, and every knitted fabric is just a combination of those two. Let's explore.... - Swiss Darning - how to mend holes in your knitted garments
Video on swiss darning - Symbol key and abbreviations list
Symbol key and abbreviations list - The ultimate sock master class
Been dreaming of knitting socks but not managed to learn how yet? Join this masterclass and let's make sure you don't miss out on knitting socks any longer! - Triangular shawl construction
I was thinking about all the different ways one can construct the shawl. Take for example a triangular shawl. There are at least 3 different ways it could be knitted: - Understanding crown shaping
Hat styles are determined by how the crown is shaped. Woolly Wormhead explains how to construct your own designs. - Understanding knitting patterns and charts
Deciphering knitting patterns and charts Becoming a savvy pattern buyer its you know, knitting is made up of stitches, rows, decreases, and increases. You can ¥ \ make it all up as you go along, of course, but if you want to repeat someone else’s work, you either have to be by her side the whole time (which might be okay if that knitter is your mom) or you have to come up with a way of translating the knitting onto paper. - Understanding positive ease
Ease is all about fit. Some clothes and knits are designed to have a close fitting shape, and some are designed to be loose. The amount of space between a garment and your body is known as “ease”. - Using Excel to aid in writing multi-sized patterns
Excel can be used to help you organize and plot your final pattern. Unfortunately, it can't do all the dirty work, but you can find yourself being a bit more consistent, if you let the program do your calculating. - Working a tension swatch
Learn to knit series - working a tension swatch