Why Doesn’t the Pattern Tell Me How Many Stitches to Pick Up?
Have you ever wondered why a pattern doesn’t tell you exactly how many stitches to pick up around the neckline or button band of a sweater? Maybe you’ve even felt a little cheezed-off about it (and perhaps mumbled a few choice words under your breath…). Surely they don’t expect you to just guess, do they? […]
How to Pick the Right Circular Needle Length
Have you ever sat down to start a new project and wondered which length your circular needle should be? Sure, sometimes the pattern gives you this information… but what if it doesn’t? It’s super easy to determine which length circular needle will give you the best results. Use this handy checklist: When knitting in the […]
What Color is Your Cardigan?
Oh, the thrill of selecting the yarn for your next project! The joy! The rapture! But wait… which color should you choose? Choosing the perfect color for your cardigan can feel a bit daunting. The more options you have, the more intimidating it can get. But don’t fret, my friend. We’ve got this. The average […]
Fix a Sweater That Slides Off
As an avid knitter of top-down, seamless sweaters, I am acutely aware of their virtues, but also their vulnerabilities. The very thing that makes a seamless sweater so delightful (i.e. no seams) can be its Achilles heel. Seams provide structure and longevity to the shape of a sweater. But you know me – you know […]
How To: Stitch Multiples for Knitted Ribbing
Raise your hand if you’ve ever faced down the knitting math monster and lost. Anyone? You can be cruising along, feeling pretty fly. The end is in sight. You’re SO close, you can almost taste the glory. But then, wham! You run into this: “Pick up a multiple of 5 + 3 and begin working […]
How to Block a Sweater
Twenty years ago I knit my first adult sweater. It was a vision in moss stitch, knit in classic, undyed wool. The word “heirloom” hung in the air. But when it was finished I noticed it pulled terribly on the bias, and every time I stretched it where I wanted it, it bounced back into […]
Knit Tips: Sweater Growth
If you’ve ever blocked a hand knit sweater and ended up with super long sleeves or more length in the body than you planned for, you’ve probably had this thought: How do you know how much it’s going to grow when you block it? That’s a great question, and while it’s not a simple answer, […]
How to fix an uneven button band edge
Many a knitter has lamented a wonky bottom edge of a button band. The tell-tale “arch” is the result of picking up too few stitches. But never fear! If the button band is generally laying nicely with the exception of an arch at the bottom (or top), I’ve developed a quick trick to help create […]
Row Gauge: Why it Matters
Tell the truth: When (if?) you knit a gauge swatch, do you measure both stitch gauge and row gauge? I mean, you know stitch gauge matters. You know that having too many or too few stitches in a 4″ swatch means you’ll end up with a sweater that is either larger or smaller than you […]
How to Ruin a Perfectly Good Sweater
We’ve all been there. You’ve knit and knit and knit, and eventually (finally!) have a sweater to show for it. But, wait… Damn it. There’s a problem. What makes good sweaters go wrong? Not to harp on the point (I know I say this a lot), but one of the quickest ways to ruin a […]
