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The great thing about crafts in general is no matter how long you’ve been at it; no one’s ever too old to learn a few new tricks. In particular, those who knit will always appreciate learning a few new shortcuts (or ‘lifehacks’ as the internet now calls them!) to improve their technique. To save you the trouble, we’ve gathered a handful of our favourite knitting tips and tricks for you to try out on your next big project.
The Benefits of Basic Yarn
Here’s one for the newbies. It’s tempting to rush ahead and pick out complicated yarns that feature sequin or bead embellishments, but starting out with anything other than worsted-weight yarn is just setting yourself up for frustration. Even if it’s no different in terms of difficulty level, taking home a very expensive ball of yarn from your first haberdashery visit is also not advised considering the amount of mistakes you’re likely to make. Overall, easy-to-use, cheap and brightly coloured yarn is your best bet when you’re still mastering the early level techniques.
Don’t know how to place a Stitch Marker? Well…
Used to mark the beginning of a round or point in your knitting where you might want to increase or decrease, stitch markers are profoundly helpful when it comes to counting stitches whilst casting on. Easy to use, once you have a stitch marker all you need to do is place it onto your needle just as you would add a stitch purl wise.
‘Finger Knitting’, what’s that?
Yes that’s right, it’s actually possible and perfectly practical to knit by hand – sans needles! There are multiple techniques to try out, and whilst both are a little complicated and probably best attempted by a seasoned crafter, you can find detailed and easy to follow sets of tutorials on finger knitting online.
A clever way to weigh those mystery yarns
As you get more lost in the world of wool and your sewing room becomes ever more cluttered, you the disarray may have the undesired effect of making you uncertain of the weight of one particular bit of yarn. You can find video tutorials on knitwear online from designers such as Very Pink Knits.
How to determine if a ball of yarn will last
Our last tip is once again for those less experienced with their needles. If you’ve been busying away with a project and are rapidly approaching the end of your ball of yarn, how do you know if you’ll be able to knit another row without running out? There’s actually a simple yet effective knitting trick to try: stretch out your remaining yarn across the width of your piece three times, going back and forth. If the is able to make the distance, then you’re good to go for another row.
For future blog posts listing not just knitting tips and tricks but helpful hints for all types of crafting, keep an eye on the Ajanta Studios Facebook page, or follow us over at @AjantaStudios.
