General Tips
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LOOKUP TIPS:
- The casting on should not be too tight – if it becomes too tight, you can either cast on with thicker needles or cast on about two needles and then switch back to your regular needles.
- When you need to cast on stitches at the edge of your work: You are knitting a piece in one piece and need to cast on stitches in the middle of the work (e.g. for sleeves, neck, pockets, etc.):
- Cast on with loops (gives a slightly loose edge – good for shoulder/armhole).
- Chain cast-on / knit cast-on (gives a firm and neat edge).
FINISHING TIPS:
- To avoid the cast-off edge being tight when casting off, you can cast off with a thicker needle. If this also becomes too tight, you can make yarn overs after about every 4th stitch at the same time as casting off (the yarn overs are cast off like regular stitches).
DECREASE TIPS:
1. Even decrease
If you want to decrease evenly , you usually use the division of the number of stitches / number of decreases to calculate the interval.
2. Decrease 1 stitch
Decrease 1 stitch by slipping 1 stitch off the needle as if to knit, knit 1 and pass the slipped stitch over – Used widely as a basic method to shape e.g. sides or raglan.
3. Decrease 2 stitches.
Decrease by knitting 2 sts together. The stitches can either be knitted 2 together and knitted 2 twisted together to make the decrease turn in the desired direction.
4. Decrease 3 sts to 1
When you want to narrow a lot, you can decrease 3 stitches to 1 , for example on each side of a “middle stitch”.
5. Under the arm
Special method for decreasing 3 stitches before a marked stitch (marker thread) under a sleeve, where both knit 2 together and slip stitch + slip stitch are used in the same row.
INCREASE TIPS :
1. Even increases
If you want to increase evenly , you usually use the division of the number of stitches / number of increases to calculate the interval.
2. Invisible increases
Increase 1 stitch without a hole by lifting the thread between stitches onto the needle and knitting in a specific stitch space (back or front).
3. Increase with yarn over (in “hole” way)
Make a yarn over and make it a new stitch in the next round.
4. Increase 1 stitch.
Increase by making a yarn over, and on the next round, work the yarn over twisted to avoid holes.
5. Increase 2 stitches.
Knit 3 stitches into one stitch to make 2 extra stitches at once. This is done by knitting 1 stitch without slipping the stitch being knitted into, making a yarn over and knitting another stitch, then slipping the stitch.
OTHER TIPS:
- Knitting gauge affects the shape
If the knitting tension is too tight in the vertical direction, the raglan decrease may be too short and the armhole too small. Adjust with extra rounds without decreasing if necessary.
- Avoid too tight pattern knitting
Do not pull the yarn too tight on the back of the work when knitting the pattern – this can tighten the knitwear. If necessary, go up in needle size.
- Avoid gaps in sentences
When you turn in the middle of the row, slip off a stitch, tighten the thread and continue – this reduces the risk of holes in the transitions.
- Get a nice transition when changing sticks
When switching between thick and thin needle sizes, knit 1 round with thick needle, then 1 round with thin needle before continuing – this gives a nicer transition.
- Reinforce the heel of socks with 2 threads
To provide extra durability in the heel, the heel and heel decrease can be knitted with 2 threads (alternating with the threads from each side of the ball of yarn).