Kiku Corner’s Top Knitting Tips

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Meinhilde started knitting in summer 2018, and Tomiko has been knitting regularly for at least five years before that. Now that we’ve got several patterns, garments, and accessories under our knitted belts, we have some tips! For those who are starting out, or for those that are accomplished knitters but haven’t tried, here are some of our top knitting tips:

Use locking stitch markers to count rows

We love locking stitch markers, whether they are plastic ones or the metal bulbs. You can easily get some at our favourite Toronto yarn shops.

Stitch markers tend to grow up and move out (aka I lose them), so these are always good to have in abudance. I got a box of these pear-shaped ones from Leather Supply Depot, one of our favourite craft stores in Toronto. Instead of using a separate row counter, I’ll use a locking stitch marker to clip onto the first row of a series. Then, depending on how much I’m knitting, I might add another locking stitch marker every 5, 10, or 20 stitches. That way I can easily count how many rows I’ve knit. I use this method to ensure my sleeves are the same length, or if I want to make hats an identical size. In the photo above, I placed a locking stitch marker every 10 rounds. I might use different coloured stitch markers if there are different sections in the pattern, such as shaping, but overall one colour will do.

Check out our 10 uses for stitch markers here!

Beware of keeping projects in a zippered bag

I learned this knitting tip the hard way; zippers can eat yarn! One year I received a zippered packing cube. Now that COVID has put a stop to our travel, I started using it as a project bag. My bad! If you’re not careful, you might zip up a strand of yarn or even your project in the zipper.

Many bags can function as project bags. I use a drawstring fabric bag and fabric tote bags, depending on the size of my project. However, even a ziploc bag can work! Check out your local yarn stores for some beautiful handmade project bags. The bag above is my most recent acquisition: a drawstring bag made from waxed canvas, printed linen, and leather straps from Bookhou here in Toronto.

Use smooth waste yarn to hold stitches instead of metal

This is just personal preference. I find that the metal stitch holders are difficult to maneuver, and they get in the way if you’re working on a finicky project. Also, if you’re not careful, you might thread the stitches onto the metal from the opposite end from which you will need to start knitting. I’ve always got waste yarn nearby, leftover from weaving in ends, so it’s super convenient. Additionally, I find that tying the ends together in a knot is nicely secure. The flexibility of the waste yarn also follows the body contours when trying on the unfinished garment. I find the metal stitch holders don’t allow the knit fabric to stretch or drape well. This might not be an issue for you, but it is for me!

Use a large binder ring, or metal twist ties, to keep yarn cakes neat

Binder rings are a lot more portable than a yarn bowl. Before you start knitting from your cake or yarn ball, put a large binder ring through the centre. This keeps the yarn from tangling as you knit from the cake or ball. However, be careful that you actually get the ring through the centre, otherwise the yarn can get tangled in a whole new way!

Us a standing paper towel holder to keep your cake of yarn tidy

This is a similar knitting tip to the one above, but not as portable. The paper towel holder will help prevent your cake of yarn from collapsing on itself as you use it up. This is especially useful if you don’t yet have a yarn bowl at home.

Knit ergonomically

Knitting should not be painful! If you’re knitting and you’re getting a sore finger or wrist, your body is telling you something’s not right. We like Knitting Comfortably, a book by a physiotherapist-knitter that can help you change your technique to prevent pain. Tomiko started doing Norwegian purls herself to help with finger pain! Check out Arne and Carlos’ quite charming tutorial here.

Use a knitting app, like Knit Companion

We only started using knitting apps recently, so this is one of our newer knitting tips. Our collection of knitting and crochet pdfs is quite extensive. While pdf patterns are great for storage, once you start knitting, they might be difficult to follow. I used to print off my pdf patterns and mark them up. That was fine, until eventually they would get so crumpled from being in my project bag that I could hardly read them! Enter the knitting app. Something like Knit Companion connects to your Ravelry library. It has highlighters and rulers so that you track your progress in written or chart instructions. And it saves paper and ink!

Tuck the yarn label into your yarn cake

I do this whenever I wind skeins of yarn into cakes. I fold up the label into an appropriate size, and just as I slide the cake off my winder, I tuck the label into the centre. This way I can refer to the yarn details (yardage, weight, fibres, etc) whenever I need to.

Rotate your stash

Here is one of my favourite knitting tips! Going through my stash is not only fun and inspiring, but it serves a purpose. This is especially important if you have a large stash. To prevent the dreaded m-word (moths!), regularly air out your stash. Check the skeins to see if there is any damage so that you can prevent it from spreading to the rest of your stash. You may also be reinspired by the beautiful yarn you bought in the past but perhaps forgot about. Maybe an idea will strike you, or the yarn colour is the perfect shade to complement a friend’s complexion. Your skills and preferences may have changed or grown since last time you held a specific skein in your hand. Perhaps a new trend (such as all this mohair!) has come arund again and now you’ve got a pattern for that random fuzzy hank. Or maybe that skein of fingering weight silk would be a perfect shawl now that you’ve mastered lace!

Organize your yarn scraps

Most of your yarn projects may leave you with a few (or few hundred) metres of leftover yarn. We like to keep these scraps together, gradually building up enough for a scrap-busting project. Once you have enough, you can group the scraps by colour, by weight, and/or by fibre. I like to keep the scraps of sock separate yarn sfor darning my wool socks. Nothing wasted!

We hope you find our top knitting tips helpful! What are some of your favourites?