4 Knitting Hacks that will make you a Better Knitter

You have doubled your knitting speed and have already completed a dozen or so items? Do you even wear the row counter ring under the shower and already manage to cable-knit complicated Celtic cable patterns? Congratulations, these are huge accomplishments.

However, it would be a mistake to think, an experienced knitter does not commit mistakes. With the knitting community growing every day and social media feeds bursting with images of new, exciting patterns, the only thing I have come to realize after twenty-plus years of knitting practice is, there is something new to learn every day. And that is the beauty of the whole business, too.

Cast off smoothly and evenly

Binding off? Why this is the easiest part, you say. It is. Just as taking your clothes off is easier than putting them on. However, if you just rush through your last row because you want to get finished quickly, you will often find that the slings have been cast off too tightly or, at best, irregularly. Don't cast your stitches off with sheer muscle power, or your whole seam will contract and look unattractive, or worse, it does not fit your shoulder measurements any longer.

When casting off rib stitches, you bind them off as if you would knit them, i.e. the knits as normal knits and the purls as purls. But have you realized that your cast off row kind of falls to one side, when you have only stockinette stitches left at the seam? Here is the hack: if you want an even row when binding off stockinette stitches, purl every second stitch, as if it were a rib pattern. And, voilà, - your cast off row does not fall over any longer.

But then there is the last stitch which is usually larger, and when bound off creates a little ear at the very edge of your work. Of course, you can hide it when sewing everything together. However, there is a little trick that will help you to avoid this bumpy bit at the end of your row. Guide your needle into the last loop of the stitch in the row below, lift it a little bit and slip it back onto your needle. Then knit it together with your final stitch. You will find that the tension created between the two threads actually makes your somewhat wobbly last stitch much neater.

Knit faster in the continental style

First of all, there is no right or wrong knitting style. Over the years your hands will develop their very unique knitting style anyhow, regardless of whether you knit the American or the European way. That being said, there are points that hint at the European continental style being more efficient than the American or English knitting style.

So what is the actual, regional difference? A lot of English and American knitters wear the yarn thread around their right index finger and kind of throw it over the needle which holds the knitted stitches. This may work very well for an experienced knitter and surely guarantees an even tension on the thread for better results.

In return, the European or continental way of knitting guides the yarn with the index finger of the left hand back and forth. At first glance, the differences may not be so obvious, but if you consider the actual movement of the hand, it is much more subtle. This style offers two advantages. First, your index finger does not tire so quickly, hence you will be able to knit longer hours. (Which is what we all want, right?) Second, the movement is more fluid and quicker, once you get the hang of it. After a short period of practice, you will actually find that you have also become a faster, almost machine-like knitter. If you have problems with the thread tension, in the beginning, try rolling it around your finger twice.

Knit faster when knitting in the round

Knitting in the round is a very fast way of knitting already, you will find yourself completing your sweaters and socks at a much higher speed when using your circular needles compared to row to row knitting.

But even though knitting in a simple stockinette pattern you will realize that purl stitches take longer than completing a simple knit row. If you are knitting socks or any other garment in the round in stockinette stitch, try knitting from the other side. When finishing around, just turn your WIP around, take off the first stitch as you would in a normal row, then continue with knit stitches, and so on.

Do not knit your last stitch

Instead of knitting your last stitch, just slip it onto your knitting needle. Then, turn your WIP. The last stitch has now become your first. You can neaten its shape now with a simple trick. Knit the first stitch of each row by inserting the needle from behind and twist the thread. This way, you will not only get a neater edge, it will also prove so much easier if you later need to increase your stitches.

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