Knitting Tips, Tricks, and Hints

Description

Lily Chin shares all the little secrets to make knitting life easier and better. Find out how to cast on in the 2-tail method without running out of the second tail. Join a new skein of yarn or a new color without losing that first stitch. See ways of attaching buttons as you work. Create invisible circular bind-offs on a neck where the beginning and end are absolutely imperceptible. Weave in those little ends that are too short to put through a darning needle. Take away lots of small “fix-its” and improve those details.

Lily M. Chin is an internationally famous knitter and crocheter who has worked in the yarn industry for more than 30 years as a designer, instructor, and author of 8 books on knitting and crochet.

Skill Level: Advanced-Beginner (but everyone can benefit)

Homework:

1. With worsted/Aran wt yarn and appropriate-sized double-pointed or short (12 or 16”)
   circular needles, cast on enough sts to go circs or minimal amount of sts on dpn’s (maybe 12). Join, being careful not to twist. Work in 1 x 1 rib circularly for about 1”, begin to bind off leaving the last 2 or 3 sts unbound, and leave on needles to be completed in class.
2. With worsted/Aran wt yarn and appropriate-sized needles, cast on about 8 sts, work for about 1” in any st, and leave on needles to be completed in class.
3. With worsted wt yarn and appropriately sized needles, make a swatch of about 3” x 3” in stockinette, end ready to work a knit row, do not bind off, leave stitches on stitch holder.
4. Familiarize yourself with what is called the “long tail” cast-on. That is, there are two ends of yarn utilized in this cast-on.
5. Familiarize yourself with what is known as a “left-slanting” decrease or ssk.
6. Get to know how to do a basic chain with the crochet hook.

Materials:

• All homework.
• Extra dpn’s, crochet hooks of various sizes, tapestry needles, extra circular needles, worsted wt. yarn of various light colors, a shank button, and dental floss (4″, waxed preferred).