Every knitter wants great knitting projects. It takes time and lots of practice. You just don’t sit with knitting needles and yarn and have great projects. But, with a few of our tricks, you can start on day one and make great knitting projects.Of course, you will need to be patient and will many times need help from the experts. But, good habits reflect in your craft so, adopt the good habits for the most basic to most complex projects. Here are a few tips that will help you.
1. Invest in Quality Knitting Needles and Accessories
To produce good-quality knits, it is important that you start with good-quality ingredients. Knitting needles come in different materials in different types for particular styles. To get the best knitting projects always, you need to know how to choose the right needles for the job. For flat knitting projects, you have the option of using single-pointed needles as well as circulars while round knitting requires double-pointed needles as well as circulars. You should also invest in an interchangeable circular needle or set to tackle multiple projects.
The material of the knitting needles also impacts your project. For example, if you’re using needles that seem difficult to control the stitches, either they are slipping off the needles too easily or not slipping easily, it is recommended to need to change the needles in terms of material. Try knitting with bamboo, or wood needles from Symfonie and Ginger range as they are yarn-grabby. For the smooth flow of stitches, if you are a tight-knitter metals, the Zing series is quite popular for it. If you want to explore ergonomic knitting needles our Cubics range has a line of square-knitting needles. It’s a matter of personal preference, and there is no wrong option here so experiment until you find the right fit for you or keep them all for their multiple purposes.
The same goes for other knitting accessories aka knitting essentials such as scissors, stitch markers, row counter, needle sets, etc. Invest in quality as they will reflect their finesse in the projects.
2. Choose the right yarn
Yarn is at the heart of your knitting, so it's vital to put some careful thought into your yarn choice for a project. The making of a great knitting project requires choosing the right material. Every yarn has a unique stitch definition, drape and texture. It is recommended to go with material instructed by the pattern or according to your project and not just the shade you love or the quality you prefer. What works best for socks might not be best for a blanket.
A great trick to having the right yarn for every project is to knit a gauge swatch. Go a step further by taking the swatch through the blocking process. It will give an idea of how your project will look and how the yarn behaves.
3. Read the whole pattern and plan your activity
A trick to having great projects is to always read the whole knitting pattern before even starting with the project. Besides reading it is best that you write down your steps. Imagine the project, and the activity and you will have greater success with the project.
Also, it is recommended to keep a handy chart of knitting abbreviations if you are just new to the craft. Even if you have years of experience and you do not seem to understand a technique, get some research and practice.
4. Learn how to fix knitting mistakes
Mistakes in knitting are inevitable from the simplest to the most complex projects. The trick to being great is by learning how to fix mistakes. Once you understand the common mistakes and know how to undo them, you will drastically improve your knitting.
Always follow the motto: “If in doubt, rip it out!” You can undo and start again if the mistake is too big but if it is small the new Dior knit designs or those from Alexander McQueen will inspire you to go with the flow. You won’t regret it!
5. Blocking your Knitting Project
Many knitters are guilty of skipping the part of blocking their projects. If you want to improve your knitting, do not miss this step.
Blocking gives your yarn a well-deserved spa treatment. After all, that yarn has been spun, wound, tugged, pulled and manipulated into stitches and it’s feeling a bit stressed. Once your yarn relaxes your project looks absolutely amazing.
6. Get your hands on knitting bags and needle cases
A part of knitting is caring for your needles, accessories, yarn and work-in-progress knitting projects. Knitting bags and cases aid you in this. The bags come equipped with organized storage pockets for your knitting needles, yarn and accessories. The project stays neat and tangle-free. The bags keep you ready to take your knitting to the beach, a weekend getaway or even a vacation. You can also invest in needle sets that come packed in attractive cases with space for organizing all accessories.
To conclude, these are tried and tested tips suggested by experts of our knitting community that will make your knitting better. Make them a habit and your project will never suffer! Knitting is fun and with the right tools and accessories from KnitPro you’ll have great projects.
