Lessons from the School of Hard Knocks (Knitting)

The Fiber Gypsy: Patterns for Creative Knitters

Custom Search

"Lessons from the School of Hard Knocks"
as posted to the KnitList in March and April, 1997

This thread was started by Manny Olds who, on March 18, 1997, posted the first message shown below. What followed was an outpouring of "lessons" from other knitlisters. This page is current as of April 19, 1997; any additional "lessons" will be added as they are posted (and as time permits!). Right now the "lessons" are in random (approximately chronological) order; it's possible that at some point in the future they will be organized by topic ...

I would like to start a thread. I hope everyone will add something to this collection. No mistake is too stupid to include!

SCHOOL OF HARD KNOCKS
(Blindingly obvious things I figured out by doing something else first.)

When you pick up a sock and grab the working needle to start working again, make sure you have hold of the correct needle.
When you find a mistake that you will need to rip (or tink) back to, take a pin or string and mark the mistake *before* you start ripping.
Stop and look at your work frequently. Admire your skill and look for big holes and misaligned patterns before you sew up the ends.
Wash your hands before you pick up white work.

When you're using a pattern from a book, such as BW's Treasuries, where there are several designs or charts described on a page, make sure you're using the correct set of instructions for the pattern you want... Lynda in Sacramento
When you're knitting from the pattern, read at least to the end of a set of instructions so you don't end up having to frog the last 10 inches because you were only supposed to knit 2 rows and then change to something else.Lina Barattin
Don't put anyting irreplaceable in the seat pocket of an airplane. Manny Olds
Don't put anything indelible (e.g. fruit punch, marker pen) into your knitting bag without wrapping it in wads of plastic. Manny Olds
When you have to make two matching things, write down what you do as you make the first one. Manny Olds
When there is a multi-size pattern. it can get confusing which numbers you're suppose to use. Photocopy the pattern (enlarging also makes the text easier to read), then highlight the size (# of stitches, # of rows) that you will be using. Joyce Baba
Also, make sure to write down anything that you've changed in the pattern. Joyce Baba
Would you believe that, until I started (and finished) the Master Knitter Programme for the Knitting Guild of Canada, and designing my own sweaters and/or adapting existing patterns, I NEVER worked a gauge swatch??? For some twelve years of steady knitting, I just used the needle sizes recommended in the pattern. Even though every pattern I ever knit said "To save time, check your tension/gauge", I always thought "Well, of course I knit to gauge, I am such a good knitter". ;-0. I learned after several too-small sweaters the absolute necessity of checking my gauge. Now I can breathe easy and rest-assured that most things will fit the intended recipient, barring horizontal or vertical growth spurts ;-) Lesson learned: ALWAYS check your gauge. EZ, I hang my head in shame. Sue Atkinson
If you are following a pattern, stitch or garment, mark where you left off when you set it down even if you are absolutely sure you will get back to it in 10 minutes! You may not pick it up again for 3 months, may have to frog back to the beginning... Mary Alice Denson
I think we've all gotten caught on this one one time or another - *****TO SAVE TIME, BE SURE TO CHECK GAUGE.******* Duhhhh. Suzanne R. Stone
When you are planning to KIP, and you are packing your bag, DON'T forget to take your needles!!! Michelle Knight
Always secure your knitting if you have a dog (or cat) that likes to chew bamboo needles. Sue D. Hulbert
When you take the needle out of a UFO (because you NEED that size and can't wait to get to the LYS to get another) always *write down* what size needle it was, in case the UFO turns back into a WIP! Jayne
My favorite is to pick up the DPN project, with the free needle stuck in the fabric, and absentmindedly pull out the wrong needle. This usually happens with #1s or #2s, right after a round with lots of decreases. D. Shaw
Be sure to look far enough ahead in the pattern so that when you've completed all the shaping rows, say for the armholes, and you look to see what's next, you don't get a lovely surprise such as: "And at the same time...... shape front edge....." Frog city! Mary Hughes Thompson
I guess I'm the only lister (a) dumb enough to sew a sleeve on upside-down and (b) stupid enough to admit it in such exalted company. Email address only
When sewing up sleeves, the underarm seam goes UNDER the arm. Frances Kemmish
When using circular needles, make sure the cable is NOT hooked around the arm of your chair when you pick up your project. The result is NOT pretty, I assure you. Kevin Parker
Well, I have one to add. One that I'm trying to deal with right now. When taking a trip and packing projects, make sure you also pack your knitting supplies. I forgot mine and now have to take a trip to the local KMart to get a tapestry needle.Nancy Cardona
Be really sure where the needles are before you sit down, (or before you stuff one more heavy thing into that tote bag, not as painful but really makes it hard when some of them break on vacation!) Barb Burri
If you have a cat that sleeps above your knitting bag on the back of your couch, and is a 'professional hairball lobber', be sure to move your knitting to a secure place when retiring! Email address only
When you're slipping the first or last stitch of each row (for a chain selvege), be very careful when you turn your work, so you don't end up with a lonely slipped loop halfway down the side of your piece... Diana Foss
To add one more to this thread, try knitting socks on Britiany size 2 dps on a tour bus in China and losing a needle that promptly went thru a crack in the floor and having left my extra needles at the hotel thinking it would lighten what I had to carry. To make the situation more amusing the bus driver only spoke Chinese and didn't understand a word of English. By the way, knitting socks in China was fun as the Chinese understood what I was making and would give a thumbs up sign. Ullie Wells
After finishing the ribbing and increasing for the body or sleeves, count your total sts at least twice. Sally Pecor
After placing markers to delineate elaborate patterns, count your sts between the markers at least twice. Sally Pecor
When knitting a motif that has st elements centered on a certain number of sts to start with [i.e., my embossed butterfly has ten purl sts between the two twist sts that begin the bottom wing tips], count the chart at least twice, and write the number RIGHT THERE. Sally Pecor
And when you divide a sweater knitted in the round and working on both the front and back at once, double check which part is the front of the sweater BEFORE you divide for the neck, especially if the back and front are definitely distinct. Sally Pecor
When knitting the shoulders together on a cardigan, make sure your armholes match...not a right front with a left shoulder. I've been there TOO many times to admit...my excuse...the pieces are right side together.. Leslie Bagatelle
Not only make your swatch but WASH IT (even wash it, wear it, and wash it again 2 or 3 or more times). My son has an otherwise terrific sweater that is WAY too wide with a ridiculously loose neckline which came off the needles perfectly on gauge and just the right amount too big for a (then) 3-year-old to have a little growing room. It never will fit properly since it stretched widthwise more than lengthwise in the washing. He's 5 now and the overly wide sweater's sleeves are getting too short now. Red Heart replaced the defective yarn but if I had known to wash my swatch I would have caught the problem BEFORE I spent all that time knitting a sweater that will never fit anyone properly. Cotton yarn, especially, will stretch in the wash -- some stitches will go wide and others will go long and you don't know until you've abused that swatch for a while. Email address only
ALWAYS get more yarn that what the pattern calls for! Sometimes the yarn is discontinued, even shortly after purchase! I always have to adjust patterns for my very small (but tall!) frame and end up using smaller needles. Smaller needles means - more yarn is needed!! Michelle Feather
ALWAYS keep knitting needles in the car. That way when you and your mother go on a wild spree at Yarn Lady in Laguna Hills on the way to San Diego, you can actually KNIT instead of just looking at gorgeous yarns!! Michelle Feather
ALWAYS hide your gorgeous projects from your sisters who do not knit. They will hound you incessantly to make the an identical garment for them! Michelle Feather
ALWAYS put away WIPS with black yarn and a lacy patttern when the phone rings, especially when the long-haired white persian thinks the garment is for HER. Michelle Feather
Always, always check your gauge, otherwise you will have to give up you first ever beautiful sweater to your huge 6'3" rugby player friend. Marie-Claude Bourque
When knitting on an airplane, stow your yarn balls away before take-off and landing. There's nothing more embarrassing than to watch your yarn skitter merrily down the inclined center aisle, or even worse - under nine rows of seats occupied by hostile business travelers with hang-overs. Kim Salazar
When setting in sleeves, always check to make sure the second one isn't sewn on inside out so the seam is on the outside. I've never attached a second sleeve without messing up - no matter how many times I've checked. Kim Salazar
If you grab your on-needle markers in your teeth to hold on to them while making cross-marker decreses, don't swallow. Kim Salazar
When using waste yarn to make a provisional cast-on, use something that frogs easily. I can't count the number of times I've grabbed what was closest and then suffered. Kim Salazar
If you're making a bunch of swatches using different size needles and the same yarn, leave a long tail at cast on. Make knots in it to indicate what size needle was used to knit the swatch - for example, size 4 needle = 4 knots. If I didn't do this, I'd never remember which was which. Kim Salazar
When you photocopy a pattern so you can mark it up without destroying the original, take the time to slip your photocopy into a page protector. It keeps the thing unripped and unwrinkled longer. Kim Salazar
If using small items in a bowl to keep track of the row you're on make sure they're not edible. I must have re-knit the same section of an Aran six times before I figured out that my row count was off because The Large One kept nibbling at the M&Ms I was using as counting stones. Kim Salazar
All of the hard knocks seem to have a solution. I have a problem; perhaps you all have some solutions? The problem: I have lost more cable needles than I can count. I have tried a million different things to keep them from disappearing; obviously, none have worked. The latest mystery is losing the entire package of those wooden needles with "ribs" in them. I'm convinced the "borrowers" have them, but that doesn't help.Ellen
If you go to all the trouble of photocopying a pattern so you have something to mark up, put the original away. I have too many books I've marked up and too many photocopies "to use later". Ruth
When faced with an odd dye-lot skein to use in making a sweater amount stretch to finish the job, DON'T put it at the top of the sweater....better to rip out the ribbings and use it there. Corollary....buy more yarn than you think you'll need in the SAME dye lot and SAVE the receipt. Email address only
Do not store naked scissors with a UFO. I taught myself how to Kitchener after this little caper. OTOH, I found a pair of scissors I'd been missing for years! Reina Tebby
If you write each pattern line out on an index card, make sure you don't leave them loose on the couch arm when you leave the work so they can flip all over the floor and you lose your place. Bliss Matteson
If you write the pattern on those neat spiral bound index cards, and you use the back side of the cards on the next project because you're too lazy/cheap to buy new ones, make sure you cross out the first pattern so you don't accidentally start working it again. Bliss Matteson
Anyone, no matter how experienced, can make a beginner's mistake. Gloriamarie
If I stop in the middle of the row and want to know which way to go, the last stitch I worked will have the yarn hanging off of it. It will be the on the right hand needle. Gloriamarie
When casting on any number of stitches over 20, I place a ring marker on my needle after stitch 20. Therefore I only have to count 20, 40, 60, ...260., 280, 300!! Much easier than counting 1, 2, 3....297, 298, 299, 300. I read it somewhere and I forget where, Gloriamarie
When using circs and I want to keep track of my rows, I thread a loop of yarn or thread throw my row counter and a ring marker in the center of my work. Having to move the ring marker, reminds me to switch the counter and continue. Gloriamarie
Conversely, when frogging, dial back on the row counter according to the number of rows frogged. Gloriamarie
Don't ever neglect to photocopy the pattern I am working on and then don't neglect to carry the photocopy, leaving the original at home. Sure as shootin', when I do neglect to photocopy, I lose the original. If I lose the p/c, I don't care so much as I still have the original. Gloriamarie
If economically feasible, I always purchase an extra skein of yarn in the same dyelot for just in case. Gloriamarie
When working around my cats (or for that matter the infants and toddlers of others), I always place my ball of yarn in a zip lock freezer (sturdier) bag and feed the end through a hole cut in the corner. These are reusable and keeps the cats or the kids from making off with my yarn.Gloriamarie
When KIPing, make sure my work stays in my bag and hasn't fallen out quite some distance behind me. I always feel quite silly when I have to wind up my yarn, retracing my steps. Occasionally, though, I have met the most charming strangers, who have picked up my work or my ball of yarn and are working their way in my direction. Gloriamarie
Corollary to the above: make sure my knitting bag is the right size for the project I am doing!! Gloriamarie
Corollary #2 to the above: when knitting in the presence of kids (and some adults) have enough extra sets of knitting needles and yarn for a lesson so I don't have to use my WIP and risk lost stitches. Gloriamarie
When I knit a cardigan, I knit both front peices at the same time, on the same needles, using 2 balls of yarn. This usually prevents me from knitting 2 rights or 2 lefts.Gloriamarie
If you put your knitting needle in your mouth (for safe keeping for a moment as you do something else) be sure to put it cross-wise, like a dog's bone, not point first, especially if it's a long one that's more likely to bump into something. (Ouch.) Anna Lubiw
When you're using dpns, and you've finished one needle and are moving to the next, make sure that the needle you pull out of your hand is the one *without* the stitches on it. Email address only
When knitting moss stitch, decide which side is the right side. And be consistent. Email address only
When you have kittens, don't leave projects out on the coffee table/sofa overnight. Also, when one of your cats thinks that yarn = food, never ever leave clippings lying around. (You don't wanna know. Let's just say that this knock was harder on him than it was on me.) Email address only
When working in the round in a pattern stitch with a nice fuzzy yarn, be sure to mark on the pattern what row you were at when you 'split' for the front and back. I've frogged the front 4 times because I can't seem to pick the pattern back up at the right row. Gloria Dillingham
When you've got a deadline to finish a sweater so you take it with you to a meeting, make sure you have all the necessary supplies. I discovered after knitting about 15 minutes that I'd forgotten to bring the other size needles I needed. Spent the rest of the afternoon 'eyeing' pencils and pens wishing they would work. Gloria Dillingham
Do not leave knitting on the chair unattended or else the puppy will take it out the dog door into the back yard. (At least you know where it disappeared to -- all you have to do is follow the yarn.) Julie Wallin
For slick needles (like Addi Turbos): To keep your stitches from falling off when you are finished knitting, use a wide rubber band & wrap it around the 2 needles while holding them together. (Save the rubber bands that are used to hold stalks of fresh broccoli & other produce together.)Sandy Sheppard
It isn't a great idea to snip out that short front button placket that is a little crooked immediately after a lunch where wine is served. Elizabeth M. Ioannou
Sometimes it isn't a good idea to figure out what to do with a small hole in the front of a sweater right away. Elizabeth M. Ioannou
When three gauge swatches in three needle sizes have not quite worked, it does not immediately follow that the fourth size is right and one can cast on without checking. Elizabeth M. Ioannou
I teach beginning knitting through the extended studies program at the local university, and at the first class I tell my knitters there are three things you will say, and when you've said them, you'll know you are a knitter: Anonymous

The house could be on fire, you could be late to the wedding of a child or close relative or dear friend, or in labor, and you will say "Wait till I get to the end of this row......."
To a person to whom you would listen attentively under normal circumstances, you will say, "DON'T TALK TO ME, I'M COUNTING"
More often muttered than spoken clearly, but repeated throughout one's knitting life, regardless of years knitting or level of expertise, you will say " 112, 113, 114, 115, 11...... SSH***T! 1, 2, 3, 4, "

If you love her, don't let a twelve year old start a one piece, double bed width afghan in bright and fashionable colors. By the time she finishes it, the colors won't be fashionable anymore, and she'll probably hate the afghan. (it took me 9 years...)Lisa Satterlund
I use a small stitch holder for a cable needle. I fasten it into the knitting a few rows down when it's not in use, so it's always there when I need it. I also don't lose stitches off of it when I'm cabling (I always lost regular CNs just when I was about to stitch off of them). Wendy
When you're packing up to move, either don't pack your needles til the very last moment, or don't buy that tempting yarn that wants to be knit up immediately and leave it sitting on the counter where you can see it everytime you turn around. I'm going through withdrawal!!!!!! Wendy
Never knit at a basketball game- it is soooo embarrassing to have to crawl under the bleachers to retrieve the ball of yarn that got away. Celia Strebendt
When you must use a needle that is being used on another WIP, and you replace it (usually with a smaller one), remember to go back and replace it with the original needle, or that gauge will be somewhat off. Myra R. Savage
When working complex charts, for example fair isle, I make multiple copies of the chart (at least one for each time I will need it). Then I use a clear marker to mark off a row as I finish it. A couple of hints here. You must use a clear marker - if you don't you guarantee you'll have to rip out and redo a row you can't see. Not a big problem though if you've anticipated this and made multiple extra charts. Mary L Versailles
Never assume you are coming right back, always mark off the last row you worked before you put the project down. Otherwise you may end up redoing a row you haven't ripped out. Mary L Versailles
Do not knit complicated lace or cables until the toddler, who likes to take needles out of knitting, is in bed. Email address only
Do buy more than one row counter if you have more than one WIP. Email address only
When writing down notes and instructions for a self designed object, such as a sock, where you will be making 2 of them, do not use a water soluable pen for the notes during the making of the first one, and then lay the instructions on a wet kitchen counter before starting the second one! (I am the "one sock" queen) Email address only
Repeating the obvious... when you change the pattern radically, and do a sleeve that has no relationship whatsoever to the sleeve in the pattern... record what you do!!! There's another sleeve waiting. I have another sleeve STILL waiting for me to sit down with the first one and count stitches.... Helen
Be sure that when you sew the front and back of a pullover together the tops are both at the top. Be even more careful when it's made of mohair!! (and that first seam was soo beautifully invisible....) Helen
Be sure to pack yarn so that it doesn't come out of the tote bag and is dragged all the way from my apartment to the bus-stop! Make that if any yarn is dragged through the streets, that it isn't brightly-colored. You never know who's watching from an upper window. Debra Hernstrom
Always carry a crochet, utility hook is size G for me.Debra Hernstrom
Before buying a non-returnable pattern book, check the finished measurements listed for each item. Cher
In an unrelated vein, when parking a needle in one's hair, be careful how deep you insert the item. (This habit can be quite painful if you are careless.) Also, be aware that this storage method may be misinterpreted as a fashion statement. (I have answered the door many times with 14 inch needles sticking out of my hair. People do wonder!) Cher
Mary wrote: "You must use a clear marker - if you don't you guarantee you'll have to rip out and redo a row you can't see. Not a big problem though if you've anticipated this and made multiple extra charts." I guess I'm cheap: I start off with a yelllow "highlighter". If I need to re-do a row I use an orange one. Third time another color--then, if I can't read the chart through the highlighting I use a new copy. Nancy McGarvey
When assembling front, sleeve, back, sleeve, front of a yoked cardigan, (knit from bottom up, joined at underarm and knit back and forth over the whole yoke) make sure you do it in the right order. Don't do front, front, back, sleeve, sleeve. Check, *before* you have knit the entire yoke of fair isle patterning. Check again, *before* you show off your intricate color knitting to a whole officeful of other secretaries. (Lucky it was only a child's size, and didn't take too long to frog!) Kathie
(this one hit me TWICE before I paid attention!) Even if your swatch was to gauge, stop occasionally to MEASURE your work; your gauge may change. I've given two sweaters to people smaller than me because of this! Debbie Shryock
SPLURGE! Buy more than one of the "basics"; keep the necessities in the bag of your current projects. (I always seem to need that cable needle or whatever I don't have when I'm away from home with time to knit!)Debbie Shryock
I hate working on K1 P1 ribbing, but I find K2 P2 less annoying. So, I'll substitute the K2 P2 for the K1 P1. If you're making socks, make sure to count and count again, so that you don't end up with two K2s or two P2s next to each other! And if you're doing that ribbing on a vest (I'm experimenting with a vest right now; haven't knitted a sweater in over six years, so I'm feeling kinda leery), make sure that you begin with a K2 and *end* with a K2 (on a back or fronts or whatever). Hazel Blumberg-McKee
A kitten at rest does not tend to stay at rest. So, even though the kitten appears to be asleep and is even snoring when you leave the room to take your granola out of the oven, when you get back you will discover that said kitten is wide awake and has face buried in your skein of yarn. Extricating kitten from yarn without doing great harm to either will test your abilities to pry open jaws oh so gently and to prevent yourself from nuking kitten into a Peepslike state. (sigh) Hazel Blumberg-McKee
If you have a toddler DO NOT leave your mitten or sock where they can pretend to knit like mommy. I don't know how many times I've gone to answer the phone or got to the bathroom and came back to find 2 of the 3 or 4 needles stuck thru the work and the stitches just hanging out. Now I take my work with me, which is esp. nice when you are on the phone. Viki Worley
Make sure that whoever is helping you winding balls of yarn has CLEAN hands, especially if the whoever is your boyfriend and may have been either fixing the car, woodworking, cleaning his tools, polishing his shoes, .... (luckily it washed right out of the soon to be FO mom's birthday sweater !) Marie-Claude
Do not leave ANY wool, fleece, or roving unprotected if you have a wool killing kitty like Quanah. Even for 30 seconds. I left a pile of freshly carded roving for 5 minutes, and had to re-card the whole lot. Arlene
Always make a photocopy of patterns you are working on, especially if they become UFO's and you need to use the pattern book for another project. I have several UFO's for which I have no idea where the patterns have disappeared to. Arlene
Always make a photocopy of patterns which you are modifying. I have many patterns which I have scribbled notes all over, with several adjustments and changes mixed together. Very confusing when trying to work out what change goes with what. Arlene
If you are creating a new pattern using bits and pieces from several different patterns, keep good notes. Not just short-hand jotted on the back of an envelope. Arlene
Do not mix acrylic and wool in an afghan. One of my early crochet attempts was a sampler afghan using odd-balls from friends. First time I washed it, it became an interesting sculptured piece, with squares of varying sizes. Also the first time I unknowingly tried felting! :-D Arlene
Do not let your teenage sons use your ball of yarn, still attached to your knitting, to play catch with. Arlene
Do not let your kitties use your ball of yarn, still attached to your knitting, to play catch with. Arlene
Do not ever use different dye lots in a garment, no matter how alike the colour looks in the balls. Even in the best light. Arlene
When you make a copy of your pattern so that you don't have to haul the entire book or magazine around, be sure you copy ALL of the relevant information!! Am working on the GAA, and, as I had to drive my son to Grand Rapids Friday afternoon for a music festival, which involves a lot of sitting around for the "chauffer", thought I would do the Sally Melville square while I was there. Didn't want to bring the magazine so I scanned the pattern (I thought it was all on one page, HAHA!!), packed my yarn and needles left. Sat down in a quiet corner and went to work. Things went wrong immediately--couldn't seem to figure out what the chart meant, and normally, I love stitch charts. Got mad and put it away. Came home, looked at the magazine, and realized that there were a whole bunch more symbols explained on another page that I hadn't scanned. That's what you get for hurrying, I guess!! Anonymous
I picked up my Bell Shawl which I had worked on the day before against my better judgement (101 fever). I started working on it after checking my row marker and realized everything was backwards. I had done the K4tog row on the wrong side. The rule - don't work on anything you have to count when you have a fever! Stick to basic stockinette or something simple. Judy Sumner
Don't put your briefcase containing your laptop on any surface other than the floor. It will cause you to be deprived of the knitting list indefinately (and cause you to loose access to your on line pattern library and stash databases). I guess that wouldn't be the case if your only computer wasn't a laptop, but such is my life. BTW--I did have all my files backed up, I just couldn't get to the backups for several days, and have had to resort to reading the list on my DH's LINIX system instead of my trusty PowerBook. Anonymous
Why is it so much harder to keep track of 5 DPNs than 4. I've now lost the fifth of two new sets of Crystal Palace bamboo needles. At least it's still possible to knit socks with only 4 needles--just a little more difficult around the heel and gusset. Anonymous
When using the long tail cast on make sure you are using the ball of yarn for your first row and not the leftover of the long tail. Hate to tell you how many times I have gotten to the middle of the first row and found no more yarn. Anonymous
When making up your own pattern, don't write your instructions, gauge measurements, etc. on the back of an old junk mail envelope. You may just throw it away when you finally decide to clean off the kitchen counter... (yes, I did this over the weekend) April Kaeppeli
When knitting a garment as a gift and you are not sure of the measurements, it is safer to knit a traditional bottom-to-top design (instead of cuff-to-cuff). This way, if you need to change the neckline or overall length, it will be much simpler! April Kaeppeli
Don't knit the second piece of two when listening to Stephen King on tape. The tension will invariably be tighter. Email address only
Always check to make certain that you are attaching the correct shoulders. Last week I got excited about progress on a slow project and managed to get the right front attached to the left back. Mortification! Carole Morain
Also, always keep your double pointed needles contained in something semi solid. Even with knitting attached. I leaned against my knitting bag and a counter, and came away with a 3mm needle sticking out of my leg. It was bamboo, so I just yanked it out and went about my business, after staunching the flow of blood. Good thing I was wearing red socks that day. ;-) Carole Morain
Be careful when you leave a long tail after casting on that you don't knit with IT instead of the main strand of yarn. Email address only
When you're knitting with single points and you need to change needle size after the ribbing, be sure you change BOTH needles. I hate to think of the number of times I have been knitting with one size 5 and one size 7 needle. Joan Ruuska
When working in the round, check at least a dozen times to make sure the first row isn't twisted. Joan Ruuska
When I'm working a plain cable which requires counting rows, I stick a small safety pin through a stitch in the cable row, then I never have questions about which row to count from when doing the next cable. Celia Strebendt
I can enroll in this one after sewing a sweater together on my lap right onto the afghan beneath it. This was also years ago. The afghan got cut up to free the sweater but since it was one of those gold and green monsters popular at the time, it was no great loss. If it had been my red, white and blue crocheted one with the peace sign in the center, it would have been another matter :-) It still resides with my ex-DH who cherishes it and helps explain why he's an ex. Joan Hamer
Guess I have to add my own hard knocks comment, haven't seen anyone else stupid enough or maybe brave enough to admit this (g). When putting your knitting down in your favorite chair to go get something to snack on, be VERY careful to pick it up BEFORE you sit down again or you might be doing a "war dance" around your living room while trying to pull the needle out of a very fleshy part of your anatomy! Hope this prevents a trip to the emergency room for "needle extraction" for someone (BG) Joy Magnah
Have my learning experience to add to hard knocks, when checking gauge on a WIP, check more than 1 or 2 spots. Now that I've learned that I won't finish a sweater and then find out it doesn't fit. Becky Savey
When knitting a cardigan in the round with false seams and a steek, do not make the steek look something like the false seams (or vice versa). If they look similar, someone just might machine stitch down and seam and...and...and...(you know) Lisa Diethelm
When you're working on a cardigan, and you've already knit the button band, the other band is the button HOLE band, and needs to have HOLES in it for the buttons. Don't forget to include them as you go. Helen
When you're doing this button hole band in seed stitch, don't try to delude yourself that you can just drop those three or four stitches down the umpteen rows you've already knit, create the required holes, and ladder them back up. You can't ladder back up seed stitch and remain sane. Even if you can, it will probably take less time to just frog the band and begin again. Helen
When making cardigan fronts, make sure you end up with a left and a right front, not two matching. Dulcie Gannett
Don't put off giving a gift sweater for a child til the next holiday...said child may have outgrown it by then. Dulcie Gannett
When going on a knitting retreat weekend, take your knitting with you. I actually drove 2 hours to get out of the car and discover that I had left my knitting basket inside the front door of my house. Duh! Luckily, there was a yarn shop within reach... had to start a new project!Amy B. Detjen
Even if you're doing mindless circular knitting, it is a good idea to count your stitches occasionally. I find that thick yarn splits and I wind up with more stitches than I planned and that with thin yarns, I pick up two stitches at a time. I reallly hate finding out twelve inches up a sweater that I have lost or gained a substantial number of stitches. Elaine McClay Ballenger
If knitting on a moving vehicle (like a bus) be sure your ball of yarn is secure so it doesn't roll down the aisle and out the door. Email address only
Be sure there is not a hole in the bag in which you place double point needles--or that the needles can't puncture the bag. Email address only
Knit your bunnies and ducks before you buy the Cadbury eggs to place inside, so you don't have to replace the eggs you eat while knitting. Email address only
I went away for the weekend and took another lesson in the School of Hard Knocks. Do not put a wire-bound notebook in your knitting bag. Like, duh. I think perhaps I am just finding more creative ways to be stupid these days. Manny Olds
When you're knitting intarsia and you're about to start knitting in the next color be sure the thread you grab is the right one for that specific patch of color and not for the patch of same color elsewhere on the row. (Did that make sense?) Allison
Never wash a white or ecru or natural-wool sweater with a sweater of any other color. Even if the colored sweater has been washed fifty times and will never leak dye again. Inevitably the white or light-colored sweater will pick up fuzzies and bits of lint from the colored one, and you will have the fun of picking all those fuzzies off. Brenda Clough
Pack a baggie with folding scissors, crochet hook, row markers, knitting thimble, anything else you commonly use, to grab for travel or other outside knitting (get an extra if needed, so you don't use the stuff at home and forget to replace it). This way, for example, you don't get in the car thinking, I'm only casting on, I don't need scissors, and then be bothered by the long tail for the rest of the trip. This way, you take it whether you need it or not, and you will. Mary Lee Herrick
Keep a pen and a highlighter permanently with your knitting stuff--when your lap is full, you know you won't get up to make a note when you need to, and then you will forget. Again, who thinks of this until they have to. Mary Lee Herrick
I keep a mug next to where I knit, to put all those little ends into. This is probably the only cleaning tip I have ever come up with that works! Now they are not all over the sofa or floor--or me; and it looks decorative. Of course, I drink my coffee out of a double high one, so I am not likely to make a mistake over which mug to use, but some of you should think of this.... Mary Lee Herrick
I know I won't remember, even if I am sure I will, so I always knit both socks at once, alternately on two sets of needles. (Tip from the list.) I, like many of you, also do this with flat-knit sleeves. And since I almost never do the same thing twice anyway, I am not interested in keeping the directions anyway (the only thing I do is write corrections on real patterns). Mary Lee Herrick
If you can, keep a garment handy while knitting to measure against. It is easier for me to put my sock against another sock, then put it on a longer cable and on my foot (although I do need to do this at least once to make sure it goes over the heel), or try to lay flat and then find a ruler or tape measure; and if it is harder, I will try to fudge it and make more mistakes. Same for a sweater or shirt to hold up your knit-in-the-round one against. Mary Lee Herrick
Know and live with the things not worth fixing: I've pulled the wrong needle out of a sock, too; it happens just enough to make me feel foolish, but not really often enough to make it worth always using point protectors. So no fix. Mary Lee Herrick
When knitting with really fine gauge needles, be sure you have all of them when standing up. They are painful when driven into body parts. Mary Hunt
Also with fine gauge needles, don't put them in the ball of yarn with the ends unprotected. Someone is going to be very unhappy when they impale their hand while gesticulating during an argument! Mary Hunt
When a yarn eating kitten/cat is especially loving while you are knitting, your yarn is going to pieces. Mary Hunt
When talking someone through a new phase of knitting over the phone, make sure you both know what you mean. My favorite question was: "Now that I have decreased for the underarms, can I still knit in the round?" For a shell. Mary Hunt
Men's over the calf socks at 9 stitches an inch take forever. Don't promise many.Mary Hunt
Well I was beginning to think no-one else did compound dumbness, but if I put one of Manny's and one of Sarah's together and one of Sharon's, I get close to mine: When you're NOT (oh shouting is justified, believe me--hang in here) a knitter of any expertise, and you decide to knit a sweater, with absolutely no pattern except a glance at a Fassett to get an idea of how to do the cardigan neck-split front thing (she blithely considers this to be charming spontaneity), and do it cuff to cuff 'cause you're too l*zy to try to get arms and fronts and backs to all match 'cause your tension is, shall we say, highly situational, and decide to do it using all the really keenest stuff from the YCZ (and this is before joining the list, BTW) with no regard to yarn type or weight or thickness or (but you get the idea), and you're a large person so you have to start tweaking the pattern-that-you're- making-up-as-you-go, then it's a good idea to write down the directions as you're creating them because you might have to put it away for a year because your personal life goes to hell and *then* where will you be? (Clearly, winning a prize for longest sentence and most convoluted screw-up. Ack.)Kathleen Kilburn
Every once in a while, check your progress and examine what you're doing. You might be messing up the pattern and won't notice it until you've gotten a few inches away from the error. Linda K.
If you're following a pattern, read the directions carefully. My current WIP had me bind off stitches for a number of rows, then do some decreases for a couple rows. On the front, I just kept doing the binding off. I didn't notice until I got to the same point for the back that I was supposed to switch from binding off to decreasing. So my front has a few extra "steps" along the armhole. I've got to revisit this and see if I've got to frog. (sigh) Linda K.
Do not read Hard Knocks entries about counting, and re-counting, et. cetera, and then attempt to count yourself. You will, invariably, duplicate the entry! Serena Hunt
As for knitting hints, I offer the suggestion of reading the pattern to the end before starting. Several times. Draw a picture and pay special attention to the measurements. This after knitting a fair isle pattern that was supposed to be 4 rows of 3 or 12, which I made 12 rows of three... I thought I had learned this early with a cookie recipe that started with "preheat oven to 350 degress..." and ended with "chill dough overnight..." Go figure. Laura Gompf
A "right handed" mitten needs a "left-handed" mate.Maureen Moran
Well I did a stupid one yesterday. I was knitting on my coat which is on #6 needles with La Gran mohair, knitted cuff to cuff and 324 stitches long. I was talking to one of my Yarn Company friends and picked up the coat in mid row and I started knitting the row backwards (just changed directions and knitted on in the opposite direction before I completed the row) and did not discover my error till I got back to the point I where turned the work around...some 500 stitches later. This was the first time I ever did something so dumb and will be the last time. I do not care if the house is burning down...I will *never* stop in midrow again. If a customer is calling me...voice mail will answer (not really). I frogged it carefully and put each stitch on a smaller needle (seemed easier for me) when I got to the point where I had it all frogged and checked for dropped stitches (none dropped)...held it up to the light because it's not easy to see them with the eggplant color I am using, I replaced the stitches on the #6 needle,completed the row and went on to have a cheap nervous breakdown. Sharon G
Do not decide to do armhole shaping when you're (a) sleepy and (b) listening to a really good book on tape. You will discover that you have gotten carried away and done sixteen rows of decreases on the back of your vest, rather than eight. That just happened to me two nights ago. <sigh> At least frogging isn't so bad when you go on listening to the really good book. Hazel Blumberg-McKee
I've been trying to convert a rather complicated Lopi jacket pattern for dh who is about a zillion sizes bigger than the pattern is written for. The pattern is all metric, so the pattern sizes are in centimeters and the gauge is given as stitches/row to 10 c, and all this time I've been measuring dh with my trusty tape measure and making him do the inches to centimeters conversion on his calculator. After a rather testy hour of measuring and converting I complained about this to Gloriamarie, who very nicely pointed out that I could use the other side of my tape measure, and--voila!--have centimeters of my very own! Janet Zepernick
When knitting with a double strand, check often to be sure that you are using both strands! Imagine my dismay as I was nearly done with the infamous Mr. Peacock, only to find that somewhere along the way one of the strands "disappeared". Mr. Peacock has now turned into a frog. Raye Schwartz
I spent most of yesterday morning with my sweater on inside out. I guess I should be pleased that my finishing is so good that no one noticed, or else they were just being polite. I changed it in the bathroom, and then spent two hours with it on backwards, until I realized why I was uncomfortable. Maybe I should put labels in the back like I used to do for my children when they were small. Joan Fernbach
Always look at what you're doing every now and then. One year I knit away at a round yoke sweater for all of hockey season, not really taking all of it out of the bag to work on, until I was doing the neck, and the woman next to me mentioned that it looked a little big. By then, it reached my calves, the sleeves were 14 inches too long, and the yoke ended below my waist. I swear my swatch was knitted to guage, and the amazing thing was, I only ran out of one of the contrast colors of yarn. Everyone was amazed at how I had worked on it all year without realizing how big it had gotten. Joan Fernbach
Do not presume that since your cats (ages 5 and 8) who have never shown the least bit of interest in your yarn, but only preferred to sit on your knitting bags will not have feline relapse. I am attributing their behavior to the full moon and the added influence of Hale-Bopp but can't be sure. My task at hand for this weekend is now "unknot, rewind and restore" when I had hoped it would be "come close to FO and begin and work on other WIP's. "Sigh". I guess I'm lucky they did not choke themselves in the mess they made? So much for instructing my dog to keep an eye on them. Ruth
When making a sweater/vest from side-to-side, be sure to measure the fronts at the WIDEST POINT, and not at the -now-decreased neckline, thus avoiding way-too-wide fronts. Duh. Susan R Winter
When sneaking yet more yarn into the house past DH/SO, make sure that a WIP for same is lying conspiculously nearby, lest one is caught, "yes honey, this is more yarn, however look how nicely YOUR Sweater (sock, hat et al) is coming along." Also ask how their latest acquisition is getting along. In my case, that goes "how is that titanium frame racing bike doing? Fly past any jets today?" Substitute whatever "toy" your SO most recently acquired. Susan R Winter
Make sure your knitting bag is out of the way when the kids come rushing through the door all at once. On one occasion, my knitting bag was between the door and the wall and the rushing horde slammed the door against my knitting bag and *snap* went my 6mm casein needle. Boo hoo. Sue Atkinson
In the same line, remember to take your knitting off your lap *before* lifting your toddler onto your lap. Rebecca sat on my knitting this morning when I pulled her up onto my lap and her diaper-clad bottom cracked my needle in two.Sue Atkinson
I can't believe that I have forgotten this, but I sure did learn this lesson the hardway. When using a metal needle to graft seams or whatever, please sure that you put it away and that it really is put away. That way, you avoid stepping on it and driving it into your heel (or other more destructive areas of the foot to injure) and spending 2 weeks ( or however long) on crutches til the bone bruise heels. Take it from me, this is VERY painful and I am not a wuss about pain. Gloriamarie
Never throw out all of those pieces of paper with your knitting notes on them. It's frustrating to have to examine your work to see where you left off. Keep all of the ideas and knots in a notebook or a computer log. (Here's a tip for for keeping a dated computer log. If you have Windows notepad- create a file called KnitLog. At the top of the new file, type ".LOG." Every time you open that log to add an entry, it automatically puts the date in for that entry. Neat huh. You might also want to add the log to your desktop, so that you can access it easily and without hunting through the file manager.) Email Address only
Being the person who say on her needles in the car, I bought a rubbermaid container to hold my sock knitting in. While putting them in the box, I was not careful to make sure the tips all cleared the end of the box...push, snap, damn. Jackie P. Ritchie
After making copies of the pattern so as not to have to carry the original, make sure to take the original off the copier so you don't have to go back to the store and hope someone didn't throw it away. Jackie P. Ritchie
Save the last ball band with the final partial skein when you finish a project. If you ever need to refer to it again it will be easier to find if it is with its yarn. Also, if you ever intend to use up that last little bit - especially years later - planning will be easier if you know what fiber the orphan ball is made of and what needle size was originally recommended. I've got a bag full of unidentified orphans - mine and my Mom's - that I wonder about... Kim Salazar
When giving a hand-knit present, include one of the ball bands in the box to protect yourself against later complaints like "But you told me it was machine washable". Kim Salazar
Don't use rubber bands to store anything. Some of them get sticky and decay over time. I found some rubber-banded DPNs I had stashed away only 5 years ago. The rubber bands had melded themselves onto the needles. It took forever to remove the residue without scratching the finish. Kim Salazar
Do not begin knitting a garment for someone who is just setting off on a program likely to change the configuration of their person. I started a 16-color Fair Isle vest for The Large One the same week he began working out at the gym. By the time I was up to the underarms, his chest measurement had expanded by more than 6 inches. Also, I knit an elegant ruby-color lace evening tunic for my Mom, only to find out in the 7 months in between our visits (she lives in another state) she had taken up running, lost 40 pounds and dyed her hair strawberry blonde. (Odd that she never mentioned any of that in our weekly phone chats...) Kim Salazar
When fully relaxed in your favorite knitting spot and the doorbell rings(or the phone and you forgot to move the portable) remember to check that the yarn is NOT around your legs before you get up....or you will be trailing a WIP and your yarn behind you.......yarn in such a state is free game for cats...even when they never touch the stuff while you are knitting. If it moves, it is theirs. Leslie Bagatelle
Don't block any item where your fiber-loving kitties can nest in it. (You end up with a very strange-shaped sweater!) Email address only
Make sure you have done a big swatch while you are in your normal state of emotion. I swatched the Vogue Cat Sweater while at Stitches, which is very akin to *complete* intoxication. So, I cast on the appropriate amount of stitches for a loose 24 inch back. Much to my surprise, I ended up knitting 7 inches of a 29 inch back. Oops. I thought it looked big! Frog-city. Constance Harker
After you knitted a sample to check the gauge, be sure you start to knit with the same needles that you used to knit the sample! Sonia
Starting a project and being not sure you have enough yarn, knit first the back, than sleeves, and only then the front - if you run out of yarn and have no other idea, you can add yoke or some other details of other color. I also leave the bottom ribs and cuffs to the end in this case. Sonia
Never, never unravel the Kaffe Fasset sweater you made when you were 18 just because you have so many more beautiful mohairs and novelty yarns now and they'll go so much better in that colour scheme than the cheaper ones you used to begin with. You will end up with a mass of tiny yarn lengths, a headache, the desire never to try one of Kaffe's patterns again, and the revelation that your new yarns don't look that good together after all. Vanessa Meachen
When knitting a shawl entirely in garter stitch with over 200 stitches on the needle, don't turn the work and suddenly think you're doing stocking stitch and purl all the way back for a whole row. Yes--did that last night :-( Wendy Levy
You are never so sure about what you are doing as when you "literally" take the meaning of an unfamiliar term. For example: when first encountering Kaffe Fassett's tumbling block jacket, and he uses "double knitting" yarn it does not mean to use double worsted weight yarn. Kammerer
When knitting on an airplane, do not start a project that has 22 different colored little balls of yarn even though the trip is 12 hours long. If you don't loose at least one, you will use the wrong one due to poor light in the overnight movie. Kammerer
When you are following a chart, be really sure that you are working from the <correct> chart! This lesson was learned by me last night, when I realized that I had worked six rows from the wrong chart on the Lastrada jacket - that's about 2,700 STITCHES! I'm still debating whether to frog (and risk never looking at it again), or pretend that the six rows of the wrong color are part of the design. Diane G. Tice
It has been over 24 hours and now I can talk about it. Do not ever take the 99% complete back of a full length coat anywhere near a strange liquid. I had to have another test done at the hospital which was no big deal. The lady next to me was also having a test done but she had to drink this cocktail thing because she was allergic to the IV dye or something which I overheard someone saying. Anyhow she dumped it and it landed on the bottom of the nearly complete coat back (and down my leg and in my shoe). I quick got up and went to the ladies room with it and tried to wash it out but it got wierd. The coat was all Trendsetters yarn, Dune and Sorbet which is mohair combined with a metalic and also had another yarn which was vicose, poly and metal...both dry cleaning reccomended which meant the medical cocktail, chalky thing and water was not what the Dr ordered for my knitting. I could picture it glowing in the dark or something. So, I did what any now slightly normal person would do...Put the wet part into a plastic bag so the crap didn't get over any other part of the coat, and started frogging to see what I could save yarn wise. Maybe I could have had it dry cleaned but who knows if it would have worked. Sharon G
Don't put a sweater made of Lion Brand Imagine (80% acrylic, 20% mohair) in the washer with something that has a piece of velcro on it. Email address only.
When gifted by someone with one skein of New Zealand yarn in a creamy white, that smell like a newly washed lamb. DO NOT run to a co-worker and urge her to smell it IF the co-worker wears heavy RED lipstick. Lorili Johnson
When buttons say "Dry Clean Only", it may not be just because of the button. If you were to machine wash it, figuring you'd just replace the buttons if they got ruined, you could end up with large brown stains radiating from each "Dry Clean Only" button. Which is okay if the sweater is brown, not the case for me. Suzi Sarro
So then suppose you think the sweater can be salvaged and you cut off the offending buttons...make sure you are cutting the yarn that holds the button on, not, for example, the sweater itself. Suzi Sarro
After coming home from a big sale three Octobers ago, I went nuts and wound all my yarn into balls that same weekend BUT I forgot to save even 1 band from each of the 6 yarns, so now, I haven't a clue as to the color name or number, dye lot, let alone brands of each ball. Sometimes, being a wee bit retentive can works against you... Laura Gompf
Likewise, never hold your knitting with your teeth or close to your mouth when trimming ends after weaving in. I coughed hard and in the resulting breath in, took a 1/8"-1/4" piece of bulky weight into my lungs... This caused no real problems as the lungs are pretty amazing and rid themselves of "small particulate matter" per my doctor... and obviously, I did survive. Laura Gompf
When you take a "portable" buttonhole (more later) the your favorite button shop, write down how many buttons you need. Especially if you've finished the sweater in question a while back and are just not getting to buy the buttons. Yep, I was all set to stop at the fabric store on my way home late night to get buttons for a short-sleeved cotton blouse -- since the weather is now fine for wearing it -- and like, duh, I couldn't remember how many buttons I needed. It was 5, and I stuck a sticky to the portable buttonhole. PORTABLE BUTTONHOLE: This is just a swatch made in the yarn (for the color), gauge and stitch of your button band with the correct button hole worked in it. Beats dragging the whole sweater to the button shop. Sally Pecor
No matter how simple a lace stitch may appear, ( this is a 6 stitch pattern- you can't get much more basic) chart it before you start. I worked the first 4 rows, knowing that I should have done this, but being in too much of a hurry to watch the pattern develop, I ignored my instincts. And now, I have to frog 2 rows- not a big problem with regular yarns, but with a lace stitch in boucle mohair, I know it's not going to be fun, which is why I'm sitting at my computer right now instead of knitting. Celia Strebendt
When planning a project that will keep you in mindless knitting forever, make sure it won't grow too large to take to the places where you need mindless knitting. Joy Beeson
I finished my first sock (thank you, Joan) and was so awe struck and excited that I accidentally clipped a hole in my favorite skirt while snipping off the bind off yarn with the FO on my lap...grr.!Sandra Wada
The last sweater I knit was an aran. I did the back and one sleelve (to make sure I had enough yarn for the whole thing) then it languished for a while I worked on other things. When I started again, I did the ribbing in size 7 needles, like I was supposed to, then changed to 4.5 mm needles for the body. Now those of you with sharp minds will note that I really didn't change anything at all (I wanted to change to 5mm). It was only when I was trying to figure out on what row exactly I wanted to decrease for the armholes that I pulled out the back for comparison. Not surprisingly they didn't match. Well, I got to keep the ribbing. I was very careful not to make the same mistake on my second sleeve, but as I was comparing with the first sleeve I realized I _had_ made the very same mistake on the first sleeve I knit up. Bah. Again, I could keep the ribbing. Luckily I was in a mood to knit like crazy and I managed to finish the thing up quickly. Lynn
Here's another one, without such a happy ending. This was my first experience of a sweater knit in the round and also the first thing I actually designed myself. I knew it was important to check that I hadn't twisted the cast on row and so I did check--at least three times. Can you guess where this is going? Confident that my checking was accurate, I knitted along on the pattern (fair isle) for about four inches. You can imagine my dismay when I realized I'd made a mobius strip--and that won't really work for a sweater--and nothing could fix it except for ripping everything out and starting over. Well, I was actually so discouraged I didn't start that over. Some day... Lynn
Never sit in a recliner or any other chair that eats knitting needles! I was working on a sock when my #2 DP brittany slipped out of my hand and got eaten by the chair. I turned it over and rocked and whacked it to no avail. Since I had already lost one needle already, the sock was put on hold. Merrill H Walsh
When driving in the car, if you have to drop a 0 dp needle, do everything in your power to not let it drop so that it rolls under the door jam and you have to wait until the next rest stop before you can open your door to have it fall out and resume your knitting. Lenore
When you buy yarn in hanks, never decide just to lay it nicely down on a flat surface to attempt to roll it into a ball. I am currently trying to untangle 900yds of beautiful undyed cotton and rayon yarn. Melissa Gaul
I'm working on a throw which has a fourteen row pattern repeat, and seven patterns across. I try to stop at the end of a pattern repeat, but yesterday I finished one pattern before 60 Minutes was over so decided to do the two base rows of the next pattern. I did mark this on my row counter. However, this morning I picked up the throw, started knitting on row 1 of the pattern, got half way through the second row, dropped a stitch marker, spent 15 minutes looking for it - and it was bright red - and started knitting again, only I reversed the throw and knit back the row I was on. I ended with two and a half rows of extra pattern - and this was before I had finished my first cup of coffee! Moral: when you start your knitting check your row counter to see where you stopped, and if you are interrupted in the middle of the row, make sure you remember which way you're going. Of course I'm making this on a tight schedule, and resent any time spent tinking or frogging. Margaret Zuke
Never knit sox while watching cricket and yr team needs very few runs with one wicket in hand and Shane Warne's bowling - you will definitely pull out the wrong needle - and it will obviously be the one with the cable on it!! While watching cricket today I will be knitting a baby's all-in-one from Better Living's "Beautiful things to make for Baby" - plain stockinette! Cathy Pieterse
Never take DH (or SO) to the LYS where the lady sometimes gives you a freebie, it looks really bad and he/she then knows that you're there quite frequently!! Cathy Pieterse
Do not allow your cable needle to fall out of your work into your printer while it's running. (Don't ask--you don't want to know.) Needless to say, "multi-tasking" doesn't always save time!! Email address only
If you have to frog a bumpy or hairy (or both) novelty yarn It is marginally easier if you pull on the end of the yarn that you are knitting with instead of the left over cast on end. Anita
I went ahead and frogged the six wrong-color rows on my Lastrada jacket, and am now back up to where I was. I'd like to believe that frogging 2700 stitches has made me a better person, but I'm really not convinced. Diane G. Tice
Don't ply an entire bobbin of 3-ply yarn when at the exploding point with 11 yo DD (who "forgot" her bus number at school, so missed the bus, which made the principal stay 2 hours late until a neighbor could get there in a blinding snowstorm to pick her up because mom [me] was in the middle of transplant surgery and couldn't leave). Can you spell OVERTWIST? Diane G. Tice
If you want to knit in public places, particularly those that move such as buses and subway cars, do NOT carry with you ALL parts of a WIP. Rather, carry only the ball of yarn in current use and the piece currently being knit. To carry all of it with you is to tempt the transportation muses overmuch, causing them to cast spell on you to leave your knitting bag on your seat and not notice until it is too late.Jane Trambley
Red faced, I confess...as a young knitter (just picked it up again as a 20-something) working on sweaters, I failed to notice the difference between "actual" and "finished" measurements, and made many sweaters WWAAAYYYY too big...BUT, I did learn to steek and sew with abandon trying to salvage huge fronts and backs without frogging!Jane Trambley
When rainbow dyeing yarn in the (not used for food) crockpot make sure you don't accidently turn the pot on high! I put in a test batch of yarn yesterday to see what colors would overdye to the yarn best and went off for my 3 mile walk. I came back to the smell of cooking yarn. I was able to save to test but it was a close call. Holly
It's not a hard knock yet, as I don't know how my mom will like the sweater, but, when you substitute yarns, check to see whether the fabric produced by the new yarn is similar to that produced by the old. I'm knitting a Tahki pattern that calls for Havana, which is a yarn I've never even seen, and the pattern booklet has no fibre info. So, sez I, Cotton Fleece is a lovely yarn, and knits to the same gauge as called for in the pattern. Well, Cotton Fleece in this all-over ribbed pattern makes for a pretty clingy sweater, not the straight-hanging one pictured in the booklet, the one that caught my mom's eye. It's lovely fabric, and I *think* she'll like it, but I'm already going through scenarios in my mind of whom I'll give it to, should she not. Diana Foss
Don't store fruit in your knitting bag. Carol W. Wood
Even spacing should be calculated using the right number of buttons (to match the number of buttonholes). Carol W. Wood
When you've located just the right button (in the right quantity) at a shop that's more than an hour away in a direction you don't usually travel, be sure that you don't store them in a bag that's likely to be thrown away. Carol W. Wood
Don't leave the finished front of a complicated multi-color sweater in your hotel room when you're travelling (the rule on this one is that it's especially likely to happen when the yarn is very expensive).Carol W. Wood
When you're tailoring a pattern for yourself, try the thing on BEFORE you run in all the ends. I've discovered that I'm quite good at hiding ends. Deb
Do not park the unused dpn in your cleavage when either in public or when your friend's 15-year-old son is visiting your husband. Yes, you can't talk when its in your mouth, but it isn't quite so embarassing. Never park a 10 inch dpn in your cleavage ... unless you have a VERY long neck . Mary Beth
The odds of getting an article of a particular size are greatly increased if you start by casting on the correct number of stitches. Email address only
Avoid an express trip to Frog City: When casting-on during a road trip, double check the stitch count your fellow traveler gets for your cast-on. After all this time, you'd think I'd be smarter than that.Betty G. Ash
Want it ? See it ? BUY IT ! Last week while Grand-kid visiting I saw a copy of Melinda Coss' *Folk Knits* in a Dillon's book-store. I did'nt buy it ,although I lusted for it badly and it was not expensive, but decided to order it from my own bookshop. On my return home I discovered to my horror that this book is out of print. A frantic phone call sent my DD to get that last copy, BUT it was gone ! Moral of the story : a knitbook or yarn in the hand is worth getting your wallet out for . Norma
The position that one doesn't have to treat (wash) previously knit yarn if it hasn't been blocked doesn't hold if the yarn is cotton and was knit more than a year ago. You should see the seed stitch swatch from the unwashed yarn, hahaha. Betsy
NEVER volunteer to make three matching sweaters for your DNieces no matter how prettily they ask because by the time you get to the third, you will be so eternally sick of the pattern you could scream! Especially since it's such a simple pattern (mindless knitting around and around and around...) and *especially* when it's cotton! Debbie
When you *think* you know that the pattern for the front is exactly the same as for the back, tell yourself sternly that you really aren't sure and DO NOT overestimate your capabilities, lest you be compelled to take a dip in the frog pond. Bonnie
I really debated about telling all of you about my hardest knock: 1. No one would believe I really did such a stupid thing. 2. no one would believe that I knitted 3 more inches before I discovered what I had done. I cast on to a circular needle to make a pullover from the top. I have made at least 4 others just like it, so I can't pretend I got confused by a strange pattern. I knit away past the shoulders and did 3 inches of the sleeves and then spread it out to take a good look at my work. I had knit in THREE sleeves!! I had always considered this a "no-brainer" pattern to use for TV knitting. Just shows there is no such thing as a fool-proof pattern--this fool can find a way. Connie Guy

Oh, Connie. LOL! I've always said mothers need a third hand. You've given us hope! Gloria Dillingham

NEVER let your toddler drink kool-aid within 10ft of any WIP. Luckily, the yarn is dark and the drink was light, rather than the other way around... Becky Kobish
Don't make a nice warm pair of wool tube socks for DSO and then find out two days later that he is, in fact, dreadfully allergic to wool. You'll spend at least a week plastering his feet with hydrocortisone. I love DSO, but I never want to be that close to his feet again! At least they're tubes and I can wear them!Email address only
Do not send the above 12 year old to a store that is going out of business to buy needles. Even if you give explicit instructions like: buy 10 inch needles, under no circumstances are you to buy 14 inch needles. She will, of course, buy you a large selection of non-returnable 14 inch needles.Email address only
When you shop and get just the right yarn for a gift and want to get it made *do not* go off and leave your Babies and Bears pattern on the counter. It was all my fault as I moved it and didn't put it with my stuff. But if you do, be sure to do it at fellow Klister's shop as she will mail it to you the same day. Buffy

URL of this page: http://www.fibergypsy.com/common/hardknock.shtml
Copyright 1998 - 2009 The Fiber Gypsy (except as otherwise noted) · Webmaster: info (at) fibergypsy (dot) com
This page last modified: Saturday, October 24, 2009
Using the information you find here: Please feel free to link directly to this page and to use any of the information you find here in your own personal fiber pursuits, but do honor all copyright notices as posted. All information contained in the pages maintained on the FiberLink server is copyrighted and may be used and shared freely in any form provided no profit is made from its distribution and provided FiberLink and The Fiber Gypsy are cited as the source of this information.