We are independent & ad-supported. We may earn a commission for purchases made through our links.
Advertiser Disclosure
Our website is an independent, advertising-supported platform. We provide our content free of charge to our readers, and to keep it that way, we rely on revenue generated through advertisements and affiliate partnerships. This means that when you click on certain links on our site and make a purchase, we may earn a commission. Learn more.
How We Make Money
We sustain our operations through affiliate commissions and advertising. If you click on an affiliate link and make a purchase, we may receive a commission from the merchant at no additional cost to you. We also display advertisements on our website, which help generate revenue to support our work and keep our content free for readers. Our editorial team operates independently of our advertising and affiliate partnerships to ensure that our content remains unbiased and focused on providing you with the best information and recommendations based on thorough research and honest evaluations. To remain transparent, we’ve provided a list of our current affiliate partners here.
Culinary

Our Promise to you

Founded in 2002, our company has been a trusted resource for readers seeking informative and engaging content. Our dedication to quality remains unwavering—and will never change. We follow a strict editorial policy, ensuring that our content is authored by highly qualified professionals and edited by subject matter experts. This guarantees that everything we publish is objective, accurate, and trustworthy.

Over the years, we've refined our approach to cover a wide range of topics, providing readers with reliable and practical advice to enhance their knowledge and skills. That's why millions of readers turn to us each year. Join us in celebrating the joy of learning, guided by standards you can trust.

What are the Best Tips for Following Knitting Instructions?

By Greer Hed
Updated: May 17, 2024
Views: 7,069
Share

The best tips for following knitting instructions are tips that make it easy for a knitter to read, understand, and execute the steps indicated by a knitting pattern. One important tip for knitters is that they should be familiar with the wide range of abbreviations and jargon that commonly occur within knitting instructions. It is also helpful to read through the entire set of instructions before beginning a project and to follow the instructions in a step-by-step fashion. Finally, knitters should learn to "read" their own stitches, or know what different types of stitches look like at a glance, and should also rely on tools like row counters and stitch markers whenever necessary.

To many new knitters, knitting instructions may appear to be an indecipherable string of letters and numbers. This is because knitting patterns tend to use abbreviations for the most common stitches, so that the knitter can glance quickly at the pattern and know what to do. Two basic stitches that knitters should know are the knit stitch, which resembles a letter "V", and the purl stitch, which resembles a horizontal bump. These stitches are abbreviated as "K" and "P," respectively, and are often followed by a number that indicates how many stitches should be knitted or purled. Although it is not an abbreviation, some knitters may be confused by the phrase "work even" that occurs often in knitting instructions; this simply means to continue working stitches in whatever pattern has been established previously.

Reading through all of the instructions for a pattern before beginning to knit can be helpful. This way, a knitter will be aware of what kind of knitting skills are needed to complete a new project, and can avoid making mistakes due to incomplete understanding of what the pattern requires. Knitting instructions also typically include a list of the materials required to complete a project, allowing the knitter to plan ahead and buy enough yarn yardage and appropriately sized knitting needles.

Knitting is often a slow process, and many knit garments are often crafted over a period of several days, weeks, or months. Often, the knitter will have to put her knitting aside and then pick it up again later. Often, each row in a set of knitting instructions has a different sequence of stitches, and it is often important to be able to determine which sequence of stitches was the last one knitted. This is when "reading" the knitting comes in handy. Knitters should learn to be able to look at their stitches and know what stitches are on the needles in what order.

Sometimes, however, reading the stitches in this fashion is not enough. In these cases, knitting notions like row counters or stitch markers can be very helpful. A row counter is a tool that allows knitters to keep track of the number of rows they have knit so far. Stitch markers are small rings that slide onto the knitting needles in between stitches. They allow knitters to mark where to make changes in the stitch pattern, such as where to place a cable or add an extra stitch.

Share
WiseGeek is dedicated to providing accurate and trustworthy information. We carefully select reputable sources and employ a rigorous fact-checking process to maintain the highest standards. To learn more about our commitment to accuracy, read our editorial process.

Editors' Picks

Discussion Comments
Share
https://www.wisegeek.net/what-are-the-best-tips-for-following-knitting-instructions.htm
Copy this link
WiseGeek, in your inbox

Our latest articles, guides, and more, delivered daily.

WiseGeek, in your inbox

Our latest articles, guides, and more, delivered daily.