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E V E R L A S T I N G C A R E Glass Front Cremation Niches Beautiful Views Affordable Pricing 95 Mt. Airy Road Basking Ridge, NJ 07920 908.766.0522 • SHMPCEMETERY.COM 5 Tips for Better Knitting By: Carolyn Hanson It’s spring and my spring semester classes begin at the Adult School in the next few days. One of my favorites to teach is the Learn to Knit (Continental Combination) class. Continental combination is the fastest way to knit, in my opinion, since it uses a motion that scoops the yarn rather than throwing (wrapping) the yarn around the needle to form a new stitch. Students are amazed at how quickly they can build up speed with this method. There are many tips and tricks shared during class. Here are 5 that will help knitters at any level: - Test the yarn’s itchiness before buying - Read all instructions before beginning - Read the Ball Band; Gauge is important when making a fitted garment, e.g., hat, mittens, sweater - A crochet hook should be part of every knitters tool kit - Always knit off the Leading Edge 1. Test the Yarn for Itchiness – The yarn is beautiful, and you could not wait to finish the scarf. It’s around your neck for 2 minutes and off it comes. It did not feel itchy while knitting. What happened? Our necks are more sensitive than our hands. So before mak- ing a purchase, gently rub the yarn under your chin. If it feels itchy, then make another choice. Sometimes dye will effect the yarn’s feel. Maybe all you need to do is select a different gorgeous color to feel just right. 2. Read all instructions before beginning – Patterns will state the difficulty level. If a beginner, choose patterns that are “easy” or “beginner” for the first few projects to build up confidence and success of completion. For those sections that you don’t under- stand, ask questions. If you purchased the yarn at a yarn shop, the shop owner will glad- ly assist with reading and interpreting the pattern. You can also contact the designer, or go on Ravelry www.ravelry.com and look up the pattern and ask other knitters who made it before you how they solved the problem. Note: Patterns are not perfect, and sometimes errors are printed. The designer or Pattern Company will post errata and cor- rections. So ask questions. 3. Read the Ball Band; Gauge is important when making a fitted garment, e.g., hat, mittens, sweater – The ball band is the paper tag or band attached to the yarn. It provides a world of information: fiber content, yardage, cleaning instructions, gauge, and recommended needle size. By recommended, I mean that the manufacturer states the needle size based on their review. However, some of us knit tightly and others knit loosely. So, the size of the needle may change in order to get the required gauge, or stitches/inch. Gauge is usually measured on a 4” x 4” swatch. A designer relies on gauge to determine pattern sizes. If you do not knit a swatch to verify that you are get- ting the same number of stitches/inch, then you run the risk of completing a project that will not match the expected size or shape. Gauge is not critical when making a scarf or baby blanket (non-fitted project), since an inch wider or narrower will not matter in the grand scheme. However, an extra inch on each sweater panel may make it unwearable. 4. A crochet hook should be part of every knitter’s tool kit – A crochet hook is a nec- essary tool for retrieving a dropped stitch and placing it back on the needle. When you find a dropped stitch after knitting for several rows, use a safety pin to secure the stitch from moving any further. Knit until you reach the spot directly above the dropped stitch. Then, remove the pin and place the dropped stitch on the hook. Use the crochet hook to pick up each horizontal bar and pull through the loop on the hook climbing upward one rung at a time until you reach the needle. Then place the loop on the needle and continue knitting. 5. Always knit off the Leading Edge – Best Advice ever! Each stitch sits on the needle with either the back or the front of the stitch slightly closer to the tip of the needle. Meaning if you gently pull on the stitch moving it toward the needle’s tip, you will see that either the front or back of the stitch will fall off the needle first. Whichever portion of the stitch is closest to the needle’s tip is referred to as the leading edge. If you knit off the leading edge, your stitches will never be twisted. You will also never need to untwist a stitch before knitting. Want more? Support your local Adult School; go to www.theadultschool.org to scan the current listings. Fun and interesting classes run throughout the spring. Maybe I’ll see you there. Happy Spring; we made it! Carolyn Hanson is a local knitting and crochet designer, teacher and fiber artist. She can be contacted at cchanson3@gmail.com. www.theconnectionsnj.com