Golden Rules Of Knitting - The Start And Finish

I truly believe that anyone can learn to knit - however, how pleased you are with your knitted projects, and consequently how inspired you'll be to go on to bigger and better things, is very dependent on how your early attempts turn out. There are two of three simple, but essential, steps which will transform your final outcomes from the satisfactory to the simply sensational.

Before you start: Needles and Tension.

Once you have identified a knitting pattern you need to choose your needles and believe me, choosing a needle you're comfortable with makes a real difference to the knitting experience. Needles come in a mind-blowing choice of sizes and lengths and are made from a variety of materials. Straight, metal needles, usually aluminium, have become the staple of the knitting kit and are useful for knitting synthetic yarns because they are smooth and allow your work to slide along easily. However, they can become either "sticky" or feel cold to work with. The more modern needles manufactured from plastic or acrylic are light and strong and useful in larger sizes where the equivalent metal needle would be heavy to use. Traditional wooden needles have recently returned to popularity and are now made from a range of sustainable woods such as birch, and most knitters, once they've made the change to wooden needles, are resistant to using anything else. The heat of your hands warms the wood and makes them very comfortable to work with adding to the whole tactile experience of knitting. Wooden needles also tend to be smooth but not too slippery so are appropriate to all levels of skill. They are obviously more brittle than other types of needles so need to be looked after but a "broken in" pair of wooden needles, where a natural patina has developed through use, can't be beaten. With experience and as a project demands, knitters require circular or double-point needles to "knit in the round" or for distributing the weight of a larger project like a blanket or afghan, but investing in good quality wooden needles is invaluable.

Whilst every knitter just can't wait to cast on a new project (which is probably why knitters have so many WIPs: works-in-progress) I can't emphasis enough the importance of checking your tension. Whilst almost all patterns give a standard idea of the number of rows/stitches across a given distance, we all knit slightly differently and it is essential to check your tension if you don't want to finish up with a "sloppy Joe" instead of a "skinny rib" jumper! Using your pattern or your yarn's "ball band" as a guide, make up a tension square measuring 15cm x 15cm (6" x 6"). Top tip; garter stitch (knit every stitch) for the first three rows and then on the first three stitches of every row to prevent your square curling. If you are knitting something patterned, work your tension square in the pattern to check the tension. (This also gives you a good indication of whether you're going to like the finished article or not!) Cast off and gently smooth your swatch and pin to a padded surface (ie. a folded towel) making sure you don't over stretch your square. Using a large headed pin as a marker, place it vertically between two stitches then, using a ruler, measure 10cm (4") along the row and place another pin in the knitting. To check row tension, insert a pin horizontally and then measure vertically 10cm (4") up the work and place another. Count the stitches and rows between the pins noting any differences in the recommended tension. If your tension matches you can start knitting! However, it you have more stitches/rows than stated, your knitting is too tight and you need to use larger needles. If you have less stitches, your tension is too loose and you should try smaller needles. Either way, it is worth trying another tension square to get it right. I used to think of tension checking as not only a waste of time, but also of yarn. I now combat this by labelling (yarn/pattern and needle details) my tension squares and they then serve as a useful reference for future projects.

It doesn't end at "Cast Off"

Once you've got towards the end of your project it can be tempting to cast off, pin the bits together, sew up and admire. However, it really is worth taking a bit of time over the finishing process. Top tip for casting off, if you find that your knitting style is quite "tight" you may choose to change to larger sized needles for the cast off edge.

The process of "blocking", basically wetting or steaming the knitted piece(s) to even out the stitches and allow the fibres to adjust and relax into place, is well worth the extra effort. Whilst you won't need to block every piece of knitting, for most garments it can make a huge difference. Essential for fine yarn knitting such as lace shawls, blocking is also really beneficial to individual pieces to assist with the sewing up process and helps give a professional finish. You need to find a flat surface larger than the biggest knitted piece, for example a spare corner of carpet or your dining table, alternatively, you can make your own "blocking board" by wrapping a piece of hardboard with foam, wadding or an unwanted towel and then covering this over with a heavy cloth and securing in place with stapes or panel pins.

Most natural fibres such as wool, cotton, linen, cashmere and alpaca can be steam pressed or wet blocked, whilst mohair, wool blends and synthetic yarns don't usually respond well to steaming but can be wet blocked. I've tried a variety of blocking methods, from steaming to fully immersing pieces in water (heart-stoppingly scary!) before wringing out and pinning to shape, but I much prefer the following more gentle method. Lay your piece of knitting out on your blocking surface but don't pin yet, using a spray bottle, dampen the pieces, using a fine mist but also ensuring the pieces are quite damp. Using long pins, secure the pieces to the surface starting with the length, then the width and lastly curves and corners. Use a tape measure and check dimensions against pattern guidance regularly and don't be stingy with pins - every few inches will prevent the shapes distorting. Allow the piece(s) to dry naturally. Cautionary note: avoid blocking any ribbed areas unless you want the elasticity of the finished piece to be diminished.

Bringing it all together: Sewing up

Sewing up is probably viewed as the most disagreeable part of knitting. All those boring ends to sew in and then making sure the right bits (and rights sides) are together can be particularly tedious - but again, taking that bit of extra time will pay dividends. There are two main stitches used for sewing up; back stitch and mattress stitch. Back stitch gives a good strong seam ideal for curved and horizontal seams such as around armholes and along shoulders. Mattress stitch is a very neat joining stitch for side seams and seams which don't need too much elasticity. If pieces are blocked correctly, pinning them together should be a much easier job - use plenty of pins and ease in any fullness as you go. On a conventional sweater or cardigan you will usually sew one or both shoulder seams together, work the neckband, sew the sleeves into place and then finish by sewing the side and sleeve seams. Use the same yarn you used to knit the garment (this isn't always feasible with some novelty or specialised yarn in which case you need to choose a suitable smooth yarn in a matching colour). Secure your yarn by working a couple of back stitches close to the seam edge and then work your way along the seam using your chosen stitch, pulling the yarn firmly but avoiding puckering, and checking the correct side of the garment as you go. Finally, press the sewn seams using one of the following methods. Place a clean, damp tea towel over the seams (garment should be inside out) and using a gentle heat, press the seams with your iron, lifting the iron on and off the fabric rather than using a sliding motion. Alternatively, spray the seam on the inside of the garment and finger press to flatten and allow to dry naturally. Pressing the sewn seams "sets" the seam stitches and helps prevent any yarn ends from working free.