Through my years of knitting, I have learned some things beyond the how-tos: advice, best practices, lessons – “purls,” if you will. These are my knitting purls of wisdom for you. And I’m still learning, so I’ll update this list as the wisdom grows.

Understanding the Value of Your Yarn Investment

Knitting Math

Knitting is full of math. A knitting math trick you might find useful is dollars of yarn divided by hours of knitting. Let’s say a $25 skein of yarn takes 10 hours to knit. That’s entertainment at a rate of $2.50/hour, and you have something to show for it!

Use the good stuff

Use the good stuff (yarn, needles, and notions)! As long as that stuff is in your budget and you can justify it to yourself. You are more likely to enjoy the act of knitting if you like the yarn and it feels good in your hands.

P.S. Animal fibers (wool, alpaca, silk, etc.) feels better in the hands of most knitters than plant fibers (cotton, linen, bamboo, etc.) or plastic (acrylic, polyester, etc.). Nylon is an exception – a little nylon with your wool is great for socks and things.

P.P.S. While we all love the big box craft stores for their aisles and aisles of crafty things, not all yarn is created equal. At some point, I encourage you to try some yarn from shops that specialize in yarn, like Knit Picks, Jimmy Beans Wool, Purl Soho, Eat Sleep Knit, etc. or your local yarn store (LYS).

Enjoy the precious skeins!

Over your knitting lifetime, you will acquire precious skeins that you think are too precious to use. Use them! (Or at the very least, display them where you can admire them.) Enjoy the precious skeins!

Yarn can be Re-Used

Yarn can be re-used! If you don’t like something, rip it out and try again. Knitting is one of the few crafts with the opportunity to reuse supplies. You can’t un-paint a painting and re-use the paint, but you can frog (rip it, rip it = ribbit, ribbit) a sweater and re-use the yarn.

Create Custom Yarn Blends with Your Stash

You can create your own yarn by holding multiple strands of yarn together and knitting them as one. It’s my favorite technique.

(You can also create your own yarn by spinning, but that’s a different hobby altogether.)

Interchangeable Needles are the Ultimate Investment for Knitters

One of the best features of interchangeable needles is that you can use two different sized needles, which is handier than you might think:

• In the Round: Only one needle, the right, is used to size the stitch, so use the size you need. Make the left needle one size smaller, and your needles will glide along so easily. This is especially helpful when making something on really big needles.
• Flat: When working in stockinette, most knitters make their purls a little bigger than their knits and then wonder how to fix the ‘rowing out’ that occurs as a result. Purls naturally use a little bit more yarn because of the way they are formed. Use the needle you need for gauge on the knit side of stockinette fabric. Use a needle one size smaller on the other side of your cord to help you use slightly less yarn when making your purl stitches. Tada!!
  P.S. Also always make sure that you’re using your needles to size your stitches properly.

Master the Fit of Knitting

Try on your Projects as you Go

Try on your sweater after finishing the yoke (with barber cords) and after finishing one sleeve. If you need to adjust the yoke depth, the sleeve length, etc., do it now. Ask me how I know…

Use Knitting Fit Knowledge for Store Bought Clothes, too

Use what you learn about fit in knitting to help you choose store-bought clothes, too. Take your measurements and then look at the size charts when you’re online shopping – you’ll have to return a lot less.

Important Steps for Projects to be Proud of

The Importance of Swatching

If you’re going to use the good yarn and spend all the time making the thing, gauge swatching is worth it. To sweeten the deal, make it a project all its own – a mug rug!

Knit the gauge swatch the way you will knit the pattern (flat or in the round), ideally 6” square.

If you need to work in the round, do a cheat swatch where you carry your yarn across the back so that you’re always working on the front side. Ysolda Teague has a tutorial.

You will need to cut strands in the back so that it will lay flat, and you want the sides to be neat. I love the method I learned from Wool & Pine that was linked in the Sea Glass hat pattern. Twist a few stitches by knitting through the back loop at the beginning and end of each round to keep the edges neat. Tada! A tidy mug rug!

Knitters Don’t Like to Weave in Ends – But we Must

Minimize the number of ends you need to weave in when working with more than one skein of yarn – whether that’s for multiple colors or a single color. If the yarn is an animal fiber (wool, alpaca, silk), spit splice for one long continuous strand of yarn. If you’re using a plant fiber (cotton, linen), try the Weavin’ Stephen, or a Russian join.

Blocking is Mandatory

Your project isn’t done until it’s blocked.

Patience is a Virtue

Knitting Teaches Patience

Knitting teaches patience. When people learn that I knit, they will often say, “I’m not patient enough to knit.” I usually respond with, “Knitting taught me patience, not the other way around.”

Knitting is the Epitome of Slow Fashion

Knitting is a slooooooow craft, and that’s okay. Figure out ways to make it a built in part of your life. Small projects are perfect for airplanes, waiting rooms, sporting events, etc. Anywhere that you will be sitting and would otherwise be doom scrolling on your phone. And if need be, learn to multitask while you knit.

Every Little Stitch Counts

Progress is made one stitch at a time. Eventually, you’ll have a finished project. This lesson applies to other things in life, too.

There’s always more to Learn

Podcasts are the Ultimate Knitting Inspiration

Knitting Podcasts are a great way to feel like you’re part of a knitting community even if you’re the only knitting enthusiast among your friends.

All Knitting Techniques are a variation on knit and Purl

Don’t be afraid to branch out. There are youtube videos for everything. You’ll learn as you go. As long as you can knit and purl, everything else is just an expansion on those skills.

On the flip side, don’t be afraid to knit a pattern you love more than once.