Essential Techniques: Every Knitter Should Know

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Essential Techniques Every Knitter Should Know WITH SALLY MELVILLE

Sally Melville

In more than 50 years of knitting and 35 years of teaching, Sally Melville has taken hundreds of finished garments off her needles and taught hundreds of different classes. Today, she is the author of seven knitting books including Sally Melville Styles, The Knitting Experience series, and Knitting Pattern Essentials. Her gift for making knitting simple, useful, and fun has long made Sally a beloved instructor. Sally is dedicated to helping knitters make pieces they’ll be proud to show the world!

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Essential Techniques Every Knitter Should Know

with Sally Melville Technique Information

BIND-OFFS Basic Sewing Needle Bind-Off • Cut yarn to three times the width of the row and thread yarn through a blunt tapestry needle • **Take yarn purlwise through first 2 stitches on knitting needle

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Take yarn knitwise through first stitch on knitting needle Drop first stitch off Repeat from ** until all stitches have been bound off

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DECREASES Abbreviations for Decreases • k2tog: Knit two together (right-leaning decrease on RS of stockinette) • k3tog: knit three together (right-leaning double decrease on RS of stockinette) • p2tog: Purl two together (right-leaning decrease on RS of stockinette, has no lean on WS of stockinette or if result of decrease is a purl)

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© miriam-doerr/iStock/Thinkstock.

INCREASES Abbreviations for Increases • kf&b: Knit into the front, and then the back, of the stitch on the left needle • M1: Make one (work — usually knitwise — into the thread that sits between the two needles) • M1R: Insert left needle, from back, under thread that sits between two needles; knit into front of it (to twist the new stitch) • M1L: Insert right needle, from back, under thread that sits between two needles; insert left needle into the front of this thread, and knit (to twist the new stitch)

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S2KP: Slip two knitwise (at the same time), knit one, pass both slipped stitches over (centered double decrease on RS of stockinette) SK2P: Slip one knitwise, knit two together, pass slipped stitch over (left-leaning double decrease on RS of stockinette) SKP: Slip one knitwise, knit one, pass slipped stitch over (left-leaning decrease on RS of stockinette) SSK: Slip one knitwise, slip one knitwise, knit two together (by putting left needle into front of both stitches on right needle) (left-leaning decrease on RS of stockinette)

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SSP: Slip one knitwise, slip one knitwise, pass both back onto left needle, purl two together through the back (executed on a purl row, produces a leftleaning decrease on RS of stockinette)

SEAMING Row-to-Row Seams with Stockinette Selvages* • Hold work with RS facing • Find the “trough” that is one stitch from the edge: stay in that trough for the duration of the seam • Take tip of needle down into work, one stitch from the edge • Tip needle to left so that you see one bar on tapestry needle • Bring yarn through to RS • Cross over to other piece • Take tip of needle down into work, one stitch from the edge • **Tip needle to left so that you see two bars on tapestry needle • Bring yarn through to RS • Cross over to other piece • Take tip of needle down into space you last came out of

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Repeat from ** to end of seam

Row-to-Row Seams with Slip-Stitch Selvages* • Hold work with RS facing • Take tip of needle down into work in the middle of the first slip stitch at the edge: you are one half slip stitch from the edge • Stay on that line for the duration of the seam • Tip needle to left and come up (to RS) in the middle of the next slip stitch • Bring yarn through to RS • Cross over to other piece • Take tip of needle down into work in the middle of the first slip stitch at the edge • **Tip needle to left and come up (to RS) in the middle of the next slip stitch • Bring yarn through to RS • Cross over to other piece • Take tip of needle down into space you last came out of • Repeat from ** to end of seam *P  ull work taut frequently: do not wait until the end

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Row-to-Row Seams With Garter Stitch Selvages • Hold work with RS facing • Take needle under some part of the bump at the edge of the first garter ridge • Cross over to other piece • Take needle under some part of the bump at the edge of the first garter ridge • **Cross over to other piece • Take needle under same part of the next bump (garter ridge) at the edge • Repeat from ** to end of seam Stitch-to-Stitch Seams* • Hold work with RS facing • Recognize that the bindoff edges are your seam allowances • Take needle under one half stitch (one thread) at edge, beyond bind-off row • Bring yarn through to RS • Cross over to other piece • Take tip of needle under first stitch (two threads) at edge, beyond the bindoff row

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Bring yarn through to RS **Cross over to other piece Take tip of needle down into space you last came out of Take needle to left and under next stitch (two threads) Bring yarn through to RS Repeat from ** to end of seam

Table of Ratios for Seaming Stitches to Rows 1. Count the number of stitches you need to seam against the number of rows. (Remember that in garter stitch, every garter ridge is two rows.) 2. Divide the smaller by the larger. (The number of rows will be the larger number.) 3. Go to the nearest result and seam as written, remembering that in most of our knitting a row is one bar, and a stitch is one V. (In garter, the bars are hard to see: 2 bars produce one garter ridge or bump.)

Seam 1 stitch for every 2 rows — 1 stitch to 2 rows

.6 = 3/5

Seam 3 stitches for every 5 rows — (1 stitch to 2 rows) twice, then 1 stitch to 1 row

.63 = 5/8

Seam 5 stitches for every 8 rows — (1 stitch to 2 rows) three times, then (1 stitch to 1 row) twice

.67 = 2/3

Seam 2 stitches for every 3 rows — 1 stitch to 1 row, then 1 stitch to 2 rows

.71 = 5/7

Seam 5 stitches for every 7 rows — (1 stitch to 2 rows) twice, then (1 stitch to 1 row) three times

.75 = 3/4

Seam 3 stitches for every 4 rows — (1 stitch to 1 row) twice, then 1 stitch to 2 rows

.8 = 4/5

Seam 4 stitches for every 5 rows — (1 stitch to 1 row) three times, then 1 stitch to 2 rows

.83 = 5/6

Seam 5 stitches for every 6 rows — (1 stitch to 1 row) four times, then 1 stitch to 2 rows

.88 = 7/8

Seam 7 stitches for every 8 rows — (1 stitch to 1 row) six times, then 1 stitch to 2 rows

.9 = 9/10

Seam 9 stitches for every 10 rows — (1 stitch to 1 row) eight times, then 1 stitch to 2 rows

©Neniia Lanti/iStock/Thinkstock.

.5 = 1/2

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PICKING UP & KNITTING Stitches to Rows This section shows the proportions that work for me when picking up and knitting along a straight row edge. (If your row gauge is different from mine, these proportions might not be quite right. They are, however, a good place to start with a trial piece.) If you pick up and knit too many, you can always tighten the bind-off row. These proportions are based upon using the same yarn as the garment itself and using 2 sizes smaller needles for the band.

© alexkich/iStock/Thinkstock.

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If picking up and knitting against a stockinette edge (or any similar stitch pattern), pick up and knit • 5 stitches / 6 rows if the band is a single-layer rib • 3 stitches / 4 rows if the band is doubled rib (which you will fold over and sew down) • 3 stitches / 4 rows if the band is reverse stockinette, garter, or seed • 3 stitches / 5 rows if the band is stockinette (which you will fold over and sew down) The following are exceptions to the original proportions in the table of ratios for picking up and knitting along a row edge. • If working against a textured stitch pattern (like seed or garter), pick up and knit fewer stitches by subtracting 1 or 2 from each number. (For example, 5 stitches / 6 rows becomes 3 / 4; 3 stitches / 4 rows becomes 2 / 3.)

Around a Curve •

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If working a long diagonal edge (like a V-neck cardigan), pick up and knit more stitches by adding 2 to each number. (For example, 5 stitches / 6 rows becomes 7 / 8 along the diagonal). In addition, because the band is convex at the point of the V, work [k1, yo, k1] at that point on the pick- upand-knit row. If working around an edge that is concave (like an armhole), you could pick up and knit a lower proportion by subtracting 1 or 2 from each number: see the example in the first bullet. Alternatively, you can work as the chart suggests and then tighten the bind-off row as needed. A V-neck pullover is a combination: concave + diagonal. Since these two issues cancel each other out, pick up and knit as written above.

Pick up and knit • 1 stitch for every stitch (whether bound off or on hold) • 1 stitch for ever stair step (or riser) between boundoff stitches • 3 stitches for every 4 rows along any row edge An exception to these might be a garter neck band on a garter garment: you won’t need to pick up and knit for the risers—because they are very small—and you will pick up and knit 1 stitch for every 2 rows along any row edge. But in my experience, for any other neck band stitch pattern, this formula works. Remember the following: • Your bound off edge goes into the seam allowance • A stitch is a V • When presented with a choice between a small hole and a big one, choose the smaller one to knit into • Work 1 stitch from the edge along a row edge

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Metric Conversion Guide LENGTH

LENGTH

If you see...

Convert to...

If you see...

Convert to...

1/8"

3 mm 6 mm 8 mm 10 mm 12 mm 16 mm 17 mm 19 mm 2.5 cm 3.2 cm 3.8 cm 4.4 cm 5.1 cm 5.7 cm 6.4 cm 7.0 cm 7.6 cm 8.9 cm 10.2 cm 11.4 cm 12.7 cm 14.0 cm 15.2 cm 17.8 cm 20.3 cm 22.9 cm 25.4 cm 28.0 cm 30.5 cm

1/8 yd 1/4 yd 1/3 yd 3/8 yd 1/2 yd 5/8 yd 2/3 yd 3/4 yd 1 yd 11/4 yd 11/2 yd 13/4 yd 2 yd 21/4 yd 21/2 yd 23/4 yd 3 yd 31/2 yd 4 yd

11.4 cm 22.9 cm 30.5 cm 34.3 cm 45.7 cm 57.2 cm 61.0 cm 68.6 cm 91.4 cm 114.3 cm 137.2 cm 160.0 cm 182.9 cm 205.7 cm 228.6 cm 251.5 cm 274.3 cm 320.0 cm 365.8 cm

1/4" 1/3" 3/8" 1/2" 5/8" 2/3" 3/4" 1" 11/4" 11/2" 13/4" 2" 21/4" 21/2" 23/4" 3" 31/2" 4" 41/2" 5" 51/2" 6" 7" 8" 9" 10" 11" 12"

SEAM ALLOWANCES If you see...

Convert to...

1/4" 3/8" 1/2" 5/8" 3/4"

6 mm 10 mm 12 mm 16 mm 19 mm

Fat Quarter (18"x21"): 46 cm x 54 cm Half Yard (18"x44"): 46 cm x 112 cm Yard (36"x44"): 92 cm x 112 cm

1 cm2

1 in2

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