{"appState":{"pageLoadApiCallsStatus":true},"categoryState":{"relatedCategories":{"headers":{"timestamp":"2023-09-15T12:01:08+00:00"},"categoryId":33825,"data":{"title":"Crafts","slug":"crafts","image":{"src":null,"width":0,"height":0},"breadcrumbs":[{"name":"Home, Auto, & Hobbies","_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/categories/33809"},"slug":"home-auto-hobbies","categoryId":33809},{"name":"Crafts","_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/categories/33825"},"slug":"crafts","categoryId":33825}],"parentCategory":{"categoryId":33809,"title":"Home, Auto, & Hobbies","slug":"home-auto-hobbies","_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/categories/33809"}},"childCategories":[{"categoryId":33826,"title":"Knitting & Crocheting","slug":"knitting-crocheting","_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/categories/33826"},"image":{"src":"/img/background-image-2.fabfbd5c.png","width":0,"height":0},"hasArticle":true,"hasBook":true,"articleCount":370,"bookCount":5},{"categoryId":33827,"title":"Calligraphy","slug":"calligraphy","_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/categories/33827"},"image":{"src":"/img/background-image-1.daf74cf0.png","width":0,"height":0},"hasArticle":true,"hasBook":true,"articleCount":7,"bookCount":1},{"categoryId":33828,"title":"Gifts & Holidays","slug":"gifts-holidays","_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/categories/33828"},"image":{"src":"/img/background-image-2.fabfbd5c.png","width":0,"height":0},"hasArticle":true,"hasBook":false,"articleCount":24,"bookCount":0},{"categoryId":33829,"title":"Jewelry Making","slug":"jewelry-making","_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/categories/33829"},"image":{"src":"/img/background-image-1.daf74cf0.png","width":0,"height":0},"hasArticle":true,"hasBook":false,"articleCount":7,"bookCount":0},{"categoryId":33830,"title":"Paper Crafts","slug":"paper-crafts","_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/categories/33830"},"image":{"src":"/img/background-image-2.fabfbd5c.png","width":0,"height":0},"hasArticle":true,"hasBook":true,"articleCount":1,"bookCount":1},{"categoryId":33833,"title":"Quilting","slug":"quilting","_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/categories/33833"},"image":{"src":"/img/background-image-1.daf74cf0.png","width":0,"height":0},"hasArticle":true,"hasBook":true,"articleCount":15,"bookCount":1},{"categoryId":33834,"title":"Scrapbooking","slug":"scrapbooking","_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/categories/33834"},"image":{"src":"/img/background-image-2.fabfbd5c.png","width":0,"height":0},"hasArticle":true,"hasBook":false,"articleCount":7,"bookCount":0},{"categoryId":33835,"title":"Sewing","slug":"sewing","_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/categories/33835"},"image":{"src":"/img/background-image-1.daf74cf0.png","width":0,"height":0},"hasArticle":true,"hasBook":true,"articleCount":14,"bookCount":1},{"categoryId":33836,"title":"Slime Making","slug":"slime-making","_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/categories/33836"},"image":{"src":"/img/background-image-2.fabfbd5c.png","width":0,"height":0},"hasArticle":true,"hasBook":false,"articleCount":4,"bookCount":0},{"categoryId":33837,"title":"Soap & Candles","slug":"soap-candles","_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/categories/33837"},"image":{"src":"/img/background-image-1.daf74cf0.png","width":0,"height":0},"hasArticle":true,"hasBook":true,"articleCount":16,"bookCount":1},{"categoryId":33838,"title":"Woodworking","slug":"woodworking","_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/categories/33838"},"image":{"src":"/img/background-image-2.fabfbd5c.png","width":0,"height":0},"hasArticle":true,"hasBook":true,"articleCount":12,"bookCount":1},{"categoryId":34346,"title":"Dyeing","slug":"dyeing","_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/categories/34346"},"image":{"src":"/img/background-image-1.daf74cf0.png","width":0,"height":0},"hasArticle":true,"hasBook":false,"articleCount":16,"bookCount":0},{"categoryId":34385,"title":"Spinning & Weaving","slug":"spinning-weaving","_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/categories/34385"},"image":{"src":"/img/background-image-2.fabfbd5c.png","width":0,"height":0},"hasArticle":true,"hasBook":false,"articleCount":3,"bookCount":0}],"description":"It's time to get crafty. Learn or refine your technique as a knitter, candlemaker, scrapbooker, calligraphist, carpenter, origami artist, and beyond.","relatedArticles":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/articles?category=33825&offset=0&size=5"},"hasArticle":true,"hasBook":true,"articleCount":496,"bookCount":11},"_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/categories/33825"}},"relatedCategoriesLoadedStatus":"success"},"listState":{"list":{"count":10,"total":495,"items":[{"headers":{"creationTime":"2016-03-26T20:43:23+00:00","modifiedTime":"2023-08-15T19:38:37+00:00","timestamp":"2023-08-15T21:01:03+00:00"},"data":{"breadcrumbs":[{"name":"Home, Auto, & Hobbies","_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/categories/33809"},"slug":"home-auto-hobbies","categoryId":33809},{"name":"Crafts","_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/categories/33825"},"slug":"crafts","categoryId":33825},{"name":"Jewelry Making","_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/categories/33829"},"slug":"jewelry-making","categoryId":33829}],"title":"Tools and Supplies for Beading and Making Jewelry","strippedTitle":"tools and supplies for beading and making jewelry","slug":"jewelry-and-beading-must-haves","canonicalUrl":"","seo":{"metaDescription":"This video and article discuss the tools and supplies you should have on hand for making jewelry, including beaded pieces.","noIndex":0,"noFollow":0},"content":"<div class=\"x2 x2-top\">\r\n\r\n<div class=\"video-player-organism\"></div>\r\n\r\n</div>\r\nIt can be difficult to know what you really need when it comes to jewelry and beading design, especially if you're standing in front of racks of supplies. Don't fret; use the following list of supplies you should have handy so you can create jewelry at a moment's notice. And watch the video above to learn about the tools you should have and where to find jewelry making supplies.\r\n<ul class=\"level-one\">\r\n \t<li>\r\n<p class=\"first-para\">Assorted clasps (toggle clasps, spring ring clasp)</p>\r\n</li>\r\n \t<li>\r\n<p class=\"first-para\">2-x2mm tube-shaped sterling crimp beads</p>\r\n</li>\r\n \t<li>\r\n<p class=\"first-para\">Sterling and gold-filled bead tips</p>\r\n</li>\r\n \t<li>\r\n<p class=\"first-para\">Ear wires (leverback and shepherd hook styles)</p>\r\n</li>\r\n \t<li>\r\n<p class=\"first-para\">Head pins</p>\r\n</li>\r\n \t<li>\r\n<p class=\"first-para\">Assorted sizes of jump rings (5mm to 7mm in gold-filled and sterling)</p>\r\n</li>\r\n</ul>","description":"<div class=\"x2 x2-top\">\r\n\r\n<div class=\"video-player-organism\"></div>\r\n\r\n</div>\r\nIt can be difficult to know what you really need when it comes to jewelry and beading design, especially if you're standing in front of racks of supplies. Don't fret; use the following list of supplies you should have handy so you can create jewelry at a moment's notice. And watch the video above to learn about the tools you should have and where to find jewelry making supplies.\r\n<ul class=\"level-one\">\r\n \t<li>\r\n<p class=\"first-para\">Assorted clasps (toggle clasps, spring ring clasp)</p>\r\n</li>\r\n \t<li>\r\n<p class=\"first-para\">2-x2mm tube-shaped sterling crimp beads</p>\r\n</li>\r\n \t<li>\r\n<p class=\"first-para\">Sterling and gold-filled bead tips</p>\r\n</li>\r\n \t<li>\r\n<p class=\"first-para\">Ear wires (leverback and shepherd hook styles)</p>\r\n</li>\r\n \t<li>\r\n<p class=\"first-para\">Head pins</p>\r\n</li>\r\n \t<li>\r\n<p class=\"first-para\">Assorted sizes of jump rings (5mm to 7mm in gold-filled and sterling)</p>\r\n</li>\r\n</ul>","blurb":"","authors":[{"authorId":9367,"name":"Heather Dismore","slug":"heather-dismore","description":" <b><i>Mexican Cooking</i></b><br /> <b>Mary Sue Milliken</b> and <b>Susan Feniger</b> may be &#8220;two gringas from the Midwest,&#8221; but they fell deeply in love with Mexican food when first introduced to it more than 20 years ago. The two chefs became friends in the late &#8217;70s while working in the otherwise all-male kitchen of a prestigious French restaurant in Chicago called Le Perroquet. After honing their skills in fine restaurants in France and America, they opened their first restaurant, the highly celebrated City Caf&#233;, in Los Angeles in 1981. These days, they divide their time between their three restaurants, Border Grills in Santa Monica and Las Vegas, and the upscale Ciudad in downtown Los Angeles. They also have authored five previous cookbooks, including <i>Mexican Cooking For Dummies,</i> host the popular Television Food Network series, <i>Too Hot Tamales,</i> and are heard regularly on Southern California radio. <p><b>Helene Siegel</b> is the co-author with Mary Sue and Susan of <i>City Cuisine, Mesa Mexicana, Cooking with the Too Hot Tamales,</i> and <i>Mexican Cooking For Dummies.</i> She also is the author of <i>The Ethnic Kitchen</i> series and 32 single subject cookbooks in the best-selling <i>Totally Cookbook</i> series. Her articles have appeared in the <i>Los Angeles Times,</i> the <i>Times Syndicate, Fine Cooking,</i> and on the Web at cuisinenet.com.</p> <p><b><i>Italian Cooking<br /> </i></b><b>Cesare Casella</b> was born in a small town outside Lucca, Italy. He grew up in and around his family&#8217;s restaurant, called Il Vipore. As a young chef, he transformed Il Vipore into a world-class establishment, earning a well-deserved Michelin star. Since 1993, Casella has been working as a chef at several leading Italian restaurants in New York. He is the coauthor of <i>Diary of a Tuscan Chef</i> and <i>Italian Cooking For Dummies.</i></p> <p><b>Jack Bishop</b> is the author or coauthor of several books on Italian food, including <i>The Complete Italian Vegetarian Cookbook, Pasta e Verdura, Lasagna,</i> and <i>Italian Cooking For Dummies.</i> He is the senior writer for <i>Cook&#8217;s Illustrated</i> and writes for various national magazines and newspapers. He has studied cooking in Italy.</p> <p><b><i>French Cooking and Greek and Middle Eastern Cooking</i></b><br /> <b>Tom Lacalamita</b> (Long Island, New York) is a best-selling author of five appliance-related cookbooks. Nominated for a James Beard cookbook award, Tom is considered a national authority on housewares and has appeared on hundreds of television and radio shows across the country. With a passion for food, cooking, and all sorts of kitchen gadgets, Tom is a spokesperson for various food and housewares manufacturers. He is the author of <i>Slow Cookers For Dummies</i> and <i>Pressure Cookers For Dummies.</i></p> <p><b><i>Indian Cooking</i></b><br /> <b>Heather Dismore</b> began her career as a well-traveled, highly productive restaurant manager. She left the industry to devote time to her family and her love of writing. In a publishing career spanning over a decade, her work has impacted some 400 titles. Dismore resides in Naperville, Illinois, with her husband, who is a professional chef, and their two daughters. She is the owner of PageOne Publishing, a freelance Web content development company with a focus on the hospitality industry.</p> <p><b><i>Chinese Cooking</i></b><br /> <b>Martin Yan,</b> celebrated host of more than 1,500 cooking shows, highly respected food and restaurant consultant, and certified master chef, enjoys distinction as both teacher and author. His many talents are showcased in over two dozen best-selling cookbooks, including <i>Martin Yan&#8217;s Feast: The Best of Yan Can Cook, Martin Yan&#8217;s Invitation to Chinese Cooking,</i> and <i>Chinese Cooking For Dummies.</i> Yan is the founder of the Yan Can International Cooking School in the San Francisco Bay Area. <i>Yan Can Cook</i> has received national and international recognition, including a 1998 Daytime Emmy Award, a 1996 James Beard Award for Best TV Food Journalism, and a 1994 James Beard Award for Best TV Cooking Show.</p> <p><b><i>Japanese Cooking</i></b><br /> <b>Dede Wilson, CCP</b> (Certified Culinary Professional), is a self-taught chef who loves making appetizers and organizing parties. She has worked professionally for more than 17 years as a restaurant chef, bakery owner, caterer, recipe developer, radio talk-show host, and frequent television guest. Dede is also a frequent contributor to <i>Bon App&#233;tit</i> magazine and a contributing editor to <i>Pastry Art and Design</i> magazine and is the food and entertainment expert for CanDoWoman.com. Dede has written three other cookbooks, including <i>The Wedding Cake Book</i> (Wiley, 1997), which was nominated for an IACP Julia Child Cookbook Award. She also authored <i>Christmas Cooking For Dummies</i> and <i>Appetizers For Dummies.</i></p> <p><b><i>Thai Cooking</i></b><br /> <b>Joan H. Moravek</b> left the Securities Industry in 1990 and decided to pursue a career in the food service industry. The last 12 years have led her to explore some of the many facets of the culinary profession. A lifelong resident of Chicago, Joan has traveled extensively and continues to educate herself by researching, cooking, and &#8220;eating her way&#8221; through the cuisines of many countries.</p> <p><b>Kristin Eddy</b> is the Food Writer for the <i>Chicago Tribune</i> and also covers Travel and Health stories for the paper. During 17 years as an award-winning writer, Eddy has worked for the <i>Washington Post, Atlanta Journal-Constitution</i> and the <i>Cleveland Plain Dealer,</i> covering everything from news and health stories to restaurant reviews and the 1996 Olympic Games. As the daughter of a diplomat, Eddy was born in Beirut, Lebanon, and lived in Aleppo and Damascus, Syria; Istanbul, London, and Paris. She has traveled widely on assignment for the <i>Tribune,</i> reporting food stories from around the U.S. as well as Istanbul, Thailand, Vietnam, Indonesia, India, and Jamaica. Eddy has had 14 years of experience in writing about food, developing, testing, and editing recipes for various newspapers.</p>","hasArticle":false,"_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/authors/9367"}},{"authorId":10198,"name":"Tammy Powley","slug":"tammy-powley","description":"","hasArticle":false,"_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/authors/10198"}}],"primaryCategoryTaxonomy":{"categoryId":33829,"title":"Jewelry Making","slug":"jewelry-making","_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/categories/33829"}},"secondaryCategoryTaxonomy":{"categoryId":0,"title":null,"slug":null,"_links":null},"tertiaryCategoryTaxonomy":{"categoryId":0,"title":null,"slug":null,"_links":null},"trendingArticles":null,"inThisArticle":[],"relatedArticles":{"fromBook":[],"fromCategory":[{"articleId":208024,"title":"Jewelry Making and Beading For Dummies Cheat Sheet","slug":"jewelry-making-and-beading-for-dummies-cheat-sheet","categoryList":["home-auto-hobbies","crafts","jewelry-making"],"_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/articles/208024"}},{"articleId":188682,"title":"How to Attach a Crimp Bead","slug":"how-to-attach-a-crimp-bead","categoryList":["home-auto-hobbies","crafts","jewelry-making"],"_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/articles/188682"}},{"articleId":188674,"title":"Estimating How Many Beads You Need","slug":"estimating-how-many-beads-you-need","categoryList":["home-auto-hobbies","crafts","jewelry-making"],"_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/articles/188674"}},{"articleId":188669,"title":"Jewelry and Beading Stringing Materials","slug":"jewelry-and-beading-stringing-materials","categoryList":["home-auto-hobbies","crafts","jewelry-making"],"_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/articles/188669"}},{"articleId":188670,"title":"Jewelry and Beading Semi-Precious Wire to Stock","slug":"jewelry-and-beading-semi-precious-wire-to-stock","categoryList":["home-auto-hobbies","crafts","jewelry-making"],"_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/articles/188670"}}]},"hasRelatedBookFromSearch":false,"relatedBook":{"bookId":0,"slug":null,"isbn":null,"categoryList":null,"amazon":null,"image":null,"title":null,"testBankPinActivationLink":null,"bookOutOfPrint":false,"authorsInfo":null,"authors":null,"_links":null},"collections":[],"articleAds":{"footerAd":"<div class=\"du-ad-region row\" id=\"article_page_adhesion_ad\"><div class=\"du-ad-unit col-md-12\" data-slot-id=\"article_page_adhesion_ad\" data-refreshed=\"false\" \r\n data-target = \"[{&quot;key&quot;:&quot;cat&quot;,&quot;values&quot;:[&quot;home-auto-hobbies&quot;,&quot;crafts&quot;,&quot;jewelry-making&quot;]},{&quot;key&quot;:&quot;isbn&quot;,&quot;values&quot;:[null]}]\" id=\"du-slot-64dbe78f2facc\"></div></div>","rightAd":"<div class=\"du-ad-region row\" id=\"article_page_right_ad\"><div class=\"du-ad-unit col-md-12\" data-slot-id=\"article_page_right_ad\" data-refreshed=\"false\" \r\n data-target = \"[{&quot;key&quot;:&quot;cat&quot;,&quot;values&quot;:[&quot;home-auto-hobbies&quot;,&quot;crafts&quot;,&quot;jewelry-making&quot;]},{&quot;key&quot;:&quot;isbn&quot;,&quot;values&quot;:[null]}]\" id=\"du-slot-64dbe78f303a4\"></div></div>"},"articleType":{"articleType":"Videos","articleList":null,"content":null,"videoInfo":{"videoId":"2327621457001","name":"Five Tools for the Beginning Jewelry-Maker and Where to Get Them","accountId":"622696558001","playerId":"default","thumbnailUrl":"https://cf-images.us-east-1.prod.boltdns.net/v1/static/622696558001/1f0b1ff8-612d-4a14-8074-c19931839c28/e6de9517-5572-4592-80a9-fc5482371981/160x90/match/image.jpg","description":"Getting started in jewelry making and beading doesn't require a lot of money or a large number of supplies. In this video, Heather Dismore, author of Jewelry Making & Beading For Dummies, reveals five tools that every beginning jewelry maker needs.","uploadDate":"2022-06-30T19:30:11.289Z"}},"sponsorship":{"sponsorshipPage":false,"backgroundImage":{"src":null,"width":0,"height":0},"brandingLine":"","brandingLink":"","brandingLogo":{"src":null,"width":0,"height":0},"sponsorAd":"","sponsorEbookTitle":"","sponsorEbookLink":"","sponsorEbookImage":{"src":null,"width":0,"height":0}},"primaryLearningPath":"Explore","lifeExpectancy":"Five years","lifeExpectancySetFrom":"2023-08-15T00:00:00+00:00","dummiesForKids":"no","sponsoredContent":"no","adInfo":"","adPairKey":[]},"status":"publish","visibility":"public","articleId":188673},{"headers":{"creationTime":"2016-03-26T15:57:10+00:00","modifiedTime":"2023-08-09T16:24:41+00:00","timestamp":"2023-08-09T18:01:03+00:00"},"data":{"breadcrumbs":[{"name":"Home, Auto, & Hobbies","_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/categories/33809"},"slug":"home-auto-hobbies","categoryId":33809},{"name":"Crafts","_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/categories/33825"},"slug":"crafts","categoryId":33825},{"name":"Knitting & Crocheting","_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/categories/33826"},"slug":"knitting-crocheting","categoryId":33826}],"title":"How to Pick Up a Dropped Stitch","strippedTitle":"how to pick up a dropped stitch","slug":"how-to-pick-up-a-dropped-stitch","canonicalUrl":"","seo":{"metaDescription":"A dropped stitch is one that has come off the needle. Whether it is a dropped knit stitch or purl stitch, fear not, you can fix it. Here's how.","noIndex":0,"noFollow":0},"content":"A dropped stitch is one that has come off the needle. Whether it is a dropped knit stitch or purl stitch, fear not. You can fix it. You might see it right away after you knit a round or you might miss it for a few rounds.\r\n\r\nDepending on the type of yarn you’re using, the dropped stitch might just sit without going anywhere or it might “run,” leaving a ladder behind. Luckily, you can easily pick up the stitch with a small crochet hook. Learn how by watching this video or following the steps below.\r\n<div class=\"x2 x2-top\">\r\n\r\n<div class=\"video-player-organism\"></div>\r\n\r\n</div>\r\n<h2 id=\"tab1\" >Pick up a dropped knit stitch</h2>\r\n<ol class=\"level-one\">\r\n \t<li>\r\n<p class=\"first-para\">You can pick up a stitch that drops off the needle but doesn’t run down by simply placing it back onto the left needle on the next round.</p>\r\n<img src=\"https://www.dummies.com/wp-content/uploads/349576.image0.jpg\" alt=\"image0.jpg\" width=\"400\" height=\"346\" />\r\n<p class=\"child-para\">Make sure that you place the stitch back on the needle in the correct orientation — front leg of the stitch should sit to the right of the back leg.</p>\r\n</li>\r\n \t<li>\r\n<p class=\"first-para\">To pick up a stitch that drops several rows back, first identify the stitch. One strand of yarn runs between the adjoining stitches for each round that the stitch drops, which creates a ladder.</p>\r\n<img src=\"https://www.dummies.com/wp-content/uploads/349577.image1.jpg\" alt=\"image1.jpg\" width=\"400\" height=\"346\" />\r\n<p class=\"child-para\">Here, the stitch drops 5 rows. Knit to just before the dropped stitch.</p>\r\n</li>\r\n \t<li>\r\n<p class=\"first-para\">Repair the dropped stitch by pulling each of those strands through the dropped stitch with a small crochet hook and working your way back up to the needle. Insert the crochet hook into the dropped stitch from front to back.</p>\r\n<img src=\"https://www.dummies.com/wp-content/uploads/349578.image2.jpg\" alt=\"image2.jpg\" width=\"400\" height=\"346\" /></li>\r\n \t<li>\r\n<p class=\"first-para\">Catch the lowest strand of the ladder with the hook.</p>\r\n<img src=\"https://www.dummies.com/wp-content/uploads/349579.image3.jpg\" alt=\"image3.jpg\" width=\"400\" height=\"346\" /></li>\r\n \t<li>\r\n<p class=\"first-para\">Pull it through the stitch towards you.</p>\r\n<img src=\"https://www.dummies.com/wp-content/uploads/349580.image4.jpg\" alt=\"image4.jpg\" width=\"400\" height=\"346\" />\r\n<p class=\"child-para\">This technique moves the stitch up one round.</p>\r\n</li>\r\n \t<li>\r\n<p class=\"first-para\">Remove the crochet hook from the stitch and re-insert it from front to back. Catch the next strand of the ladder and pull it through the loop towards you.</p>\r\n<img src=\"https://www.dummies.com/wp-content/uploads/349581.image5.jpg\" alt=\"image5.jpg\" width=\"400\" height=\"346\" />\r\n<p class=\"child-para\">Repeat until you pick up all the strands and the stitch is level with the current round.</p>\r\n</li>\r\n \t<li>\r\n<p class=\"first-para\">Place the stitch back onto the left needle and you’re ready to knit again. Be careful not to twist this stitch.</p>\r\n<img src=\"https://www.dummies.com/wp-content/uploads/349582.image6.jpg\" alt=\"image6.jpg\" width=\"400\" height=\"346\" />\r\n<p class=\"child-para\">Be careful not to twist this stitch.</p>\r\n</li>\r\n</ol>\r\n<h2 id=\"tab2\" >Pick a dropped purl stitch</h2>\r\nBecause a purl stitch is the opposite of a knit stitch, you can pick up a purl-side ladder by working from the inside of the sock.\r\n<ol class=\"level-one\">\r\n \t<li>\r\n<p class=\"first-para\">Turn the work so that the inside of the sock faces you. Pick up the dropped stitch by inserting the crochet hook into the stitch from front to back and pulling each strand through the stitch one round at a time.</p>\r\n<img src=\"https://www.dummies.com/wp-content/uploads/349583.image7.jpg\" alt=\"image7.jpg\" width=\"400\" height=\"346\" /></li>\r\n \t<li>\r\n<p class=\"first-para\">Arrange the dropped stitch so that the lowest strand of the ladder is in front of the dropped stitch.</p>\r\n<p class=\"child-para\">To pick up a dropped stitch purlwise from the outside, you need to recreate the purl “bump.”</p>\r\n</li>\r\n \t<li>\r\n<p class=\"first-para\">Insert the crochet hook into the dropped stitch from back to front, and use the hook to pull the strand through the loop from front to back.</p>\r\n<img src=\"https://www.dummies.com/wp-content/uploads/349584.image8.jpg\" alt=\"image8.jpg\" width=\"400\" height=\"345\" />\r\n<p class=\"child-para\">When you pick up the dropped stitch, the fabric might appear loose or elongated. Don’t worry, any looseness will disappear when you wash or block your socks.</p>\r\n</li>\r\n \t<li>\r\n<p class=\"first-para\">Remove the crochet hook from the dropped stitch and rearrange so that the next strand of the ladder is in front of the dropped stitch.</p>\r\n</li>\r\n \t<li>\r\n<p class=\"first-para\">Repeat steps 3 and 4 until you work the purl stitch back up to the current round and place it back on the left needle without twisting. Now you’re ready to work this stitch again.</p>\r\n<p class=\"child-para\">Sometimes a dropped stitch can work to your advantage. If you notice an error several rounds down from your needles, you don’t need to unknit or unravel back to that point. You can correct stitches by intentionally dropping a stitch, creating a ladder, and then picking up the stitch correctly.</p>\r\n</li>\r\n</ol>","description":"A dropped stitch is one that has come off the needle. Whether it is a dropped knit stitch or purl stitch, fear not. You can fix it. You might see it right away after you knit a round or you might miss it for a few rounds.\r\n\r\nDepending on the type of yarn you’re using, the dropped stitch might just sit without going anywhere or it might “run,” leaving a ladder behind. Luckily, you can easily pick up the stitch with a small crochet hook. Learn how by watching this video or following the steps below.\r\n<div class=\"x2 x2-top\">\r\n\r\n<div class=\"video-player-organism\"></div>\r\n\r\n</div>\r\n<h2 id=\"tab1\" >Pick up a dropped knit stitch</h2>\r\n<ol class=\"level-one\">\r\n \t<li>\r\n<p class=\"first-para\">You can pick up a stitch that drops off the needle but doesn’t run down by simply placing it back onto the left needle on the next round.</p>\r\n<img src=\"https://www.dummies.com/wp-content/uploads/349576.image0.jpg\" alt=\"image0.jpg\" width=\"400\" height=\"346\" />\r\n<p class=\"child-para\">Make sure that you place the stitch back on the needle in the correct orientation — front leg of the stitch should sit to the right of the back leg.</p>\r\n</li>\r\n \t<li>\r\n<p class=\"first-para\">To pick up a stitch that drops several rows back, first identify the stitch. One strand of yarn runs between the adjoining stitches for each round that the stitch drops, which creates a ladder.</p>\r\n<img src=\"https://www.dummies.com/wp-content/uploads/349577.image1.jpg\" alt=\"image1.jpg\" width=\"400\" height=\"346\" />\r\n<p class=\"child-para\">Here, the stitch drops 5 rows. Knit to just before the dropped stitch.</p>\r\n</li>\r\n \t<li>\r\n<p class=\"first-para\">Repair the dropped stitch by pulling each of those strands through the dropped stitch with a small crochet hook and working your way back up to the needle. Insert the crochet hook into the dropped stitch from front to back.</p>\r\n<img src=\"https://www.dummies.com/wp-content/uploads/349578.image2.jpg\" alt=\"image2.jpg\" width=\"400\" height=\"346\" /></li>\r\n \t<li>\r\n<p class=\"first-para\">Catch the lowest strand of the ladder with the hook.</p>\r\n<img src=\"https://www.dummies.com/wp-content/uploads/349579.image3.jpg\" alt=\"image3.jpg\" width=\"400\" height=\"346\" /></li>\r\n \t<li>\r\n<p class=\"first-para\">Pull it through the stitch towards you.</p>\r\n<img src=\"https://www.dummies.com/wp-content/uploads/349580.image4.jpg\" alt=\"image4.jpg\" width=\"400\" height=\"346\" />\r\n<p class=\"child-para\">This technique moves the stitch up one round.</p>\r\n</li>\r\n \t<li>\r\n<p class=\"first-para\">Remove the crochet hook from the stitch and re-insert it from front to back. Catch the next strand of the ladder and pull it through the loop towards you.</p>\r\n<img src=\"https://www.dummies.com/wp-content/uploads/349581.image5.jpg\" alt=\"image5.jpg\" width=\"400\" height=\"346\" />\r\n<p class=\"child-para\">Repeat until you pick up all the strands and the stitch is level with the current round.</p>\r\n</li>\r\n \t<li>\r\n<p class=\"first-para\">Place the stitch back onto the left needle and you’re ready to knit again. Be careful not to twist this stitch.</p>\r\n<img src=\"https://www.dummies.com/wp-content/uploads/349582.image6.jpg\" alt=\"image6.jpg\" width=\"400\" height=\"346\" />\r\n<p class=\"child-para\">Be careful not to twist this stitch.</p>\r\n</li>\r\n</ol>\r\n<h2 id=\"tab2\" >Pick a dropped purl stitch</h2>\r\nBecause a purl stitch is the opposite of a knit stitch, you can pick up a purl-side ladder by working from the inside of the sock.\r\n<ol class=\"level-one\">\r\n \t<li>\r\n<p class=\"first-para\">Turn the work so that the inside of the sock faces you. Pick up the dropped stitch by inserting the crochet hook into the stitch from front to back and pulling each strand through the stitch one round at a time.</p>\r\n<img src=\"https://www.dummies.com/wp-content/uploads/349583.image7.jpg\" alt=\"image7.jpg\" width=\"400\" height=\"346\" /></li>\r\n \t<li>\r\n<p class=\"first-para\">Arrange the dropped stitch so that the lowest strand of the ladder is in front of the dropped stitch.</p>\r\n<p class=\"child-para\">To pick up a dropped stitch purlwise from the outside, you need to recreate the purl “bump.”</p>\r\n</li>\r\n \t<li>\r\n<p class=\"first-para\">Insert the crochet hook into the dropped stitch from back to front, and use the hook to pull the strand through the loop from front to back.</p>\r\n<img src=\"https://www.dummies.com/wp-content/uploads/349584.image8.jpg\" alt=\"image8.jpg\" width=\"400\" height=\"345\" />\r\n<p class=\"child-para\">When you pick up the dropped stitch, the fabric might appear loose or elongated. Don’t worry, any looseness will disappear when you wash or block your socks.</p>\r\n</li>\r\n \t<li>\r\n<p class=\"first-para\">Remove the crochet hook from the dropped stitch and rearrange so that the next strand of the ladder is in front of the dropped stitch.</p>\r\n</li>\r\n \t<li>\r\n<p class=\"first-para\">Repeat steps 3 and 4 until you work the purl stitch back up to the current round and place it back on the left needle without twisting. Now you’re ready to work this stitch again.</p>\r\n<p class=\"child-para\">Sometimes a dropped stitch can work to your advantage. If you notice an error several rounds down from your needles, you don’t need to unknit or unravel back to that point. You can correct stitches by intentionally dropping a stitch, creating a ladder, and then picking up the stitch correctly.</p>\r\n</li>\r\n</ol>","blurb":"","authors":[],"primaryCategoryTaxonomy":{"categoryId":33826,"title":"Knitting & Crocheting","slug":"knitting-crocheting","_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/categories/33826"}},"secondaryCategoryTaxonomy":{"categoryId":0,"title":null,"slug":null,"_links":null},"tertiaryCategoryTaxonomy":{"categoryId":0,"title":null,"slug":null,"_links":null},"trendingArticles":null,"inThisArticle":[{"label":"Pick up a dropped knit stitch","target":"#tab1"},{"label":"Pick a dropped purl stitch","target":"#tab2"}],"relatedArticles":{"fromBook":[],"fromCategory":[{"articleId":295667,"title":"Crochet Patterns For Dummies Cheat Sheet","slug":"crochet-patterns-for-dummies-cheat-sheet","categoryList":["home-auto-hobbies","crafts","knitting-crocheting"],"_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/articles/295667"}},{"articleId":269304,"title":"How to Clean Knitted and Crocheted Items","slug":"how-to-clean-knitted-and-crocheted-items","categoryList":["home-auto-hobbies","crafts","knitting-crocheting"],"_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/articles/269304"}},{"articleId":269296,"title":"How to Execute the Extended Double Crochet","slug":"how-to-execute-the-extended-double-crochet","categoryList":["home-auto-hobbies","crafts","knitting-crocheting"],"_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/articles/269296"}},{"articleId":269289,"title":"Go-To Stitches: Garter, Stockinette, and Seed Stitches","slug":"go-to-stitches-garter-stockinette-and-seed-stitches","categoryList":["home-auto-hobbies","crafts","knitting-crocheting"],"_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/articles/269289"}},{"articleId":269283,"title":"Why (and When) Yarn Gauge Matters","slug":"why-and-when-yarn-gauge-matters","categoryList":["home-auto-hobbies","crafts","knitting-crocheting"],"_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/articles/269283"}}]},"hasRelatedBookFromSearch":false,"relatedBook":{"bookId":0,"slug":null,"isbn":null,"categoryList":null,"amazon":null,"image":null,"title":null,"testBankPinActivationLink":null,"bookOutOfPrint":false,"authorsInfo":null,"authors":null,"_links":null},"collections":[],"articleAds":{"footerAd":"<div class=\"du-ad-region row\" id=\"article_page_adhesion_ad\"><div class=\"du-ad-unit col-md-12\" data-slot-id=\"article_page_adhesion_ad\" data-refreshed=\"false\" \r\n data-target = \"[{&quot;key&quot;:&quot;cat&quot;,&quot;values&quot;:[&quot;home-auto-hobbies&quot;,&quot;crafts&quot;,&quot;knitting-crocheting&quot;]},{&quot;key&quot;:&quot;isbn&quot;,&quot;values&quot;:[null]}]\" id=\"du-slot-64d3d45f30ba8\"></div></div>","rightAd":"<div class=\"du-ad-region row\" id=\"article_page_right_ad\"><div class=\"du-ad-unit col-md-12\" data-slot-id=\"article_page_right_ad\" data-refreshed=\"false\" \r\n data-target = \"[{&quot;key&quot;:&quot;cat&quot;,&quot;values&quot;:[&quot;home-auto-hobbies&quot;,&quot;crafts&quot;,&quot;knitting-crocheting&quot;]},{&quot;key&quot;:&quot;isbn&quot;,&quot;values&quot;:[null]}]\" id=\"du-slot-64d3d45f310f8\"></div></div>"},"articleType":{"articleType":"Videos","articleList":null,"content":null,"videoInfo":{"videoId":"694629992001","name":"How to Pick Up a Dropped Stitch in Knitting","accountId":"622696558001","playerId":"default","thumbnailUrl":"https://cf-images.us-east-1.prod.boltdns.net/v1/static/622696558001/0aa522c8-bce3-46e5-a5f6-7e3eaf7ae5f9/cc44051f-5903-4063-8f1e-93ddf16c058e/160x90/match/image.jpg","description":"Dropped stitches can cause knitting to unravel, so you must pick up (fix) that dropped stitch. This video shows you how to find dropped stitches and how to fix them as you knit.","uploadDate":"2022-06-30T15:52:22.461Z"}},"sponsorship":{"sponsorshipPage":false,"backgroundImage":{"src":null,"width":0,"height":0},"brandingLine":"","brandingLink":"","brandingLogo":{"src":null,"width":0,"height":0},"sponsorAd":"","sponsorEbookTitle":"","sponsorEbookLink":"","sponsorEbookImage":{"src":null,"width":0,"height":0}},"primaryLearningPath":"Explore","lifeExpectancy":"Five years","lifeExpectancySetFrom":"2023-07-13T00:00:00+00:00","dummiesForKids":"no","sponsoredContent":"no","adInfo":"","adPairKey":[]},"status":"publish","visibility":"public","articleId":171493},{"headers":{"creationTime":"2016-03-27T14:43:45+00:00","modifiedTime":"2023-08-09T15:29:27+00:00","timestamp":"2023-08-09T18:01:02+00:00"},"data":{"breadcrumbs":[{"name":"Home, Auto, & Hobbies","_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/categories/33809"},"slug":"home-auto-hobbies","categoryId":33809},{"name":"Crafts","_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/categories/33825"},"slug":"crafts","categoryId":33825},{"name":"Knitting & Crocheting","_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/categories/33826"},"slug":"knitting-crocheting","categoryId":33826}],"title":"How to Join the Round on a Circular Needle","strippedTitle":"how to join the round on a circular needle","slug":"how-to-join-the-round-on-a-circular-needle","canonicalUrl":"","seo":{"metaDescription":"Knitting on the round requires a circular needle, on which you cast, join the round, and then begin knitting. This video and article show you how.","noIndex":0,"noFollow":0},"content":"When you knit in the round on a circular needle, you first cast on, join the round, and then begin knitting. <i>Joining</i> simply means that when you work the first stitch, you bring the first and last cast-on stitches together, joining the circle of stitches. See the following instructions and video for how to do it.\r\n<div class=\"x2 x2-top\">\r\n\r\n<div class=\"video-player-organism\"></div>\r\n\r\n</div>\r\n<ol>\r\n \t<li>Place a marker on the RH needle before making the first stitch if you want to keep track of the beginning of the round. Many in-the-round patterns tell you to place a marker to indicate the beginning of a round. When you’re doing color work or any sort of repeating pattern, knowing where one round ends and another begins is vital.</li>\r\n \t<li>Insert the tip of the RH needle into the first stitch on the LH needle (the first cast-on stitch). Knit or purl as usual.</li>\r\n</ol>\r\n<p class=\"article-tips tip\">If you have to place markers later in the knitting process (common with pieces that require shaping), do something to differentiate your “beginning” marker from the others: Make it a different color than the other markers you use, or attach a piece of yarn or a safety pin to it.</p>","description":"When you knit in the round on a circular needle, you first cast on, join the round, and then begin knitting. <i>Joining</i> simply means that when you work the first stitch, you bring the first and last cast-on stitches together, joining the circle of stitches. See the following instructions and video for how to do it.\r\n<div class=\"x2 x2-top\">\r\n\r\n<div class=\"video-player-organism\"></div>\r\n\r\n</div>\r\n<ol>\r\n \t<li>Place a marker on the RH needle before making the first stitch if you want to keep track of the beginning of the round. Many in-the-round patterns tell you to place a marker to indicate the beginning of a round. When you’re doing color work or any sort of repeating pattern, knowing where one round ends and another begins is vital.</li>\r\n \t<li>Insert the tip of the RH needle into the first stitch on the LH needle (the first cast-on stitch). Knit or purl as usual.</li>\r\n</ol>\r\n<p class=\"article-tips tip\">If you have to place markers later in the knitting process (common with pieces that require shaping), do something to differentiate your “beginning” marker from the others: Make it a different color than the other markers you use, or attach a piece of yarn or a safety pin to it.</p>","blurb":"","authors":[],"primaryCategoryTaxonomy":{"categoryId":33826,"title":"Knitting & Crocheting","slug":"knitting-crocheting","_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/categories/33826"}},"secondaryCategoryTaxonomy":{"categoryId":0,"title":null,"slug":null,"_links":null},"tertiaryCategoryTaxonomy":{"categoryId":0,"title":null,"slug":null,"_links":null},"trendingArticles":null,"inThisArticle":[],"relatedArticles":{"fromBook":[],"fromCategory":[{"articleId":295667,"title":"Crochet Patterns For Dummies Cheat Sheet","slug":"crochet-patterns-for-dummies-cheat-sheet","categoryList":["home-auto-hobbies","crafts","knitting-crocheting"],"_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/articles/295667"}},{"articleId":269304,"title":"How to Clean Knitted and Crocheted Items","slug":"how-to-clean-knitted-and-crocheted-items","categoryList":["home-auto-hobbies","crafts","knitting-crocheting"],"_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/articles/269304"}},{"articleId":269296,"title":"How to Execute the Extended Double Crochet","slug":"how-to-execute-the-extended-double-crochet","categoryList":["home-auto-hobbies","crafts","knitting-crocheting"],"_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/articles/269296"}},{"articleId":269289,"title":"Go-To Stitches: Garter, Stockinette, and Seed Stitches","slug":"go-to-stitches-garter-stockinette-and-seed-stitches","categoryList":["home-auto-hobbies","crafts","knitting-crocheting"],"_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/articles/269289"}},{"articleId":269283,"title":"Why (and When) Yarn Gauge Matters","slug":"why-and-when-yarn-gauge-matters","categoryList":["home-auto-hobbies","crafts","knitting-crocheting"],"_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/articles/269283"}}]},"hasRelatedBookFromSearch":false,"relatedBook":{"bookId":0,"slug":null,"isbn":null,"categoryList":null,"amazon":null,"image":null,"title":null,"testBankPinActivationLink":null,"bookOutOfPrint":false,"authorsInfo":null,"authors":null,"_links":null},"collections":[],"articleAds":{"footerAd":"<div class=\"du-ad-region row\" id=\"article_page_adhesion_ad\"><div class=\"du-ad-unit col-md-12\" data-slot-id=\"article_page_adhesion_ad\" data-refreshed=\"false\" \r\n data-target = \"[{&quot;key&quot;:&quot;cat&quot;,&quot;values&quot;:[&quot;home-auto-hobbies&quot;,&quot;crafts&quot;,&quot;knitting-crocheting&quot;]},{&quot;key&quot;:&quot;isbn&quot;,&quot;values&quot;:[null]}]\" id=\"du-slot-64d3d45ec5bc1\"></div></div>","rightAd":"<div class=\"du-ad-region row\" id=\"article_page_right_ad\"><div class=\"du-ad-unit col-md-12\" data-slot-id=\"article_page_right_ad\" data-refreshed=\"false\" \r\n data-target = \"[{&quot;key&quot;:&quot;cat&quot;,&quot;values&quot;:[&quot;home-auto-hobbies&quot;,&quot;crafts&quot;,&quot;knitting-crocheting&quot;]},{&quot;key&quot;:&quot;isbn&quot;,&quot;values&quot;:[null]}]\" id=\"du-slot-64d3d45ec65df\"></div></div>"},"articleType":{"articleType":"Videos","articleList":null,"content":null,"videoInfo":{"videoId":"1648423482001","name":"Circular Knitting and Joining in the Round","accountId":"622696558001","playerId":"default","thumbnailUrl":"https://cf-images.us-east-1.prod.boltdns.net/v1/static/622696558001/f39d5245-7332-4934-9171-8f944000a56b/2b8f72c6-fd52-4096-8377-943770b59d42/160x90/match/image.jpg","description":"Hats are a common project for knitters, but if you want to knit a hat, you need to know how to deal with circular knitting. This video shows you how to knit in the round and smoothly and easily join one end of your circle to the other.","uploadDate":"2022-06-30T17:06:45.397Z"}},"sponsorship":{"sponsorshipPage":false,"backgroundImage":{"src":null,"width":0,"height":0},"brandingLine":"","brandingLink":"","brandingLogo":{"src":null,"width":0,"height":0},"sponsorAd":"","sponsorEbookTitle":"","sponsorEbookLink":"","sponsorEbookImage":{"src":null,"width":0,"height":0}},"primaryLearningPath":"Explore","lifeExpectancy":"Five years","lifeExpectancySetFrom":"2023-08-09T00:00:00+00:00","dummiesForKids":"no","sponsoredContent":"no","adInfo":"","adPairKey":[]},"status":"publish","visibility":"public","articleId":206594},{"headers":{"creationTime":"2016-03-26T22:43:35+00:00","modifiedTime":"2023-08-08T20:35:20+00:00","timestamp":"2023-08-08T21:01:03+00:00"},"data":{"breadcrumbs":[{"name":"Home, Auto, & Hobbies","_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/categories/33809"},"slug":"home-auto-hobbies","categoryId":33809},{"name":"Crafts","_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/categories/33825"},"slug":"crafts","categoryId":33825},{"name":"Knitting & Crocheting","_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/categories/33826"},"slug":"knitting-crocheting","categoryId":33826}],"title":"Checking Your Gauge Throughout a Knitting Project","strippedTitle":"checking your gauge throughout a knitting project","slug":"checking-your-gauge-throughout-a-project","canonicalUrl":"","seo":{"metaDescription":"In this article and video, learn how to check the gauge of your knitting project, which is important for clothing items that require a certain fit.","noIndex":0,"noFollow":0},"content":"You need to be mindful of your gauge throughout the entire knitting process (at least on projects that are supposed to fit a certain way). Read on to see when and how to check your gauge throughout a project.\r\n<div class=\"x2 x2-top\">\r\n\r\n<div class=\"video-player-organism\"></div>\r\n\r\n</div>\r\n<p class=\"Tip\">For something that doesn't need to fit exactly, like a scarf or a wrap, you don't need to be nearly as fastidious. If it looks good to you, you don't need to fret about the numbers.</p>\r\n\r\n<h2 id=\"tab1\" >When to check your gauge</h2>\r\nAfter you've cast on and knit a couple of inches of your project, measure your gauge again to see how it's going. If you made and measured your swatch a month ago or even a week ago, things may have changed. Your mood, level of alertness, or the fact that you've been knitting more or less often can all affect your knitting tension. Or maybe you swatched on straight wooden needles and now you're knitting with metal circular needles. The material a needle is made of can make a big difference to your gauge.\r\n\r\nCheck your gauge from time to time as you work on your project, particularly if you have put it aside for a while and have just recently come back to it. If you get in the habit of checking your gauge when you have a tape measure out to determine the length of your knitting, it won't seem like any extra work.\r\n<p class=\"Remember\">After you verify that you're on the right track with your gauge, you can continue knitting with confidence. It's much easier to rip out a few inches than it is to rip out the whole back when you discover that your gauge is off. And knitters, like everyone else, are often loath to admit their mistakes. If you have a gnawing sense that something isn't quite right, force yourself to do the necessary reality check and measure things. The sooner you correct an error, the better.</p>\r\n\r\n<h2 id=\"tab2\" >How to check your gauge</h2>\r\nTo check gauge during a project, many knitters like to use a gauge measurement tool. This tool has holes to size up needles and a small window that's 2 inches wide and 2 inches tall. To use the gauge measurement tool, lay your knitting flat and, without pressing it down so vigorously that you distort the stitches, lay your gauge meter on top and count how many stitches there are across the window. Don't forget that you have to double the number of stitches to determine the number of stitches per 4 inches.\r\n<p class=\"Tip\">You can also use a tape measure or ruler to help you count the number of stitches per 4 inches. A lightweight clear plastic ruler works nicely.</p>\r\nWhatever tool you use, be sure that your knitting is flat on a table and that your measuring device is lying parallel to your rows of stitches.","description":"You need to be mindful of your gauge throughout the entire knitting process (at least on projects that are supposed to fit a certain way). Read on to see when and how to check your gauge throughout a project.\r\n<div class=\"x2 x2-top\">\r\n\r\n<div class=\"video-player-organism\"></div>\r\n\r\n</div>\r\n<p class=\"Tip\">For something that doesn't need to fit exactly, like a scarf or a wrap, you don't need to be nearly as fastidious. If it looks good to you, you don't need to fret about the numbers.</p>\r\n\r\n<h2 id=\"tab1\" >When to check your gauge</h2>\r\nAfter you've cast on and knit a couple of inches of your project, measure your gauge again to see how it's going. If you made and measured your swatch a month ago or even a week ago, things may have changed. Your mood, level of alertness, or the fact that you've been knitting more or less often can all affect your knitting tension. Or maybe you swatched on straight wooden needles and now you're knitting with metal circular needles. The material a needle is made of can make a big difference to your gauge.\r\n\r\nCheck your gauge from time to time as you work on your project, particularly if you have put it aside for a while and have just recently come back to it. If you get in the habit of checking your gauge when you have a tape measure out to determine the length of your knitting, it won't seem like any extra work.\r\n<p class=\"Remember\">After you verify that you're on the right track with your gauge, you can continue knitting with confidence. It's much easier to rip out a few inches than it is to rip out the whole back when you discover that your gauge is off. And knitters, like everyone else, are often loath to admit their mistakes. If you have a gnawing sense that something isn't quite right, force yourself to do the necessary reality check and measure things. The sooner you correct an error, the better.</p>\r\n\r\n<h2 id=\"tab2\" >How to check your gauge</h2>\r\nTo check gauge during a project, many knitters like to use a gauge measurement tool. This tool has holes to size up needles and a small window that's 2 inches wide and 2 inches tall. To use the gauge measurement tool, lay your knitting flat and, without pressing it down so vigorously that you distort the stitches, lay your gauge meter on top and count how many stitches there are across the window. Don't forget that you have to double the number of stitches to determine the number of stitches per 4 inches.\r\n<p class=\"Tip\">You can also use a tape measure or ruler to help you count the number of stitches per 4 inches. A lightweight clear plastic ruler works nicely.</p>\r\nWhatever tool you use, be sure that your knitting is flat on a table and that your measuring device is lying parallel to your rows of stitches.","blurb":"","authors":[{"authorId":9848,"name":"Kristi Porter","slug":"kristi-porter","description":"","hasArticle":false,"_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/authors/9848"}}],"primaryCategoryTaxonomy":{"categoryId":33826,"title":"Knitting & Crocheting","slug":"knitting-crocheting","_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/categories/33826"}},"secondaryCategoryTaxonomy":{"categoryId":0,"title":null,"slug":null,"_links":null},"tertiaryCategoryTaxonomy":{"categoryId":0,"title":null,"slug":null,"_links":null},"trendingArticles":null,"inThisArticle":[{"label":"When to check your gauge","target":"#tab1"},{"label":"How to check your gauge","target":"#tab2"}],"relatedArticles":{"fromBook":[],"fromCategory":[{"articleId":295667,"title":"Crochet Patterns For Dummies Cheat Sheet","slug":"crochet-patterns-for-dummies-cheat-sheet","categoryList":["home-auto-hobbies","crafts","knitting-crocheting"],"_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/articles/295667"}},{"articleId":269304,"title":"How to Clean Knitted and Crocheted Items","slug":"how-to-clean-knitted-and-crocheted-items","categoryList":["home-auto-hobbies","crafts","knitting-crocheting"],"_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/articles/269304"}},{"articleId":269296,"title":"How to Execute the Extended Double Crochet","slug":"how-to-execute-the-extended-double-crochet","categoryList":["home-auto-hobbies","crafts","knitting-crocheting"],"_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/articles/269296"}},{"articleId":269289,"title":"Go-To Stitches: Garter, Stockinette, and Seed Stitches","slug":"go-to-stitches-garter-stockinette-and-seed-stitches","categoryList":["home-auto-hobbies","crafts","knitting-crocheting"],"_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/articles/269289"}},{"articleId":269283,"title":"Why (and When) Yarn Gauge Matters","slug":"why-and-when-yarn-gauge-matters","categoryList":["home-auto-hobbies","crafts","knitting-crocheting"],"_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/articles/269283"}}]},"hasRelatedBookFromSearch":false,"relatedBook":{"bookId":0,"slug":null,"isbn":null,"categoryList":null,"amazon":null,"image":null,"title":null,"testBankPinActivationLink":null,"bookOutOfPrint":false,"authorsInfo":null,"authors":null,"_links":null},"collections":[],"articleAds":{"footerAd":"<div class=\"du-ad-region row\" id=\"article_page_adhesion_ad\"><div class=\"du-ad-unit col-md-12\" data-slot-id=\"article_page_adhesion_ad\" data-refreshed=\"false\" \r\n data-target = \"[{&quot;key&quot;:&quot;cat&quot;,&quot;values&quot;:[&quot;home-auto-hobbies&quot;,&quot;crafts&quot;,&quot;knitting-crocheting&quot;]},{&quot;key&quot;:&quot;isbn&quot;,&quot;values&quot;:[null]}]\" id=\"du-slot-64d2ad0f5e122\"></div></div>","rightAd":"<div class=\"du-ad-region row\" id=\"article_page_right_ad\"><div class=\"du-ad-unit col-md-12\" data-slot-id=\"article_page_right_ad\" data-refreshed=\"false\" \r\n data-target = \"[{&quot;key&quot;:&quot;cat&quot;,&quot;values&quot;:[&quot;home-auto-hobbies&quot;,&quot;crafts&quot;,&quot;knitting-crocheting&quot;]},{&quot;key&quot;:&quot;isbn&quot;,&quot;values&quot;:[null]}]\" id=\"du-slot-64d2ad0f5e642\"></div></div>"},"articleType":{"articleType":"Videos","articleList":null,"content":null,"videoInfo":{"videoId":"1648390881001","name":"How to Measure the Gauge of a Knitted Piece","accountId":"622696558001","playerId":"default","thumbnailUrl":"https://cf-images.us-east-1.prod.boltdns.net/v1/static/622696558001/68cedec0-9cdf-475c-8df0-087daa31783b/d0ead053-68f1-449c-83ac-e6bafe975b03/120x67/match/image.jpg","description":"Every knitted fabric is made up of stitches and rows. Gauge is the number of stitches and rows it takes to make 1 square inch of knitted fabric. The gauge is affected by the yarn you use, the needle size, and the stitch pattern.","uploadDate":"2022-06-30T17:04:41.322Z"}},"sponsorship":{"sponsorshipPage":false,"backgroundImage":{"src":null,"width":0,"height":0},"brandingLine":"","brandingLink":"","brandingLogo":{"src":null,"width":0,"height":0},"sponsorAd":"","sponsorEbookTitle":"","sponsorEbookLink":"","sponsorEbookImage":{"src":null,"width":0,"height":0}},"primaryLearningPath":"Explore","lifeExpectancy":"Five years","lifeExpectancySetFrom":"2023-08-08T00:00:00+00:00","dummiesForKids":"no","sponsoredContent":"no","adInfo":"","adPairKey":[]},"status":"publish","visibility":"public","articleId":199539},{"headers":{"creationTime":"2016-03-26T22:21:40+00:00","modifiedTime":"2023-08-08T20:26:15+00:00","timestamp":"2023-08-08T21:01:03+00:00"},"data":{"breadcrumbs":[{"name":"Home, Auto, & Hobbies","_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/categories/33809"},"slug":"home-auto-hobbies","categoryId":33809},{"name":"Crafts","_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/categories/33825"},"slug":"crafts","categoryId":33825},{"name":"Knitting & Crocheting","_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/categories/33826"},"slug":"knitting-crocheting","categoryId":33826}],"title":"How to Rip Out Stitches, One At a Time","strippedTitle":"how to rip out stitches, one at a time","slug":"how-to-rip-out-stitches-one-at-a-time","canonicalUrl":"","seo":{"metaDescription":"This video and article show you how to remove stitches in your knitting if you've made a mistake and need to fix it.","noIndex":0,"noFollow":0},"content":"If you catch your knitting mistake before the end of the row, you can rip out stitches back to your mistake. Just rip out one stitch at a time. Basically, you undo what you’ve just done until you get to the problem spot. See the written steps, illustration, and video below.\r\n<div class=\"x2 x2-top\">\r\n\r\n<div class=\"video-player-organism\"></div>\r\n\r\n</div>\r\n<ol class=\"level-one\">\r\n \t<li>\r\n<p class=\"first-para\">Insert the LH needle from front to back (away from you) into the stitch below the one on the RH needle.</p>\r\n<img src=\"https://www.dummies.com/wp-content/uploads/107973.image0.jpg\" alt=\"image0.jpg\" width=\"535\" height=\"150\" />\r\n<p class=\"child-para\">Make sure you have the correct side (either knit or purl) facing you.</p>\r\n</li>\r\n \t<li>\r\n<p class=\"first-para\">Slide the RH needle out of the stitch and gently pull on the yarn to free it.</p>\r\n<p class=\"child-para\">Your work won’t unravel, because your LH needle has secured the stitch below.</p>\r\n</li>\r\n \t<li>\r\n<p class=\"first-para\">Repeat these steps, stitch by stitch.</p>\r\n<p class=\"child-para\">Continue until you reach the point of your mistake.</p>\r\n</li>\r\n</ol>\r\nAll sorts of mistakes, such as inadvertently adding stitches, require that you rip out your knitting.","description":"If you catch your knitting mistake before the end of the row, you can rip out stitches back to your mistake. Just rip out one stitch at a time. Basically, you undo what you’ve just done until you get to the problem spot. See the written steps, illustration, and video below.\r\n<div class=\"x2 x2-top\">\r\n\r\n<div class=\"video-player-organism\"></div>\r\n\r\n</div>\r\n<ol class=\"level-one\">\r\n \t<li>\r\n<p class=\"first-para\">Insert the LH needle from front to back (away from you) into the stitch below the one on the RH needle.</p>\r\n<img src=\"https://www.dummies.com/wp-content/uploads/107973.image0.jpg\" alt=\"image0.jpg\" width=\"535\" height=\"150\" />\r\n<p class=\"child-para\">Make sure you have the correct side (either knit or purl) facing you.</p>\r\n</li>\r\n \t<li>\r\n<p class=\"first-para\">Slide the RH needle out of the stitch and gently pull on the yarn to free it.</p>\r\n<p class=\"child-para\">Your work won’t unravel, because your LH needle has secured the stitch below.</p>\r\n</li>\r\n \t<li>\r\n<p class=\"first-para\">Repeat these steps, stitch by stitch.</p>\r\n<p class=\"child-para\">Continue until you reach the point of your mistake.</p>\r\n</li>\r\n</ol>\r\nAll sorts of mistakes, such as inadvertently adding stitches, require that you rip out your knitting.","blurb":"","authors":[],"primaryCategoryTaxonomy":{"categoryId":33826,"title":"Knitting & Crocheting","slug":"knitting-crocheting","_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/categories/33826"}},"secondaryCategoryTaxonomy":{"categoryId":0,"title":null,"slug":null,"_links":null},"tertiaryCategoryTaxonomy":{"categoryId":0,"title":null,"slug":null,"_links":null},"trendingArticles":null,"inThisArticle":[],"relatedArticles":{"fromBook":[],"fromCategory":[{"articleId":295667,"title":"Crochet Patterns For Dummies Cheat Sheet","slug":"crochet-patterns-for-dummies-cheat-sheet","categoryList":["home-auto-hobbies","crafts","knitting-crocheting"],"_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/articles/295667"}},{"articleId":269304,"title":"How to Clean Knitted and Crocheted Items","slug":"how-to-clean-knitted-and-crocheted-items","categoryList":["home-auto-hobbies","crafts","knitting-crocheting"],"_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/articles/269304"}},{"articleId":269296,"title":"How to Execute the Extended Double Crochet","slug":"how-to-execute-the-extended-double-crochet","categoryList":["home-auto-hobbies","crafts","knitting-crocheting"],"_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/articles/269296"}},{"articleId":269289,"title":"Go-To Stitches: Garter, Stockinette, and Seed Stitches","slug":"go-to-stitches-garter-stockinette-and-seed-stitches","categoryList":["home-auto-hobbies","crafts","knitting-crocheting"],"_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/articles/269289"}},{"articleId":269283,"title":"Why (and When) Yarn Gauge Matters","slug":"why-and-when-yarn-gauge-matters","categoryList":["home-auto-hobbies","crafts","knitting-crocheting"],"_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/articles/269283"}}]},"hasRelatedBookFromSearch":false,"relatedBook":{"bookId":0,"slug":null,"isbn":null,"categoryList":null,"amazon":null,"image":null,"title":null,"testBankPinActivationLink":null,"bookOutOfPrint":false,"authorsInfo":null,"authors":null,"_links":null},"collections":[],"articleAds":{"footerAd":"<div class=\"du-ad-region row\" id=\"article_page_adhesion_ad\"><div class=\"du-ad-unit col-md-12\" data-slot-id=\"article_page_adhesion_ad\" data-refreshed=\"false\" \r\n data-target = \"[{&quot;key&quot;:&quot;cat&quot;,&quot;values&quot;:[&quot;home-auto-hobbies&quot;,&quot;crafts&quot;,&quot;knitting-crocheting&quot;]},{&quot;key&quot;:&quot;isbn&quot;,&quot;values&quot;:[null]}]\" id=\"du-slot-64d2ad0f5735b\"></div></div>","rightAd":"<div class=\"du-ad-region row\" id=\"article_page_right_ad\"><div class=\"du-ad-unit col-md-12\" data-slot-id=\"article_page_right_ad\" data-refreshed=\"false\" \r\n data-target = \"[{&quot;key&quot;:&quot;cat&quot;,&quot;values&quot;:[&quot;home-auto-hobbies&quot;,&quot;crafts&quot;,&quot;knitting-crocheting&quot;]},{&quot;key&quot;:&quot;isbn&quot;,&quot;values&quot;:[null]}]\" id=\"du-slot-64d2ad0f5787b\"></div></div>"},"articleType":{"articleType":"Videos","articleList":null,"content":null,"videoInfo":{"videoId":"1648423501001","name":"Fix Knitting Mistakes by Ripping Stitches","accountId":"622696558001","playerId":"default","thumbnailUrl":"https://cf-images.us-east-1.prod.boltdns.net/v1/static/622696558001/2c150977-124a-4ffe-9a2b-6bd7e0a71aa6/9ab990ae-7d60-4198-be89-6b3624865c7a/160x90/match/image.jpg","description":"If you discover you've made a mistake in your knitting, don't panic! You can rip out your stitches row-by-row or stitch-by-stitch (called \"tinking\") until you get back to your missed stitch and then continue on with your knitting pattern.","uploadDate":"2022-06-30T17:07:25.5Z"}},"sponsorship":{"sponsorshipPage":false,"backgroundImage":{"src":null,"width":0,"height":0},"brandingLine":"","brandingLink":"","brandingLogo":{"src":null,"width":0,"height":0},"sponsorAd":"","sponsorEbookTitle":"","sponsorEbookLink":"","sponsorEbookImage":{"src":null,"width":0,"height":0}},"primaryLearningPath":"Solve","lifeExpectancy":"Five years","lifeExpectancySetFrom":"2023-08-08T00:00:00+00:00","dummiesForKids":"no","sponsoredContent":"no","adInfo":"","adPairKey":[]},"status":"publish","visibility":"public","articleId":197608},{"headers":{"creationTime":"2016-03-28T14:34:21+00:00","modifiedTime":"2023-08-08T19:59:00+00:00","timestamp":"2023-08-08T21:01:03+00:00"},"data":{"breadcrumbs":[{"name":"Home, Auto, & Hobbies","_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/categories/33809"},"slug":"home-auto-hobbies","categoryId":33809},{"name":"Crafts","_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/categories/33825"},"slug":"crafts","categoryId":33825},{"name":"Knitting & Crocheting","_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/categories/33826"},"slug":"knitting-crocheting","categoryId":33826}],"title":"How to Knit a Ribbing Stitch","strippedTitle":"how to knit a ribbing stitch","slug":"how-to-knit-a-ribbing-stitch","canonicalUrl":"","seo":{"metaDescription":"Learn how to knit a ribbing stitch, which makes textured verticle stripes and is commonly used in sweaters.","noIndex":0,"noFollow":0},"content":"<div class=\"x2 x2-top\">\r\n\r\n<div class=\"video-player-organism\"></div>\r\n\r\n</div>\r\nKnitted ribs are textured vertical stripes. Ribs not only make your fabric look good, but they allow for more elasticity in the fabric, which is why you see them often in knitted sweaters. This video shows you how easy the ribbing stitch can be.","description":"<div class=\"x2 x2-top\">\r\n\r\n<div class=\"video-player-organism\"></div>\r\n\r\n</div>\r\nKnitted ribs are textured vertical stripes. Ribs not only make your fabric look good, but they allow for more elasticity in the fabric, which is why you see them often in knitted sweaters. This video shows you how easy the ribbing stitch can be.","blurb":"","authors":[],"primaryCategoryTaxonomy":{"categoryId":33826,"title":"Knitting & Crocheting","slug":"knitting-crocheting","_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/categories/33826"}},"secondaryCategoryTaxonomy":{"categoryId":0,"title":null,"slug":null,"_links":null},"tertiaryCategoryTaxonomy":{"categoryId":0,"title":null,"slug":null,"_links":null},"trendingArticles":null,"inThisArticle":[],"relatedArticles":{"fromBook":[],"fromCategory":[{"articleId":295667,"title":"Crochet Patterns For Dummies Cheat Sheet","slug":"crochet-patterns-for-dummies-cheat-sheet","categoryList":["home-auto-hobbies","crafts","knitting-crocheting"],"_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/articles/295667"}},{"articleId":269304,"title":"How to Clean Knitted and Crocheted Items","slug":"how-to-clean-knitted-and-crocheted-items","categoryList":["home-auto-hobbies","crafts","knitting-crocheting"],"_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/articles/269304"}},{"articleId":269296,"title":"How to Execute the Extended Double Crochet","slug":"how-to-execute-the-extended-double-crochet","categoryList":["home-auto-hobbies","crafts","knitting-crocheting"],"_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/articles/269296"}},{"articleId":269289,"title":"Go-To Stitches: Garter, Stockinette, and Seed Stitches","slug":"go-to-stitches-garter-stockinette-and-seed-stitches","categoryList":["home-auto-hobbies","crafts","knitting-crocheting"],"_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/articles/269289"}},{"articleId":269283,"title":"Why (and When) Yarn Gauge Matters","slug":"why-and-when-yarn-gauge-matters","categoryList":["home-auto-hobbies","crafts","knitting-crocheting"],"_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/articles/269283"}}]},"hasRelatedBookFromSearch":false,"relatedBook":{"bookId":0,"slug":null,"isbn":null,"categoryList":null,"amazon":null,"image":null,"title":null,"testBankPinActivationLink":null,"bookOutOfPrint":false,"authorsInfo":null,"authors":null,"_links":null},"collections":[],"articleAds":{"footerAd":"<div class=\"du-ad-region row\" id=\"article_page_adhesion_ad\"><div class=\"du-ad-unit col-md-12\" data-slot-id=\"article_page_adhesion_ad\" data-refreshed=\"false\" \r\n data-target = \"[{&quot;key&quot;:&quot;cat&quot;,&quot;values&quot;:[&quot;home-auto-hobbies&quot;,&quot;crafts&quot;,&quot;knitting-crocheting&quot;]},{&quot;key&quot;:&quot;isbn&quot;,&quot;values&quot;:[null]}]\" id=\"du-slot-64d2ad0f5124c\"></div></div>","rightAd":"<div class=\"du-ad-region row\" id=\"article_page_right_ad\"><div class=\"du-ad-unit col-md-12\" data-slot-id=\"article_page_right_ad\" data-refreshed=\"false\" \r\n data-target = \"[{&quot;key&quot;:&quot;cat&quot;,&quot;values&quot;:[&quot;home-auto-hobbies&quot;,&quot;crafts&quot;,&quot;knitting-crocheting&quot;]},{&quot;key&quot;:&quot;isbn&quot;,&quot;values&quot;:[null]}]\" id=\"du-slot-64d2ad0f51765\"></div></div>"},"articleType":{"articleType":"Videos","articleList":null,"content":null,"videoInfo":{"videoId":"1648462418001","name":"How to Knit a Ribbing Stitch","accountId":"622696558001","playerId":"default","thumbnailUrl":"https://cf-images.us-east-1.prod.boltdns.net/v1/static/622696558001/18b87d05-ff1b-41c3-b96c-e116c4e21897/09f0dda5-c067-4a31-8694-0f535efb278b/160x90/match/image.jpg","description":"Knitted ribs are textured vertical stripes. Ribs not only make your fabric look good, but they allow for more elasticity in the fabric, which is why you see them often in knitted sweaters. This video shows you how easy the ribbing stitch can be.","uploadDate":"2022-07-15T08:18:21.708Z"}},"sponsorship":{"sponsorshipPage":false,"backgroundImage":{"src":null,"width":0,"height":0},"brandingLine":"","brandingLink":"","brandingLogo":{"src":null,"width":0,"height":0},"sponsorAd":"","sponsorEbookTitle":"","sponsorEbookLink":"","sponsorEbookImage":{"src":null,"width":0,"height":0}},"primaryLearningPath":"Explore","lifeExpectancy":"Five years","lifeExpectancySetFrom":"2023-08-08T00:00:00+00:00","dummiesForKids":"no","sponsoredContent":"no","adInfo":"","adPairKey":[]},"status":"publish","visibility":"public","articleId":209856},{"headers":{"creationTime":"2020-03-16T15:35:23+00:00","modifiedTime":"2023-08-08T18:24:47+00:00","timestamp":"2023-08-08T21:01:02+00:00"},"data":{"breadcrumbs":[{"name":"Home, Auto, & Hobbies","_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/categories/33809"},"slug":"home-auto-hobbies","categoryId":33809},{"name":"Crafts","_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/categories/33825"},"slug":"crafts","categoryId":33825},{"name":"Knitting & Crocheting","_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/categories/33826"},"slug":"knitting-crocheting","categoryId":33826}],"title":"Go-To Stitches: Garter, Stockinette, and Seed Stitches","strippedTitle":"go-to stitches: garter, stockinette, and seed stitches","slug":"go-to-stitches-garter-stockinette-and-seed-stitches","canonicalUrl":"","seo":{"metaDescription":"Beginning knitters explore the basics of the garter stitch and stockinette stitch patterns and add the seed stitch to their repertoire.","noIndex":0,"noFollow":0},"content":"Knitting and purling open the door to all sorts of patterns that involve alternating between knit and purl stitches. But as a <a href=\"https://www.dummies.com/crafts/knitting/knitting-and-crocheting-all-in-one-for-dummies-cheat-sheet/\">beginning knitter</a>, you really only need to know two patterns: garter stitch, which you create by knitting (or purling) every row, and stockinette stitch, which you create by alternating a knit row with a purl row.\r\n\r\nAnother stitch all knitters should have in their repertoire is seed stitch. Although a little more complicated than garter and stockinette stitches, seed stitches create an interesting texture and appear in many patterns.\r\n\r\nKnits and purls have a quirky but predictable relationship to each other. When lined up horizontally, the purled rows stand out from the knitted rows. Arranged in vertical patterns, like ribbing, the purl stitches recede and the knit stitches come forward, creating an elastic fabric.\r\n\r\nWhen worked in a balanced manner (meaning the same number of knits and purls appear on each side of the fabric), as in seed stitch and its variations, the fabric is stable — it lies flat and doesn’t have the tendency to roll in on the edges. These qualities make seed and moss stitches, as well as garter stitches, good choices for borders that need to lie flat and not pull in as ribbed borders do.\r\n<h2 id=\"tab1\" >Garter stitch</h2>\r\nGarter stitch is the most basic of all knitted fabrics. It’s made by knitting every row. (You can create garter stitch by purling every row, too. Neat, huh?) You can recognize garter stitch by the horizontal ridges formed by the tops of the knitted loops on every other row.\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"attachment_269292\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"556\"]<img class=\"size-full wp-image-269292\" src=\"https://www.dummies.com/wp-content/uploads/knitting-crochet-garter-stitch.jpg\" alt=\"Garter stitch.\" width=\"556\" height=\"405\" /> Garter stitch[/caption]\r\n\r\nGarter stitch has a lot going for it in addition to being easy to create. It’s reversible, lies flat, and has a pleasant rustic look. Unlike most knitted fabrics, garter stitch has a square gauge, meaning that there are usually twice as many rows as stitches in 1 inch. To count rows in garter stitch, count the ridges and multiply by two, or count the ridges by twos.\r\n<p class=\"article-tips warning\">Garter stitch has a hanging gauge that stretches more vertically. Therefore, gravity and the weight of the garter stitch piece pulls on the fabric and actually makes it longer. This is important to keep in mind when you’re making a garment that you want to fit properly and not grow two times larger after an hour of wearing it.</p>\r\n\r\n<h2 id=\"tab2\" >Stockinette stitch</h2>\r\nWhen you alternate a knit row with a purl row (knit the first row, purl the second, knit the third, purl the fourth, and so on), you create stockinette stitch. You see stockinette stitch everywhere: in scarves, socks, sweaters, blankets, hats — you name it. In fact, most beginning and intermediate designs incorporate stockinette stitch.\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"attachment_269291\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"556\"]<img class=\"size-full wp-image-269291\" src=\"https://www.dummies.com/wp-content/uploads/knitting-crochet-stockinette-knit.jpg\" alt=\"knit side of stockinette\" width=\"556\" height=\"361\" /> Stockinette stitch showing the knit side[/caption]\r\n\r\nIn written knitting instructions, stockinette stitch (abbreviated <em>St st</em>) appears like this:\r\n<blockquote><strong>Row 1 (RS):</strong> Knit.\r\n\r\n<strong>Row 2 (WS):</strong> Purl.\r\n\r\nRep Rows 1 and 2 for desired length.</blockquote>\r\nStockinette fabric looks and behaves in a particular way. To successfully incorporate this stitch into your knitting repertoire, pay attention to the following:\r\n<ul>\r\n \t<li>Stockinette stitch has a right side and a wrong side (though, of course, either side may be the “right” side, depending on the intended design). The right side is typically the smooth side, called stockinette or On this side, the stitches look like small <em>V</em>s. The bumpy side of stockinette stitch fabric is called reverse stockinette or purl.</li>\r\n</ul>\r\n<p class=\"\"article-tips\">If you’re working in stockinette stitch and you lose track of whether you knit the last row or purled it, not to worry. You can tell what to do next by looking at your knitting. Hold your needles in the ready-to-knit position (with the LH needle holding the stitches to be worked) and look at what’s facing you. If you’re looking at the knit (smooth) side, you knit. If you’re looking at the purl (bumpy) side, you purl. A good mantra to say to yourself is knit the knits and purl the purls.</p>\r\n\r\n<ul>\r\n \t<li>Stockinette fabric curls on the edges. The top and bottom (horizontal) edges curl toward the front or smooth side. The side (vertical) edges roll toward the bumpy side. Sweater designers frequently use this rolling feature deliberately to create rolled hems or cuffs, and you can create easy cords or straps simply by knitting a very narrow band in stockinette stitch (say, four or six stitches across).</li>\r\n</ul>\r\n<p style=\"padding-left: 40px;\">But when you want the piece to lie flat, you need to counteract this tendency by working the three or four stitches on the edge in some stitch that lies flat (like garter stitch, discussed in the preceding section, or seed stitch, discussed in the next section).</p>\r\nTo figure out the gauge of a swatch knitted in stockinette stitch, count the <em>V</em>s on the smooth side or right side. They’re easier to see and distinguish than the bumps on the wrong side. Of course, if you find the bumps easier to count, it’s okay to do so.\r\n\r\nThe names garter stitch and stockinette stitch date from the 1500s, when hand-knit stockings were a major industry in England. Garter stitch was used at the top of the stocking, where it needed to expand for the thigh, and stockinette (or stocking stitch) was used for the fitted leg portion.\r\n<h2 id=\"tab3\" >Seed stitch</h2>\r\nSeed stitch, shown in the figure below (and demonstrated in the video below), consists of single knits and purls alternating horizontally and vertically. Its name refers to the way the knitted fabric looks: The little purl bumps look like scattered seeds. Like garter stitch, seed stitch lies flat, making it a good edging for a sweater border and cuffs. It also looks the same from both sides, making it a nice choice for scarves and other pieces of which both sides are visible.\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"attachment_269290\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"556\"]<img class=\"size-full wp-image-269290\" src=\"https://www.dummies.com/wp-content/uploads/knitting-crochet-seed-stitch.jpg\" alt=\"Seed stitch.\" width=\"556\" height=\"432\" /> Seed stitch[/caption]\r\n\r\nSeed stitch stitch gauge tends to be wider than a stockinette stitch stitch gauge. This is important to note if you plan to mix stitch patterns but want to maintain the same measurements in both patterns.\r\n<div class=\"x2 x2-top\">\r\n\r\n<div class=\"video-player-organism\"></div>\r\n\r\n</div>\r\nWhen knitting a stitch, the loose tail of yarn is in back of your work. When purling a stitch, the yarn is in front of your work. As you switch back and forth within a row, as in seed stitch, you need to move your yarn to the front or to the back as appropriate between the needles. If you forget to do so, you create an unintentional yarn over, resulting in an extra stitch on the next row and a hole in the work.\r\n\r\nUnfortunately for novice knitters, who often forget to move the yarn accordingly, instructions don’t explicitly tell you to bring your yarn to the front or back of your work. They assume that you know where the yarn should be when you’re about to knit or purl a stitch. As you practice the patterns that combine both knit and purl stitches, make sure your yarn is in the proper position for each stitch before you start it.\r\n\r\nTo create seed stitch:\r\n<blockquote>Cast on an even number of sts.\r\n\r\n<strong>Row 1:</strong> * K1, p1; rep from * to end of row.\r\n\r\n<strong>Row 2:</strong> * P1, k1; rep from * to end of row.\r\n\r\nRep Rows 1 and 2 for pattern.</blockquote>\r\nWhen working seed stitch, you alternate between knit and purl stitches in each row. The trick to creating the little “seeds” is to knit in the purl stitches of the previous row and purl in the knit stitches of the previous row.\r\n\r\nIf you’re working in seed stitch and you lose track of whether you knit the last stitch or purled it, don’t worry. You can tell what to do next by looking at your knitting. Hold your needles in the ready-to-knit position (with the LH needle holding the stitches to be worked or the ones you’re working on) and look at what’s facing you.\r\n\r\nOn the LH needle, if you’re looking at a knit stitch, you purl. If you’re looking at a purl (bumpy) stitch, you knit. A good mantra to say to yourself is knit the purls and purl the knits.","description":"Knitting and purling open the door to all sorts of patterns that involve alternating between knit and purl stitches. But as a <a href=\"https://www.dummies.com/crafts/knitting/knitting-and-crocheting-all-in-one-for-dummies-cheat-sheet/\">beginning knitter</a>, you really only need to know two patterns: garter stitch, which you create by knitting (or purling) every row, and stockinette stitch, which you create by alternating a knit row with a purl row.\r\n\r\nAnother stitch all knitters should have in their repertoire is seed stitch. Although a little more complicated than garter and stockinette stitches, seed stitches create an interesting texture and appear in many patterns.\r\n\r\nKnits and purls have a quirky but predictable relationship to each other. When lined up horizontally, the purled rows stand out from the knitted rows. Arranged in vertical patterns, like ribbing, the purl stitches recede and the knit stitches come forward, creating an elastic fabric.\r\n\r\nWhen worked in a balanced manner (meaning the same number of knits and purls appear on each side of the fabric), as in seed stitch and its variations, the fabric is stable — it lies flat and doesn’t have the tendency to roll in on the edges. These qualities make seed and moss stitches, as well as garter stitches, good choices for borders that need to lie flat and not pull in as ribbed borders do.\r\n<h2 id=\"tab1\" >Garter stitch</h2>\r\nGarter stitch is the most basic of all knitted fabrics. It’s made by knitting every row. (You can create garter stitch by purling every row, too. Neat, huh?) You can recognize garter stitch by the horizontal ridges formed by the tops of the knitted loops on every other row.\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"attachment_269292\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"556\"]<img class=\"size-full wp-image-269292\" src=\"https://www.dummies.com/wp-content/uploads/knitting-crochet-garter-stitch.jpg\" alt=\"Garter stitch.\" width=\"556\" height=\"405\" /> Garter stitch[/caption]\r\n\r\nGarter stitch has a lot going for it in addition to being easy to create. It’s reversible, lies flat, and has a pleasant rustic look. Unlike most knitted fabrics, garter stitch has a square gauge, meaning that there are usually twice as many rows as stitches in 1 inch. To count rows in garter stitch, count the ridges and multiply by two, or count the ridges by twos.\r\n<p class=\"article-tips warning\">Garter stitch has a hanging gauge that stretches more vertically. Therefore, gravity and the weight of the garter stitch piece pulls on the fabric and actually makes it longer. This is important to keep in mind when you’re making a garment that you want to fit properly and not grow two times larger after an hour of wearing it.</p>\r\n\r\n<h2 id=\"tab2\" >Stockinette stitch</h2>\r\nWhen you alternate a knit row with a purl row (knit the first row, purl the second, knit the third, purl the fourth, and so on), you create stockinette stitch. You see stockinette stitch everywhere: in scarves, socks, sweaters, blankets, hats — you name it. In fact, most beginning and intermediate designs incorporate stockinette stitch.\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"attachment_269291\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"556\"]<img class=\"size-full wp-image-269291\" src=\"https://www.dummies.com/wp-content/uploads/knitting-crochet-stockinette-knit.jpg\" alt=\"knit side of stockinette\" width=\"556\" height=\"361\" /> Stockinette stitch showing the knit side[/caption]\r\n\r\nIn written knitting instructions, stockinette stitch (abbreviated <em>St st</em>) appears like this:\r\n<blockquote><strong>Row 1 (RS):</strong> Knit.\r\n\r\n<strong>Row 2 (WS):</strong> Purl.\r\n\r\nRep Rows 1 and 2 for desired length.</blockquote>\r\nStockinette fabric looks and behaves in a particular way. To successfully incorporate this stitch into your knitting repertoire, pay attention to the following:\r\n<ul>\r\n \t<li>Stockinette stitch has a right side and a wrong side (though, of course, either side may be the “right” side, depending on the intended design). The right side is typically the smooth side, called stockinette or On this side, the stitches look like small <em>V</em>s. The bumpy side of stockinette stitch fabric is called reverse stockinette or purl.</li>\r\n</ul>\r\n<p class=\"\"article-tips\">If you’re working in stockinette stitch and you lose track of whether you knit the last row or purled it, not to worry. You can tell what to do next by looking at your knitting. Hold your needles in the ready-to-knit position (with the LH needle holding the stitches to be worked) and look at what’s facing you. If you’re looking at the knit (smooth) side, you knit. If you’re looking at the purl (bumpy) side, you purl. A good mantra to say to yourself is knit the knits and purl the purls.</p>\r\n\r\n<ul>\r\n \t<li>Stockinette fabric curls on the edges. The top and bottom (horizontal) edges curl toward the front or smooth side. The side (vertical) edges roll toward the bumpy side. Sweater designers frequently use this rolling feature deliberately to create rolled hems or cuffs, and you can create easy cords or straps simply by knitting a very narrow band in stockinette stitch (say, four or six stitches across).</li>\r\n</ul>\r\n<p style=\"padding-left: 40px;\">But when you want the piece to lie flat, you need to counteract this tendency by working the three or four stitches on the edge in some stitch that lies flat (like garter stitch, discussed in the preceding section, or seed stitch, discussed in the next section).</p>\r\nTo figure out the gauge of a swatch knitted in stockinette stitch, count the <em>V</em>s on the smooth side or right side. They’re easier to see and distinguish than the bumps on the wrong side. Of course, if you find the bumps easier to count, it’s okay to do so.\r\n\r\nThe names garter stitch and stockinette stitch date from the 1500s, when hand-knit stockings were a major industry in England. Garter stitch was used at the top of the stocking, where it needed to expand for the thigh, and stockinette (or stocking stitch) was used for the fitted leg portion.\r\n<h2 id=\"tab3\" >Seed stitch</h2>\r\nSeed stitch, shown in the figure below (and demonstrated in the video below), consists of single knits and purls alternating horizontally and vertically. Its name refers to the way the knitted fabric looks: The little purl bumps look like scattered seeds. Like garter stitch, seed stitch lies flat, making it a good edging for a sweater border and cuffs. It also looks the same from both sides, making it a nice choice for scarves and other pieces of which both sides are visible.\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"attachment_269290\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"556\"]<img class=\"size-full wp-image-269290\" src=\"https://www.dummies.com/wp-content/uploads/knitting-crochet-seed-stitch.jpg\" alt=\"Seed stitch.\" width=\"556\" height=\"432\" /> Seed stitch[/caption]\r\n\r\nSeed stitch stitch gauge tends to be wider than a stockinette stitch stitch gauge. This is important to note if you plan to mix stitch patterns but want to maintain the same measurements in both patterns.\r\n<div class=\"x2 x2-top\">\r\n\r\n<div class=\"video-player-organism\"></div>\r\n\r\n</div>\r\nWhen knitting a stitch, the loose tail of yarn is in back of your work. When purling a stitch, the yarn is in front of your work. As you switch back and forth within a row, as in seed stitch, you need to move your yarn to the front or to the back as appropriate between the needles. If you forget to do so, you create an unintentional yarn over, resulting in an extra stitch on the next row and a hole in the work.\r\n\r\nUnfortunately for novice knitters, who often forget to move the yarn accordingly, instructions don’t explicitly tell you to bring your yarn to the front or back of your work. They assume that you know where the yarn should be when you’re about to knit or purl a stitch. As you practice the patterns that combine both knit and purl stitches, make sure your yarn is in the proper position for each stitch before you start it.\r\n\r\nTo create seed stitch:\r\n<blockquote>Cast on an even number of sts.\r\n\r\n<strong>Row 1:</strong> * K1, p1; rep from * to end of row.\r\n\r\n<strong>Row 2:</strong> * P1, k1; rep from * to end of row.\r\n\r\nRep Rows 1 and 2 for pattern.</blockquote>\r\nWhen working seed stitch, you alternate between knit and purl stitches in each row. The trick to creating the little “seeds” is to knit in the purl stitches of the previous row and purl in the knit stitches of the previous row.\r\n\r\nIf you’re working in seed stitch and you lose track of whether you knit the last stitch or purled it, don’t worry. You can tell what to do next by looking at your knitting. Hold your needles in the ready-to-knit position (with the LH needle holding the stitches to be worked or the ones you’re working on) and look at what’s facing you.\r\n\r\nOn the LH needle, if you’re looking at a knit stitch, you purl. If you’re looking at a purl (bumpy) stitch, you knit. A good mantra to say to yourself is knit the purls and purl the knits.","blurb":"","authors":[{"authorId":9540,"name":"Pam Allen","slug":"pam-allen","description":" <p><b>Pam Allen</b> is a knitwear designer and founder of Quince &amp; Co.</p> <p><b>Shannon Okey</b> is an author and knitwear designer. Find her at knitgrrl.com.</p> <p><b>Tracy L. Barr</b> is a professional writer and editor.</p> <p><b>Marlaina \"Marly\" Bird</b> hosts her own YouTube channel, where she instructs viewers on knitting and crochet.</p>","hasArticle":false,"_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/authors/9540"}},{"authorId":9541,"name":"Shannon Okey","slug":"shannon-okey","description":" <p><b>Pam Allen</b> is a knitwear designer and founder of Quince &amp; Co.</p> <p><b>Shannon Okey</b> is an author and knitwear designer. Find her at knitgrrl.com.</p> <p><b>Tracy L. Barr</b> is a professional writer and editor.</p> <p><b>Marlaina \"Marly\" Bird</b> hosts her own YouTube channel, where she instructs viewers on knitting and crochet.</p>","hasArticle":false,"_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/authors/9541"}},{"authorId":33342,"name":"Tracy L. Barr","slug":"tracy-l-barr","description":" <p><b>Tracy Barr</b> is the coauthor of <b><i>Adoption For Dummies</i></b> and <b><i>Latin For Dummies.</i></b><b> Lodge Manufacturing</b> is America&#39;s oldest family&#45;owned cookware manufacturer and the sole domestic cast&#45;iron cookware foundry. ","hasArticle":false,"_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/authors/33342"}},{"authorId":9543,"name":"Marly Bird","slug":"marly-bird","description":" <p><b>Pam Allen</b> is a knitwear designer and founder of Quince &amp; Co.</p> <p><b>Shannon Okey</b> is an author and knitwear designer. Find her at knitgrrl.com.</p> <p><b>Tracy L. Barr</b> is a professional writer and editor.</p> <p><b>Marlaina \"Marly\" Bird</b> hosts her own YouTube channel, where she instructs viewers on knitting and crochet.</p>","hasArticle":false,"_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/authors/9543"}},{"authorId":9849,"name":"Susan Brittain","slug":"susan-brittain","description":" <p><b>Karen Manthey</b> edits crochet diagrams for numerous books, magazines, yarn companies, and designers.</p> <p><b>Susan Brittain</b> was an assistant editor for <i>Crochet Fantasy</i> magazine.</p>","hasArticle":false,"_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/authors/9849"}},{"authorId":10487,"name":"Karen Manthey","slug":"karen-manthey","description":" <p><b>Karen Manthey</b> edits crochet diagrams for numerous books, magazines, yarn companies, and designers.</p> <p><b>Susan Brittain</b> was an assistant editor for <i>Crochet Fantasy</i> magazine.</p>","hasArticle":false,"_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/authors/10487"}},{"authorId":9848,"name":"Kristi Porter","slug":"kristi-porter","description":"","hasArticle":false,"_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/authors/9848"}}],"primaryCategoryTaxonomy":{"categoryId":33826,"title":"Knitting & Crocheting","slug":"knitting-crocheting","_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/categories/33826"}},"secondaryCategoryTaxonomy":{"categoryId":0,"title":null,"slug":null,"_links":null},"tertiaryCategoryTaxonomy":{"categoryId":0,"title":null,"slug":null,"_links":null},"trendingArticles":null,"inThisArticle":[{"label":"Garter stitch","target":"#tab1"},{"label":"Stockinette stitch","target":"#tab2"},{"label":"Seed stitch","target":"#tab3"}],"relatedArticles":{"fromBook":[{"articleId":269304,"title":"How to Clean Knitted and Crocheted Items","slug":"how-to-clean-knitted-and-crocheted-items","categoryList":["home-auto-hobbies","crafts","knitting-crocheting"],"_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/articles/269304"}},{"articleId":269296,"title":"How to Execute the Extended Double Crochet","slug":"how-to-execute-the-extended-double-crochet","categoryList":["home-auto-hobbies","crafts","knitting-crocheting"],"_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/articles/269296"}},{"articleId":269283,"title":"Why (and When) Yarn Gauge Matters","slug":"why-and-when-yarn-gauge-matters","categoryList":["home-auto-hobbies","crafts","knitting-crocheting"],"_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/articles/269283"}},{"articleId":269278,"title":"How to Knit Basic Beanies","slug":"how-to-knit-basic-beanies","categoryList":["home-auto-hobbies","crafts","knitting-crocheting"],"_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/articles/269278"}},{"articleId":269273,"title":"Crochet Pattern for a Multicolored Scarf","slug":"crochet-pattern-for-a-multicolored-scarf","categoryList":["home-auto-hobbies","crafts","knitting-crocheting"],"_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/articles/269273"}}],"fromCategory":[{"articleId":295667,"title":"Crochet Patterns For Dummies Cheat Sheet","slug":"crochet-patterns-for-dummies-cheat-sheet","categoryList":["home-auto-hobbies","crafts","knitting-crocheting"],"_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/articles/295667"}},{"articleId":269304,"title":"How to Clean Knitted and Crocheted Items","slug":"how-to-clean-knitted-and-crocheted-items","categoryList":["home-auto-hobbies","crafts","knitting-crocheting"],"_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/articles/269304"}},{"articleId":269296,"title":"How to Execute the Extended Double Crochet","slug":"how-to-execute-the-extended-double-crochet","categoryList":["home-auto-hobbies","crafts","knitting-crocheting"],"_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/articles/269296"}},{"articleId":269283,"title":"Why (and When) Yarn Gauge Matters","slug":"why-and-when-yarn-gauge-matters","categoryList":["home-auto-hobbies","crafts","knitting-crocheting"],"_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/articles/269283"}},{"articleId":269278,"title":"How to Knit Basic Beanies","slug":"how-to-knit-basic-beanies","categoryList":["home-auto-hobbies","crafts","knitting-crocheting"],"_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/articles/269278"}}]},"hasRelatedBookFromSearch":false,"relatedBook":{"bookId":282338,"slug":"knitting-crocheting-all-in-one-for-dummies","isbn":"9781119652939","categoryList":["home-auto-hobbies","crafts","knitting-crocheting"],"amazon":{"default":"https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1119652936/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=wiley01-20","ca":"https://www.amazon.ca/gp/product/1119652936/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=wiley01-20","indigo_ca":"http://www.tkqlhce.com/click-9208661-13710633?url=https://www.chapters.indigo.ca/en-ca/books/product/1119652936-item.html&cjsku=978111945484","gb":"https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/1119652936/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=wiley01-20","de":"https://www.amazon.de/gp/product/1119652936/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=wiley01-20"},"image":{"src":"https://www.dummies.com/wp-content/uploads/knitting-and-crocheting-all-in-one-for-dummies-cover-9781119652939-203x255.jpg","width":203,"height":255},"title":"Knitting & Crocheting All-in-One For Dummies","testBankPinActivationLink":"","bookOutOfPrint":true,"authorsInfo":"<p><b><b data-author-id=\"9540\">Pam Allen</b></b> is a knitwear designer and founder of Quince &amp; Co.</p> <p><b>Shannon Okey</b> is an author and knitwear designer. Find her at knitgrrl.com.</p> <p><b>Tracy L. Barr</b> is a professional writer and editor.</p> <p><b>Marlaina \"Marly\" Bird</b> hosts her own YouTube channel, where she instructs viewers on knitting and crochet.</p> <p><b>Pam Allen</b> is a knitwear designer and founder of Quince &amp; Co.</p> <p><b><b data-author-id=\"9541\">Shannon Okey</b></b> is an author and knitwear designer. Find her at knitgrrl.com.</p> <p><b>Tracy L. Barr</b> is a professional writer and editor.</p> <p><b>Marlaina \"Marly\" Bird</b> hosts her own YouTube channel, where she instructs viewers on knitting and crochet.</p> <p><b>Tracy Barr</b> is the coauthor of <b><i>Adoption For Dummies</i></b> and <b><i>Latin For Dummies.</i></b><b> Lodge Manufacturing</b> is America&#39;s oldest family&#45;owned cookware manufacturer and the sole domestic cast&#45;iron cookware foundry. <p><b>Pam Allen</b> is a knitwear designer and founder of Quince &amp; Co.</p> <p><b>Shannon Okey</b> is an author and knitwear designer. Find her at knitgrrl.com.</p> <p><b>Tracy L. Barr</b> is a professional writer and editor.</p> <p><b>Marlaina \"Marly\" Bird</b> hosts her own YouTube channel, where she instructs viewers on knitting and crochet.</p> <p><b>Karen Manthey</b> edits crochet diagrams for numerous books, magazines, yarn companies, and designers.</p> <p><b><b data-author-id=\"9849\">Susan Brittain</b></b> was an assistant editor for <i>Crochet Fantasy</i> magazine.</p> <p><b><b data-author-id=\"10487\">Karen Manthey</b></b> edits crochet diagrams for numerous books, magazines, yarn companies, and designers.</p> <p><b>Susan Brittain</b> was an assistant editor for <i>Crochet Fantasy</i> magazine.</p>","authors":[{"authorId":9540,"name":"Pam Allen","slug":"pam-allen","description":" <p><b>Pam Allen</b> is a knitwear designer and founder of Quince &amp; Co.</p> <p><b>Shannon Okey</b> is an author and knitwear designer. Find her at knitgrrl.com.</p> <p><b>Tracy L. Barr</b> is a professional writer and editor.</p> <p><b>Marlaina \"Marly\" Bird</b> hosts her own YouTube channel, where she instructs viewers on knitting and crochet.</p>","hasArticle":false,"_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/authors/9540"}},{"authorId":9541,"name":"Shannon Okey","slug":"shannon-okey","description":" <p><b>Pam Allen</b> is a knitwear designer and founder of Quince &amp; Co.</p> <p><b>Shannon Okey</b> is an author and knitwear designer. Find her at knitgrrl.com.</p> <p><b>Tracy L. Barr</b> is a professional writer and editor.</p> <p><b>Marlaina \"Marly\" Bird</b> hosts her own YouTube channel, where she instructs viewers on knitting and crochet.</p>","hasArticle":false,"_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/authors/9541"}},{"authorId":33342,"name":"Tracy L. Barr","slug":"tracy-l-barr","description":" <p><b>Tracy Barr</b> is the coauthor of <b><i>Adoption For Dummies</i></b> and <b><i>Latin For Dummies.</i></b><b> Lodge Manufacturing</b> is America&#39;s oldest family&#45;owned cookware manufacturer and the sole domestic cast&#45;iron cookware foundry. ","hasArticle":false,"_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/authors/33342"}},{"authorId":9543,"name":"Marly Bird","slug":"marly-bird","description":" <p><b>Pam Allen</b> is a knitwear designer and founder of Quince &amp; Co.</p> <p><b>Shannon Okey</b> is an author and knitwear designer. Find her at knitgrrl.com.</p> <p><b>Tracy L. Barr</b> is a professional writer and editor.</p> <p><b>Marlaina \"Marly\" Bird</b> hosts her own YouTube channel, where she instructs viewers on knitting and crochet.</p>","hasArticle":false,"_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/authors/9543"}},{"authorId":9849,"name":"Susan Brittain","slug":"susan-brittain","description":" <p><b>Karen Manthey</b> edits crochet diagrams for numerous books, magazines, yarn companies, and designers.</p> <p><b>Susan Brittain</b> was an assistant editor for <i>Crochet Fantasy</i> magazine.</p>","hasArticle":false,"_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/authors/9849"}},{"authorId":10487,"name":"Karen Manthey","slug":"karen-manthey","description":" <p><b>Karen Manthey</b> edits crochet diagrams for numerous books, magazines, yarn companies, and designers.</p> <p><b>Susan Brittain</b> was an assistant editor for <i>Crochet Fantasy</i> magazine.</p>","hasArticle":false,"_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/authors/10487"}},{"authorId":9848,"name":"Kristi Porter","slug":"kristi-porter","description":"","hasArticle":false,"_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/authors/9848"}}],"_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/books/"}},"collections":[],"articleAds":{"footerAd":"<div class=\"du-ad-region row\" id=\"article_page_adhesion_ad\"><div class=\"du-ad-unit col-md-12\" data-slot-id=\"article_page_adhesion_ad\" data-refreshed=\"false\" \r\n data-target = \"[{&quot;key&quot;:&quot;cat&quot;,&quot;values&quot;:[&quot;home-auto-hobbies&quot;,&quot;crafts&quot;,&quot;knitting-crocheting&quot;]},{&quot;key&quot;:&quot;isbn&quot;,&quot;values&quot;:[&quot;9781119652939&quot;]}]\" id=\"du-slot-64d2ad0ec8674\"></div></div>","rightAd":"<div class=\"du-ad-region row\" id=\"article_page_right_ad\"><div class=\"du-ad-unit col-md-12\" data-slot-id=\"article_page_right_ad\" data-refreshed=\"false\" \r\n data-target = \"[{&quot;key&quot;:&quot;cat&quot;,&quot;values&quot;:[&quot;home-auto-hobbies&quot;,&quot;crafts&quot;,&quot;knitting-crocheting&quot;]},{&quot;key&quot;:&quot;isbn&quot;,&quot;values&quot;:[&quot;9781119652939&quot;]}]\" id=\"du-slot-64d2ad0ec8f99\"></div></div>"},"articleType":{"articleType":"Videos","articleList":null,"content":null,"videoInfo":{"videoId":"1648423511001","name":"How to Make the Seed Stitch When Knitting","accountId":"622696558001","playerId":"default","thumbnailUrl":"https://cf-images.us-east-1.prod.boltdns.net/v1/static/622696558001/0e09a436-8e0e-4f41-8a53-10244c2228d0/da9a8a20-88bc-4df4-b9f8-066a3de0e311/120x67/match/image.jpg","description":"A seed stitch creates a flat, reversible piece of knitting that doesn't curl. The seed stitch is good for knitted edgings, like cuffs and borders, and for scarves.","uploadDate":"2022-06-30T17:08:57.784Z"}},"sponsorship":{"sponsorshipPage":false,"backgroundImage":{"src":null,"width":0,"height":0},"brandingLine":"","brandingLink":"","brandingLogo":{"src":null,"width":0,"height":0},"sponsorAd":"","sponsorEbookTitle":"","sponsorEbookLink":"","sponsorEbookImage":{"src":null,"width":0,"height":0}},"primaryLearningPath":"Explore","lifeExpectancy":"Five years","lifeExpectancySetFrom":"2023-08-08T00:00:00+00:00","dummiesForKids":"no","sponsoredContent":"no","adInfo":"","adPairKey":[]},"status":"publish","visibility":"public","articleId":269289},{"headers":{"creationTime":"2016-03-26T22:21:38+00:00","modifiedTime":"2023-08-08T17:04:01+00:00","timestamp":"2023-08-08T18:01:03+00:00"},"data":{"breadcrumbs":[{"name":"Home, Auto, & Hobbies","_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/categories/33809"},"slug":"home-auto-hobbies","categoryId":33809},{"name":"Crafts","_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/categories/33825"},"slug":"crafts","categoryId":33825},{"name":"Knitting & Crocheting","_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/categories/33826"},"slug":"knitting-crocheting","categoryId":33826}],"title":"How to Slip Stitches in Knitting","strippedTitle":"how to slip stitches in knitting","slug":"how-to-slip-stitches","canonicalUrl":"","seo":{"metaDescription":"Learn how to slip a stitch in knitting, which is often done when you want to reduce the number of stitches you have on your needle.","noIndex":0,"noFollow":0},"content":"In knitting-speak, to <i>slip</i> a stitch (abbreviated sl st) means to move a stitch from the LH needle to the RH needle (\"slip\" it) without knitting or purling it <i>and</i> without changing its orientation (that is, without twisting it).\r\n<div class=\"x2 x2-top\">\r\n\r\n<div class=\"video-player-organism\"></div>\r\n\r\n</div>\r\nTo slip a stitch, insert the RH needle purlwise (as if you were going to purl) into the first stitch on the LH needle and slip it off the LH needle onto the RH needle.\r\n<p class=\"Remember\">Unless your instructions specifically tell you to slip a stitch knitwise, always slip a stitch as if you were going to purl it. Here’s a look at stitches being slipped both purlwise (a.) and knitwise (b.).</p>\r\n<img src=\"https://www.dummies.com/wp-content/uploads/107899.image0.jpg\" alt=\"image0.jpg\" width=\"535\" height=\"187\" />\r\n\r\nYou frequently run across slipped stitches in methods for decreasing stitches — when you want to reduce the number of stitches you have on your needle. They also form the basis of a family of stitch patterns. Like garter stitch, slip-stitch patterns are stable and lie flat — and they’re a breeze to knit.","description":"In knitting-speak, to <i>slip</i> a stitch (abbreviated sl st) means to move a stitch from the LH needle to the RH needle (\"slip\" it) without knitting or purling it <i>and</i> without changing its orientation (that is, without twisting it).\r\n<div class=\"x2 x2-top\">\r\n\r\n<div class=\"video-player-organism\"></div>\r\n\r\n</div>\r\nTo slip a stitch, insert the RH needle purlwise (as if you were going to purl) into the first stitch on the LH needle and slip it off the LH needle onto the RH needle.\r\n<p class=\"Remember\">Unless your instructions specifically tell you to slip a stitch knitwise, always slip a stitch as if you were going to purl it. Here’s a look at stitches being slipped both purlwise (a.) and knitwise (b.).</p>\r\n<img src=\"https://www.dummies.com/wp-content/uploads/107899.image0.jpg\" alt=\"image0.jpg\" width=\"535\" height=\"187\" />\r\n\r\nYou frequently run across slipped stitches in methods for decreasing stitches — when you want to reduce the number of stitches you have on your needle. They also form the basis of a family of stitch patterns. Like garter stitch, slip-stitch patterns are stable and lie flat — and they’re a breeze to knit.","blurb":"","authors":[],"primaryCategoryTaxonomy":{"categoryId":33826,"title":"Knitting & Crocheting","slug":"knitting-crocheting","_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/categories/33826"}},"secondaryCategoryTaxonomy":{"categoryId":0,"title":null,"slug":null,"_links":null},"tertiaryCategoryTaxonomy":{"categoryId":0,"title":null,"slug":null,"_links":null},"trendingArticles":null,"inThisArticle":[],"relatedArticles":{"fromBook":[],"fromCategory":[{"articleId":295667,"title":"Crochet Patterns For Dummies Cheat Sheet","slug":"crochet-patterns-for-dummies-cheat-sheet","categoryList":["home-auto-hobbies","crafts","knitting-crocheting"],"_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/articles/295667"}},{"articleId":269304,"title":"How to Clean Knitted and Crocheted Items","slug":"how-to-clean-knitted-and-crocheted-items","categoryList":["home-auto-hobbies","crafts","knitting-crocheting"],"_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/articles/269304"}},{"articleId":269296,"title":"How to Execute the Extended Double Crochet","slug":"how-to-execute-the-extended-double-crochet","categoryList":["home-auto-hobbies","crafts","knitting-crocheting"],"_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/articles/269296"}},{"articleId":269289,"title":"Go-To Stitches: Garter, Stockinette, and Seed Stitches","slug":"go-to-stitches-garter-stockinette-and-seed-stitches","categoryList":["home-auto-hobbies","crafts","knitting-crocheting"],"_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/articles/269289"}},{"articleId":269283,"title":"Why (and When) Yarn Gauge Matters","slug":"why-and-when-yarn-gauge-matters","categoryList":["home-auto-hobbies","crafts","knitting-crocheting"],"_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/articles/269283"}}]},"hasRelatedBookFromSearch":false,"relatedBook":{"bookId":0,"slug":null,"isbn":null,"categoryList":null,"amazon":null,"image":null,"title":null,"testBankPinActivationLink":null,"bookOutOfPrint":false,"authorsInfo":null,"authors":null,"_links":null},"collections":[],"articleAds":{"footerAd":"<div class=\"du-ad-region row\" id=\"article_page_adhesion_ad\"><div class=\"du-ad-unit col-md-12\" data-slot-id=\"article_page_adhesion_ad\" data-refreshed=\"false\" \r\n data-target = \"[{&quot;key&quot;:&quot;cat&quot;,&quot;values&quot;:[&quot;home-auto-hobbies&quot;,&quot;crafts&quot;,&quot;knitting-crocheting&quot;]},{&quot;key&quot;:&quot;isbn&quot;,&quot;values&quot;:[null]}]\" id=\"du-slot-64d282df18706\"></div></div>","rightAd":"<div class=\"du-ad-region row\" id=\"article_page_right_ad\"><div class=\"du-ad-unit col-md-12\" data-slot-id=\"article_page_right_ad\" data-refreshed=\"false\" \r\n data-target = \"[{&quot;key&quot;:&quot;cat&quot;,&quot;values&quot;:[&quot;home-auto-hobbies&quot;,&quot;crafts&quot;,&quot;knitting-crocheting&quot;]},{&quot;key&quot;:&quot;isbn&quot;,&quot;values&quot;:[null]}]\" id=\"du-slot-64d282df18c39\"></div></div>"},"articleType":{"articleType":"Videos","articleList":null,"content":null,"videoInfo":{"videoId":"1648465978001","name":"How to Slip a Stitch in Your Knitting","accountId":"622696558001","playerId":"default","thumbnailUrl":"https://cf-images.us-east-1.prod.boltdns.net/v1/static/622696558001/5746375c-8ff6-41dc-af50-06d60f748973/5a3e874e-f164-42dd-93d9-30a33e04c169/120x67/match/image.jpg","description":"The slip stitch can add variety and interest to your knitting, and it's also a good method for decreasing stitches so that your fabric tapers. Plus, it's a breeze to knit.","uploadDate":"2022-06-30T17:13:04.532Z"}},"sponsorship":{"sponsorshipPage":false,"backgroundImage":{"src":null,"width":0,"height":0},"brandingLine":"","brandingLink":"","brandingLogo":{"src":null,"width":0,"height":0},"sponsorAd":"","sponsorEbookTitle":"","sponsorEbookLink":"","sponsorEbookImage":{"src":null,"width":0,"height":0}},"primaryLearningPath":"Explore","lifeExpectancy":"Five years","lifeExpectancySetFrom":"2023-08-08T00:00:00+00:00","dummiesForKids":"no","sponsoredContent":"no","adInfo":"","adPairKey":[]},"status":"publish","visibility":"public","articleId":197605},{"headers":{"creationTime":"2016-03-26T22:22:41+00:00","modifiedTime":"2023-08-08T16:58:20+00:00","timestamp":"2023-08-08T18:01:03+00:00"},"data":{"breadcrumbs":[{"name":"Home, Auto, & Hobbies","_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/categories/33809"},"slug":"home-auto-hobbies","categoryId":33809},{"name":"Crafts","_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/categories/33825"},"slug":"crafts","categoryId":33825},{"name":"Knitting & Crocheting","_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/categories/33826"},"slug":"knitting-crocheting","categoryId":33826}],"title":"How to Work Common Stitches in the Round","strippedTitle":"how to work common stitches in the round","slug":"how-to-work-common-stitches-in-the-round","canonicalUrl":"","seo":{"metaDescription":"In this video and article, you learn how to knit in the round, including garter stitch by alternating between rows of purling and knitting.","noIndex":0,"noFollow":0},"content":"When knitting in the round, the right side is always facing you — so you need to understand how this knitting-in-the-round stitch position affects the stitches you make. For example, whereas in flat knitting you create a garter stitch by knitting every row, knitting every round in circular knitting produces stockinette stitch.\r\n<div class=\"x2 x2-top\">\r\n\r\n<div class=\"video-player-organism\"></div>\r\n\r\n</div>\r\nHere’s a quick guide to getting the stitches you want in the round:\r\n<ul class=\"level-one\">\r\n \t<li>\r\n<p class=\"first-para\"><b>For garter stitch: </b>Alternate a knit round with a purl round.</p>\r\n</li>\r\n \t<li>\r\n<p class=\"first-para\"><b>For stockinette stitch:</b> Knit all rounds.</p>\r\n</li>\r\n \t<li>\r\n<p class=\"first-para\"><b>For rib stitches:</b> In round 1, alternate knit and purl stitches in whatever configuration you choose (1 x 1, 2 x 2, and so on). In subsequent rounds, knit over the knit stitches and purl over the purl stitches.</p>\r\n</li>\r\n</ul>\r\n<p class=\"Tip\">The trick is knowing how the stitch is created in flat knitting and then remembering the principle. For example, in flat-knitting seed stitch, you knit in the purl stitches and purl in the knit stitches. Well, you do the same in circular knitting.</p>\r\nRounds (rnds) are what you work in circular knitting. <i>Rows</i> are what you work in flat (back-and-forth) knitting.","description":"When knitting in the round, the right side is always facing you — so you need to understand how this knitting-in-the-round stitch position affects the stitches you make. For example, whereas in flat knitting you create a garter stitch by knitting every row, knitting every round in circular knitting produces stockinette stitch.\r\n<div class=\"x2 x2-top\">\r\n\r\n<div class=\"video-player-organism\"></div>\r\n\r\n</div>\r\nHere’s a quick guide to getting the stitches you want in the round:\r\n<ul class=\"level-one\">\r\n \t<li>\r\n<p class=\"first-para\"><b>For garter stitch: </b>Alternate a knit round with a purl round.</p>\r\n</li>\r\n \t<li>\r\n<p class=\"first-para\"><b>For stockinette stitch:</b> Knit all rounds.</p>\r\n</li>\r\n \t<li>\r\n<p class=\"first-para\"><b>For rib stitches:</b> In round 1, alternate knit and purl stitches in whatever configuration you choose (1 x 1, 2 x 2, and so on). In subsequent rounds, knit over the knit stitches and purl over the purl stitches.</p>\r\n</li>\r\n</ul>\r\n<p class=\"Tip\">The trick is knowing how the stitch is created in flat knitting and then remembering the principle. For example, in flat-knitting seed stitch, you knit in the purl stitches and purl in the knit stitches. Well, you do the same in circular knitting.</p>\r\nRounds (rnds) are what you work in circular knitting. <i>Rows</i> are what you work in flat (back-and-forth) knitting.","blurb":"","authors":[],"primaryCategoryTaxonomy":{"categoryId":33826,"title":"Knitting & Crocheting","slug":"knitting-crocheting","_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/categories/33826"}},"secondaryCategoryTaxonomy":{"categoryId":0,"title":null,"slug":null,"_links":null},"tertiaryCategoryTaxonomy":{"categoryId":0,"title":null,"slug":null,"_links":null},"trendingArticles":null,"inThisArticle":[],"relatedArticles":{"fromBook":[],"fromCategory":[{"articleId":295667,"title":"Crochet Patterns For Dummies Cheat Sheet","slug":"crochet-patterns-for-dummies-cheat-sheet","categoryList":["home-auto-hobbies","crafts","knitting-crocheting"],"_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/articles/295667"}},{"articleId":269304,"title":"How to Clean Knitted and Crocheted Items","slug":"how-to-clean-knitted-and-crocheted-items","categoryList":["home-auto-hobbies","crafts","knitting-crocheting"],"_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/articles/269304"}},{"articleId":269296,"title":"How to Execute the Extended Double Crochet","slug":"how-to-execute-the-extended-double-crochet","categoryList":["home-auto-hobbies","crafts","knitting-crocheting"],"_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/articles/269296"}},{"articleId":269289,"title":"Go-To Stitches: Garter, Stockinette, and Seed Stitches","slug":"go-to-stitches-garter-stockinette-and-seed-stitches","categoryList":["home-auto-hobbies","crafts","knitting-crocheting"],"_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/articles/269289"}},{"articleId":269283,"title":"Why (and When) Yarn Gauge Matters","slug":"why-and-when-yarn-gauge-matters","categoryList":["home-auto-hobbies","crafts","knitting-crocheting"],"_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/articles/269283"}}]},"hasRelatedBookFromSearch":false,"relatedBook":{"bookId":0,"slug":null,"isbn":null,"categoryList":null,"amazon":null,"image":null,"title":null,"testBankPinActivationLink":null,"bookOutOfPrint":false,"authorsInfo":null,"authors":null,"_links":null},"collections":[],"articleAds":{"footerAd":"<div class=\"du-ad-region row\" id=\"article_page_adhesion_ad\"><div class=\"du-ad-unit col-md-12\" data-slot-id=\"article_page_adhesion_ad\" data-refreshed=\"false\" \r\n data-target = \"[{&quot;key&quot;:&quot;cat&quot;,&quot;values&quot;:[&quot;home-auto-hobbies&quot;,&quot;crafts&quot;,&quot;knitting-crocheting&quot;]},{&quot;key&quot;:&quot;isbn&quot;,&quot;values&quot;:[null]}]\" id=\"du-slot-64d282df12347\"></div></div>","rightAd":"<div class=\"du-ad-region row\" id=\"article_page_right_ad\"><div class=\"du-ad-unit col-md-12\" data-slot-id=\"article_page_right_ad\" data-refreshed=\"false\" \r\n data-target = \"[{&quot;key&quot;:&quot;cat&quot;,&quot;values&quot;:[&quot;home-auto-hobbies&quot;,&quot;crafts&quot;,&quot;knitting-crocheting&quot;]},{&quot;key&quot;:&quot;isbn&quot;,&quot;values&quot;:[null]}]\" id=\"du-slot-64d282df12851\"></div></div>"},"articleType":{"articleType":"Videos","articleList":null,"content":null,"videoInfo":{"videoId":"1648462470001","name":"Knitting in the Round with Common Stitches","accountId":"622696558001","playerId":"default","thumbnailUrl":"https://cf-images.us-east-1.prod.boltdns.net/v1/static/622696558001/3d0dc20c-f1f2-473d-b368-909de3872399/7918016b-0220-49b3-aa3d-eadb8541733a/120x67/match/image.jpg","description":"Knitting in the round lets you create circular pieces of knitting, which is great for making stocking caps. You can knit almost any stitch in the round, including the stockinette, garter, and rib stitches shown in this video.","uploadDate":"2022-06-30T17:07:16.026Z"}},"sponsorship":{"sponsorshipPage":false,"backgroundImage":{"src":null,"width":0,"height":0},"brandingLine":"","brandingLink":"","brandingLogo":{"src":null,"width":0,"height":0},"sponsorAd":"","sponsorEbookTitle":"","sponsorEbookLink":"","sponsorEbookImage":{"src":null,"width":0,"height":0}},"primaryLearningPath":"Explore","lifeExpectancy":"Five years","lifeExpectancySetFrom":"2023-08-08T00:00:00+00:00","dummiesForKids":"no","sponsoredContent":"no","adInfo":"","adPairKey":[]},"status":"publish","visibility":"public","articleId":197674},{"headers":{"creationTime":"2016-03-26T22:52:40+00:00","modifiedTime":"2023-07-21T14:32:28+00:00","timestamp":"2023-07-21T15:01:25+00:00"},"data":{"breadcrumbs":[{"name":"Home, Auto, & Hobbies","_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/categories/33809"},"slug":"home-auto-hobbies","categoryId":33809},{"name":"Crafts","_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/categories/33825"},"slug":"crafts","categoryId":33825},{"name":"Knitting & Crocheting","_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/categories/33826"},"slug":"knitting-crocheting","categoryId":33826}],"title":"Preparing to Crochet","strippedTitle":"preparing to crochet","slug":"preparing-to-crochet","canonicalUrl":"","seo":{"metaDescription":"Before you even attempt your first stitch, you need to master some basic skills. First, you need to know how to hold the hook and yarn, and second, you need to ","noIndex":0,"noFollow":0},"content":"Before you even attempt your first stitch, you need to master some basic skills. First, you need to know how to hold the hook and yarn, and second, you need to know how to get the yarn on the hook.\r\n<h2 id=\"tab1\" >Are you a lefty or a righty?</h2>\r\nYour dominant hand — the one that you write with, eat with, and do just about everything else with — is the hand that you should hold your hook in. This is the hand that does most of the action, while the other hand guides the yarn and holds the work that's already been completed. Although most crochet patterns are written for right-handed people, those of you that are lefties shouldn't be discouraged. Your motions are exactly the same. You just do it with your left hand instead of your right.\r\n<h2 id=\"tab2\" >Getting a grip</h2>\r\nEven though you crochet with only one hook, both hands are kept busy. Your dominant hand holds the hook, and your other hand holds the yarn.\r\n\r\nHolding your crochet hook is pretty simple. You just need to get a nice hold on your hook. If your hand isn't comfortable, it can cramp up, and your stitches won't go with the flow. Crocheting should be relaxing, not a continuous fight with the hook and yarn. Experiment with each of the following positions to see which one feels the most comfortable for you.\r\n<ul>\r\n \t<li><b>Over-the-hook position: </b>Position your hand over the hook with the handle resting against your palm and your thumb and middle finger grasping the thumb rest.</li>\r\n</ul>\r\n<ul>\r\n \t<li><b>Under-the-hook position:</b> Hold the hook as you would a pencil with the thumb rest between your forefinger and thumb.</li>\r\n</ul>\r\nBoth are common ways of holding the crochet hook — for lefties and righties. Both work just fine.\r\n<p class=\"Tip\">When you first start working with yarn, it's best to use a light to medium, solid color worsted-weight yarn. You'll be able to see the stitches more clearly and manipulate the yarn easier, thus eliminating any potential problems that may occur if you used a textured or variegated yarn.</p>\r\nAfter you know what to do with the hook, you need to grab hold of the yarn. Like holding the hook, holding the yarn properly may seem simple. It may also seem like your fingers have to be contortionists to achieve the proper position, but don't worry, they can do it. Your yarn hand — the hand not holding your hook — has an important job. Not only does it feed the yarn to your crochet hook, but it also controls the tension of the yarn. Remember that right-handed crocheters wrap the yarn over their left hand, and left-handed people wrap the yarn over their right hand. The following steps offer one common method for wrapping the yarn around your hand.\r\n<ol>\r\n \t<li>Starting from underneath your hand, bring the yarn up between your little finger and ring finger.</li>\r\n \t<li>Wrap the yarn around your little finger to form a loop.</li>\r\n \t<li>Draw the yarn under your ring finger and middle finger.</li>\r\n \t<li>Bring the yarn up to the top of your hand between your middle finger and forefinger.</li>\r\n \t<li>Finally, lay the yarn over your forefinger.</li>\r\n</ol>\r\n\r\nTo keep the yarn in place, grasp the end of the yarn between your middle finger and thumb. By raising or lowering your forefinger, you can control the yarn tension.\r\n\r\nPractice wrapping and rewrapping the yarn around your yarn hand. Whenever you feel that your working yarn is too loose or too tight, stop and rewrap to get the proper tension. This motion will soon become an ingrained habit.","description":"Before you even attempt your first stitch, you need to master some basic skills. First, you need to know how to hold the hook and yarn, and second, you need to know how to get the yarn on the hook.\r\n<h2 id=\"tab1\" >Are you a lefty or a righty?</h2>\r\nYour dominant hand — the one that you write with, eat with, and do just about everything else with — is the hand that you should hold your hook in. This is the hand that does most of the action, while the other hand guides the yarn and holds the work that's already been completed. Although most crochet patterns are written for right-handed people, those of you that are lefties shouldn't be discouraged. Your motions are exactly the same. You just do it with your left hand instead of your right.\r\n<h2 id=\"tab2\" >Getting a grip</h2>\r\nEven though you crochet with only one hook, both hands are kept busy. Your dominant hand holds the hook, and your other hand holds the yarn.\r\n\r\nHolding your crochet hook is pretty simple. You just need to get a nice hold on your hook. If your hand isn't comfortable, it can cramp up, and your stitches won't go with the flow. Crocheting should be relaxing, not a continuous fight with the hook and yarn. Experiment with each of the following positions to see which one feels the most comfortable for you.\r\n<ul>\r\n \t<li><b>Over-the-hook position: </b>Position your hand over the hook with the handle resting against your palm and your thumb and middle finger grasping the thumb rest.</li>\r\n</ul>\r\n<ul>\r\n \t<li><b>Under-the-hook position:</b> Hold the hook as you would a pencil with the thumb rest between your forefinger and thumb.</li>\r\n</ul>\r\nBoth are common ways of holding the crochet hook — for lefties and righties. Both work just fine.\r\n<p class=\"Tip\">When you first start working with yarn, it's best to use a light to medium, solid color worsted-weight yarn. You'll be able to see the stitches more clearly and manipulate the yarn easier, thus eliminating any potential problems that may occur if you used a textured or variegated yarn.</p>\r\nAfter you know what to do with the hook, you need to grab hold of the yarn. Like holding the hook, holding the yarn properly may seem simple. It may also seem like your fingers have to be contortionists to achieve the proper position, but don't worry, they can do it. Your yarn hand — the hand not holding your hook — has an important job. Not only does it feed the yarn to your crochet hook, but it also controls the tension of the yarn. Remember that right-handed crocheters wrap the yarn over their left hand, and left-handed people wrap the yarn over their right hand. The following steps offer one common method for wrapping the yarn around your hand.\r\n<ol>\r\n \t<li>Starting from underneath your hand, bring the yarn up between your little finger and ring finger.</li>\r\n \t<li>Wrap the yarn around your little finger to form a loop.</li>\r\n \t<li>Draw the yarn under your ring finger and middle finger.</li>\r\n \t<li>Bring the yarn up to the top of your hand between your middle finger and forefinger.</li>\r\n \t<li>Finally, lay the yarn over your forefinger.</li>\r\n</ol>\r\n\r\nTo keep the yarn in place, grasp the end of the yarn between your middle finger and thumb. By raising or lowering your forefinger, you can control the yarn tension.\r\n\r\nPractice wrapping and rewrapping the yarn around your yarn hand. Whenever you feel that your working yarn is too loose or too tight, stop and rewrap to get the proper tension. This motion will soon become an ingrained habit.","blurb":"","authors":[{"authorId":9849,"name":"Susan Brittain","slug":"susan-brittain","description":" <p><b>Pam Allen</b> is a knitwear designer and founder of Quince &amp; Co.</p> <p><b>Shannon Okey</b> is an author and knitwear designer. Find her at knitgrrl.com.</p> <p><b>Tracy L. Barr</b> is a professional writer and editor.</p> <p><b>Marlaina \"Marly\" Bird</b> hosts her own YouTube channel, where she instructs viewers on knitting and crochet.</p>","hasArticle":false,"_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/authors/9849"}},{"authorId":10487,"name":"Karen Manthey","slug":"karen-manthey","description":" <p><b>Pam Allen</b> is a knitwear designer and founder of Quince &amp; Co.</p> <p><b>Shannon Okey</b> is an author and knitwear designer. Find her at knitgrrl.com.</p> <p><b>Tracy L. Barr</b> is a professional writer and editor.</p> <p><b>Marlaina \"Marly\" Bird</b> hosts her own YouTube channel, where she instructs viewers on knitting and crochet.</p>","hasArticle":false,"_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/authors/10487"}}],"primaryCategoryTaxonomy":{"categoryId":33826,"title":"Knitting & Crocheting","slug":"knitting-crocheting","_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/categories/33826"}},"secondaryCategoryTaxonomy":{"categoryId":0,"title":null,"slug":null,"_links":null},"tertiaryCategoryTaxonomy":{"categoryId":0,"title":null,"slug":null,"_links":null},"trendingArticles":null,"inThisArticle":[{"label":"Are you a lefty or a righty?","target":"#tab1"},{"label":"Getting a grip","target":"#tab2"}],"relatedArticles":{"fromBook":[],"fromCategory":[{"articleId":295667,"title":"Crochet Patterns For Dummies Cheat 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It's time to get crafty. Learn or refine your technique as a knitter, candlemaker, scrapbooker, calligraphist, carpenter, origami artist, and beyond.

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Jewelry Making Tools and Supplies for Beading and Making Jewelry

Video / Updated 08-15-2023

It can be difficult to know what you really need when it comes to jewelry and beading design, especially if you're standing in front of racks of supplies. Don't fret; use the following list of supplies you should have handy so you can create jewelry at a moment's notice. And watch the video above to learn about the tools you should have and where to find jewelry making supplies. Assorted clasps (toggle clasps, spring ring clasp) 2-x2mm tube-shaped sterling crimp beads Sterling and gold-filled bead tips Ear wires (leverback and shepherd hook styles) Head pins Assorted sizes of jump rings (5mm to 7mm in gold-filled and sterling)

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Knitting & Crocheting How to Pick Up a Dropped Stitch

Video / Updated 08-09-2023

A dropped stitch is one that has come off the needle. Whether it is a dropped knit stitch or purl stitch, fear not. You can fix it. You might see it right away after you knit a round or you might miss it for a few rounds. Depending on the type of yarn you’re using, the dropped stitch might just sit without going anywhere or it might “run,” leaving a ladder behind. Luckily, you can easily pick up the stitch with a small crochet hook. Learn how by watching this video or following the steps below. Pick up a dropped knit stitch You can pick up a stitch that drops off the needle but doesn’t run down by simply placing it back onto the left needle on the next round. Make sure that you place the stitch back on the needle in the correct orientation — front leg of the stitch should sit to the right of the back leg. To pick up a stitch that drops several rows back, first identify the stitch. One strand of yarn runs between the adjoining stitches for each round that the stitch drops, which creates a ladder. Here, the stitch drops 5 rows. Knit to just before the dropped stitch. Repair the dropped stitch by pulling each of those strands through the dropped stitch with a small crochet hook and working your way back up to the needle. Insert the crochet hook into the dropped stitch from front to back. Catch the lowest strand of the ladder with the hook. Pull it through the stitch towards you. This technique moves the stitch up one round. Remove the crochet hook from the stitch and re-insert it from front to back. Catch the next strand of the ladder and pull it through the loop towards you. Repeat until you pick up all the strands and the stitch is level with the current round. Place the stitch back onto the left needle and you’re ready to knit again. Be careful not to twist this stitch. Be careful not to twist this stitch. Pick a dropped purl stitch Because a purl stitch is the opposite of a knit stitch, you can pick up a purl-side ladder by working from the inside of the sock. Turn the work so that the inside of the sock faces you. Pick up the dropped stitch by inserting the crochet hook into the stitch from front to back and pulling each strand through the stitch one round at a time. Arrange the dropped stitch so that the lowest strand of the ladder is in front of the dropped stitch. To pick up a dropped stitch purlwise from the outside, you need to recreate the purl “bump.” Insert the crochet hook into the dropped stitch from back to front, and use the hook to pull the strand through the loop from front to back. When you pick up the dropped stitch, the fabric might appear loose or elongated. Don’t worry, any looseness will disappear when you wash or block your socks. Remove the crochet hook from the dropped stitch and rearrange so that the next strand of the ladder is in front of the dropped stitch. Repeat steps 3 and 4 until you work the purl stitch back up to the current round and place it back on the left needle without twisting. Now you’re ready to work this stitch again. Sometimes a dropped stitch can work to your advantage. If you notice an error several rounds down from your needles, you don’t need to unknit or unravel back to that point. You can correct stitches by intentionally dropping a stitch, creating a ladder, and then picking up the stitch correctly.

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Knitting & Crocheting How to Join the Round on a Circular Needle

Video / Updated 08-09-2023

When you knit in the round on a circular needle, you first cast on, join the round, and then begin knitting. Joining simply means that when you work the first stitch, you bring the first and last cast-on stitches together, joining the circle of stitches. See the following instructions and video for how to do it. Place a marker on the RH needle before making the first stitch if you want to keep track of the beginning of the round. Many in-the-round patterns tell you to place a marker to indicate the beginning of a round. When you’re doing color work or any sort of repeating pattern, knowing where one round ends and another begins is vital. Insert the tip of the RH needle into the first stitch on the LH needle (the first cast-on stitch). Knit or purl as usual. If you have to place markers later in the knitting process (common with pieces that require shaping), do something to differentiate your “beginning” marker from the others: Make it a different color than the other markers you use, or attach a piece of yarn or a safety pin to it.

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Knitting & Crocheting Checking Your Gauge Throughout a Knitting Project

Video / Updated 08-08-2023

You need to be mindful of your gauge throughout the entire knitting process (at least on projects that are supposed to fit a certain way). Read on to see when and how to check your gauge throughout a project. For something that doesn't need to fit exactly, like a scarf or a wrap, you don't need to be nearly as fastidious. If it looks good to you, you don't need to fret about the numbers. When to check your gauge After you've cast on and knit a couple of inches of your project, measure your gauge again to see how it's going. If you made and measured your swatch a month ago or even a week ago, things may have changed. Your mood, level of alertness, or the fact that you've been knitting more or less often can all affect your knitting tension. Or maybe you swatched on straight wooden needles and now you're knitting with metal circular needles. The material a needle is made of can make a big difference to your gauge. Check your gauge from time to time as you work on your project, particularly if you have put it aside for a while and have just recently come back to it. If you get in the habit of checking your gauge when you have a tape measure out to determine the length of your knitting, it won't seem like any extra work. After you verify that you're on the right track with your gauge, you can continue knitting with confidence. It's much easier to rip out a few inches than it is to rip out the whole back when you discover that your gauge is off. And knitters, like everyone else, are often loath to admit their mistakes. If you have a gnawing sense that something isn't quite right, force yourself to do the necessary reality check and measure things. The sooner you correct an error, the better. How to check your gauge To check gauge during a project, many knitters like to use a gauge measurement tool. This tool has holes to size up needles and a small window that's 2 inches wide and 2 inches tall. To use the gauge measurement tool, lay your knitting flat and, without pressing it down so vigorously that you distort the stitches, lay your gauge meter on top and count how many stitches there are across the window. Don't forget that you have to double the number of stitches to determine the number of stitches per 4 inches. You can also use a tape measure or ruler to help you count the number of stitches per 4 inches. A lightweight clear plastic ruler works nicely. Whatever tool you use, be sure that your knitting is flat on a table and that your measuring device is lying parallel to your rows of stitches.

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Knitting & Crocheting How to Rip Out Stitches, One At a Time

Video / Updated 08-08-2023

If you catch your knitting mistake before the end of the row, you can rip out stitches back to your mistake. Just rip out one stitch at a time. Basically, you undo what you’ve just done until you get to the problem spot. See the written steps, illustration, and video below. Insert the LH needle from front to back (away from you) into the stitch below the one on the RH needle. Make sure you have the correct side (either knit or purl) facing you. Slide the RH needle out of the stitch and gently pull on the yarn to free it. Your work won’t unravel, because your LH needle has secured the stitch below. Repeat these steps, stitch by stitch. Continue until you reach the point of your mistake. All sorts of mistakes, such as inadvertently adding stitches, require that you rip out your knitting.

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Knitting & Crocheting How to Knit a Ribbing Stitch

Video / Updated 08-08-2023

Knitted ribs are textured vertical stripes. Ribs not only make your fabric look good, but they allow for more elasticity in the fabric, which is why you see them often in knitted sweaters. This video shows you how easy the ribbing stitch can be.

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Knitting & Crocheting Go-To Stitches: Garter, Stockinette, and Seed Stitches

Video / Updated 08-08-2023

Knitting and purling open the door to all sorts of patterns that involve alternating between knit and purl stitches. But as a beginning knitter, you really only need to know two patterns: garter stitch, which you create by knitting (or purling) every row, and stockinette stitch, which you create by alternating a knit row with a purl row. Another stitch all knitters should have in their repertoire is seed stitch. Although a little more complicated than garter and stockinette stitches, seed stitches create an interesting texture and appear in many patterns. Knits and purls have a quirky but predictable relationship to each other. When lined up horizontally, the purled rows stand out from the knitted rows. Arranged in vertical patterns, like ribbing, the purl stitches recede and the knit stitches come forward, creating an elastic fabric. When worked in a balanced manner (meaning the same number of knits and purls appear on each side of the fabric), as in seed stitch and its variations, the fabric is stable — it lies flat and doesn’t have the tendency to roll in on the edges. These qualities make seed and moss stitches, as well as garter stitches, good choices for borders that need to lie flat and not pull in as ribbed borders do. Garter stitch Garter stitch is the most basic of all knitted fabrics. It’s made by knitting every row. (You can create garter stitch by purling every row, too. Neat, huh?) You can recognize garter stitch by the horizontal ridges formed by the tops of the knitted loops on every other row. Garter stitch has a lot going for it in addition to being easy to create. It’s reversible, lies flat, and has a pleasant rustic look. Unlike most knitted fabrics, garter stitch has a square gauge, meaning that there are usually twice as many rows as stitches in 1 inch. To count rows in garter stitch, count the ridges and multiply by two, or count the ridges by twos. Garter stitch has a hanging gauge that stretches more vertically. Therefore, gravity and the weight of the garter stitch piece pulls on the fabric and actually makes it longer. This is important to keep in mind when you’re making a garment that you want to fit properly and not grow two times larger after an hour of wearing it. Stockinette stitch When you alternate a knit row with a purl row (knit the first row, purl the second, knit the third, purl the fourth, and so on), you create stockinette stitch. You see stockinette stitch everywhere: in scarves, socks, sweaters, blankets, hats — you name it. In fact, most beginning and intermediate designs incorporate stockinette stitch. In written knitting instructions, stockinette stitch (abbreviated St st) appears like this: Row 1 (RS): Knit. Row 2 (WS): Purl. Rep Rows 1 and 2 for desired length. Stockinette fabric looks and behaves in a particular way. To successfully incorporate this stitch into your knitting repertoire, pay attention to the following: Stockinette stitch has a right side and a wrong side (though, of course, either side may be the “right” side, depending on the intended design). The right side is typically the smooth side, called stockinette or On this side, the stitches look like small Vs. The bumpy side of stockinette stitch fabric is called reverse stockinette or purl. If you’re working in stockinette stitch and you lose track of whether you knit the last row or purled it, not to worry. You can tell what to do next by looking at your knitting. Hold your needles in the ready-to-knit position (with the LH needle holding the stitches to be worked) and look at what’s facing you. If you’re looking at the knit (smooth) side, you knit. If you’re looking at the purl (bumpy) side, you purl. A good mantra to say to yourself is knit the knits and purl the purls. Stockinette fabric curls on the edges. The top and bottom (horizontal) edges curl toward the front or smooth side. The side (vertical) edges roll toward the bumpy side. Sweater designers frequently use this rolling feature deliberately to create rolled hems or cuffs, and you can create easy cords or straps simply by knitting a very narrow band in stockinette stitch (say, four or six stitches across). But when you want the piece to lie flat, you need to counteract this tendency by working the three or four stitches on the edge in some stitch that lies flat (like garter stitch, discussed in the preceding section, or seed stitch, discussed in the next section). To figure out the gauge of a swatch knitted in stockinette stitch, count the Vs on the smooth side or right side. They’re easier to see and distinguish than the bumps on the wrong side. Of course, if you find the bumps easier to count, it’s okay to do so. The names garter stitch and stockinette stitch date from the 1500s, when hand-knit stockings were a major industry in England. Garter stitch was used at the top of the stocking, where it needed to expand for the thigh, and stockinette (or stocking stitch) was used for the fitted leg portion. Seed stitch Seed stitch, shown in the figure below (and demonstrated in the video below), consists of single knits and purls alternating horizontally and vertically. Its name refers to the way the knitted fabric looks: The little purl bumps look like scattered seeds. Like garter stitch, seed stitch lies flat, making it a good edging for a sweater border and cuffs. It also looks the same from both sides, making it a nice choice for scarves and other pieces of which both sides are visible. Seed stitch stitch gauge tends to be wider than a stockinette stitch stitch gauge. This is important to note if you plan to mix stitch patterns but want to maintain the same measurements in both patterns. When knitting a stitch, the loose tail of yarn is in back of your work. When purling a stitch, the yarn is in front of your work. As you switch back and forth within a row, as in seed stitch, you need to move your yarn to the front or to the back as appropriate between the needles. If you forget to do so, you create an unintentional yarn over, resulting in an extra stitch on the next row and a hole in the work. Unfortunately for novice knitters, who often forget to move the yarn accordingly, instructions don’t explicitly tell you to bring your yarn to the front or back of your work. They assume that you know where the yarn should be when you’re about to knit or purl a stitch. As you practice the patterns that combine both knit and purl stitches, make sure your yarn is in the proper position for each stitch before you start it. To create seed stitch: Cast on an even number of sts. Row 1: * K1, p1; rep from * to end of row. Row 2: * P1, k1; rep from * to end of row. Rep Rows 1 and 2 for pattern. When working seed stitch, you alternate between knit and purl stitches in each row. The trick to creating the little “seeds” is to knit in the purl stitches of the previous row and purl in the knit stitches of the previous row. If you’re working in seed stitch and you lose track of whether you knit the last stitch or purled it, don’t worry. You can tell what to do next by looking at your knitting. Hold your needles in the ready-to-knit position (with the LH needle holding the stitches to be worked or the ones you’re working on) and look at what’s facing you. On the LH needle, if you’re looking at a knit stitch, you purl. If you’re looking at a purl (bumpy) stitch, you knit. A good mantra to say to yourself is knit the purls and purl the knits.

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Knitting & Crocheting How to Slip Stitches in Knitting

Video / Updated 08-08-2023

In knitting-speak, to slip a stitch (abbreviated sl st) means to move a stitch from the LH needle to the RH needle ("slip" it) without knitting or purling it and without changing its orientation (that is, without twisting it). To slip a stitch, insert the RH needle purlwise (as if you were going to purl) into the first stitch on the LH needle and slip it off the LH needle onto the RH needle. Unless your instructions specifically tell you to slip a stitch knitwise, always slip a stitch as if you were going to purl it. Here’s a look at stitches being slipped both purlwise (a.) and knitwise (b.). You frequently run across slipped stitches in methods for decreasing stitches — when you want to reduce the number of stitches you have on your needle. They also form the basis of a family of stitch patterns. Like garter stitch, slip-stitch patterns are stable and lie flat — and they’re a breeze to knit.

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Knitting & Crocheting How to Work Common Stitches in the Round

Video / Updated 08-08-2023

When knitting in the round, the right side is always facing you — so you need to understand how this knitting-in-the-round stitch position affects the stitches you make. For example, whereas in flat knitting you create a garter stitch by knitting every row, knitting every round in circular knitting produces stockinette stitch. Here’s a quick guide to getting the stitches you want in the round: For garter stitch: Alternate a knit round with a purl round. For stockinette stitch: Knit all rounds. For rib stitches: In round 1, alternate knit and purl stitches in whatever configuration you choose (1 x 1, 2 x 2, and so on). In subsequent rounds, knit over the knit stitches and purl over the purl stitches. The trick is knowing how the stitch is created in flat knitting and then remembering the principle. For example, in flat-knitting seed stitch, you knit in the purl stitches and purl in the knit stitches. Well, you do the same in circular knitting. Rounds (rnds) are what you work in circular knitting. Rows are what you work in flat (back-and-forth) knitting.

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Knitting & Crocheting Preparing to Crochet

Article / Updated 07-21-2023

Before you even attempt your first stitch, you need to master some basic skills. First, you need to know how to hold the hook and yarn, and second, you need to know how to get the yarn on the hook. Are you a lefty or a righty? Your dominant hand — the one that you write with, eat with, and do just about everything else with — is the hand that you should hold your hook in. This is the hand that does most of the action, while the other hand guides the yarn and holds the work that's already been completed. Although most crochet patterns are written for right-handed people, those of you that are lefties shouldn't be discouraged. Your motions are exactly the same. You just do it with your left hand instead of your right. Getting a grip Even though you crochet with only one hook, both hands are kept busy. Your dominant hand holds the hook, and your other hand holds the yarn. Holding your crochet hook is pretty simple. You just need to get a nice hold on your hook. If your hand isn't comfortable, it can cramp up, and your stitches won't go with the flow. Crocheting should be relaxing, not a continuous fight with the hook and yarn. Experiment with each of the following positions to see which one feels the most comfortable for you. Over-the-hook position: Position your hand over the hook with the handle resting against your palm and your thumb and middle finger grasping the thumb rest. Under-the-hook position: Hold the hook as you would a pencil with the thumb rest between your forefinger and thumb. Both are common ways of holding the crochet hook — for lefties and righties. Both work just fine. When you first start working with yarn, it's best to use a light to medium, solid color worsted-weight yarn. You'll be able to see the stitches more clearly and manipulate the yarn easier, thus eliminating any potential problems that may occur if you used a textured or variegated yarn. After you know what to do with the hook, you need to grab hold of the yarn. Like holding the hook, holding the yarn properly may seem simple. It may also seem like your fingers have to be contortionists to achieve the proper position, but don't worry, they can do it. Your yarn hand — the hand not holding your hook — has an important job. Not only does it feed the yarn to your crochet hook, but it also controls the tension of the yarn. Remember that right-handed crocheters wrap the yarn over their left hand, and left-handed people wrap the yarn over their right hand. The following steps offer one common method for wrapping the yarn around your hand. Starting from underneath your hand, bring the yarn up between your little finger and ring finger. Wrap the yarn around your little finger to form a loop. Draw the yarn under your ring finger and middle finger. Bring the yarn up to the top of your hand between your middle finger and forefinger. Finally, lay the yarn over your forefinger. To keep the yarn in place, grasp the end of the yarn between your middle finger and thumb. By raising or lowering your forefinger, you can control the yarn tension. Practice wrapping and rewrapping the yarn around your yarn hand. Whenever you feel that your working yarn is too loose or too tight, stop and rewrap to get the proper tension. This motion will soon become an ingrained habit.

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