Category: Techniques

Techniques

Shawl Knitting – Garter Tab Start

Heather

Hello!

Today I have a tutorial video for you on the garter tab start for top-down shawls. Many top-down shawls begin with a garter tab, and this can be a confusing thing for new shawl knitters. It’s really not that difficult, though, once you know what’s happening!

Here is a video showing you what goes on with the garter tab start:

We are really just knitting that horizontal section at the very top of the shawl, and then picking up the stitches along the side of that “tab” to act as our shawl body stitches. Sometimes this tab can bunch up or bow out. The key is to work it as short as possible while still allowing enough stitches on the side to be able to be picked up. Don’t work those picked up stitches too tightly. Some of it depends on the lace pattern growing out of these stitches, too. A good blocking can usually help to fix this issue.

I hope this helps!!

Until next time, Happy Knitting!

Friday Finishing Series, Techniques

Weaving in Tails – Seed Stitch

Heather

This is the last tutorial post in my series on tail weaves for the time being, if you have suggestions for other stitch patterns that you’d like to see tail weaves for, let me know!

Today we look at seed stitch. This uses the same method we used last week in the garter fabric, but we have to mix up where the tail weave goes a little bit. Here’s a tutorial video:

As always, I hope this is helpful! Do drop me a line or a comment here if you have ideas for other videos you’d like me to do!

Until next time, Happy Knitting!

Friday Finishing Series, Techniques

Weaving in Tails: Garter Stitch

Heather

Today’s post is the third in my series on weaving in tails. We look at garter stitch today!

We saw that duplicate stitch was the best method for stockinette stitch last week. We can still use the same method, but we have to only use the visible purl bumps in garter. Here is a video showing the technique:

I hope this is helpful!

Next week will be last in this particular series for now, and we’ll look at seed stitch. If you have suggestions for other stitch patterns that you’d like to see tail weaves for, let me know!

Happy Knitting!

Friday Finishing Series, Techniques

Weaving in Tails: Stockinette Stitch

Heather

Today’s tutorial is the second in my series on weaving in tails. We look at the most common fabric and technique: weaving in tails in stockinette stitch.

(Check last Friday’s blog post for weaving in tails in ribbing.)

Duplicate stitch is the best method, by far, for weaving in tails on the WS in stockinette. You can split the stitches as you work to be extra sure the tails don’t show to the RS.

Here is a tutorial video on duplicate stitch for tails in stockinette:

I hope this is helpful! Stay tuned next Friday for how to weave in tails in garter!

Happy Knitting!

Friday Finishing Series, Techniques

New tutorial series: Weaving in Tails

Heather

Hello again!

Starting today, and for the next few Fridays, I’m going to release a series of tutorial videos and posts on weaving in yarn tails.

Today’s post and video is on weaving in yarn tails in ribbing.

First though, let’s go over the three key items to take note of for tail weaves:

  1. They should be invisible (or as close to invisible as possible) on the RS of the work.
  2. They should not come undone!
  3. They should not hinder the inherent stretch of the knitted fabric – horizontally, vertically, and diagonally.

True duplicate stitch doesn’t work well for ribbing, since the path of the tail would end up on the RS of the work in spots. So, for ribbing we need to do something different. Here is a video:

Following the rib up on the WS makes it nearly invisible on the RS, and allows it to stretch with the fabric. Anchoring the final stitch via duplicate stitch and weaving back down for a couple of stitches makes sure it will not come undone as the fabric is worn and stretched.

I hope this is helpful! Stay tuned next Friday for weaving in tails in stockinette stitch!

Happy Knitting!