Patty Lyons' Knitting Bag of Tricks: Over 70 Sanity Saving Hacks for Better Knitting

Table of Contents:

How (and why) to use the book

PREFACE Words of Wisdom: "Knitting is the saving of Life" - Virginia Woolf

A Knitter's Book of Why Not

INTRODUCTION

Words of Wisdom: The best thing about understanding the "why" is being able to say "why not?"

Or Words of Wisdom: Fight for the WHY and you will become a better knitter! How I came to these tricks (tales of a self-taught knitter)

Before we begin: Truths Your Mother Never Told You

FUNDAMENTAL TRUTHS OF KNITTING

Words of Wisdom: Make your stitches be your (rhymes with stitches)

Or Words of Wisdom: You Control Your Stitches, Your Stitches Don't Control You

KNIT, PURLS AND ALL THAT JAZZ

Anatomy of a stitch Knit - loop pulled Purl - loop pushed Knits and purls and Fabrics Ribbing, Garter, Seed

HOW OUR STITCHES ARE BUILT

Where we put our needle how we wrap our yarn Eastern, Western, Combo The G - Word or . . . The Lying Liar Who Lies to You Facing Page:

GAUGE Words of Wisdom: If you don't have time to do a gauge swatch,

THE MIRACLE MOP Needle Gauge Edge Ditch the garter border

THE TRUTH IS OUT THERE How to Knit Your Swatch Cast on enough st

Type of st used Work enough rows Knit the way you knit How to measure Unblocked Blocked Hung Now what (pebbles and rocks) Row gauge (ipad v.s. iphone)

KNITTING TECHNIQUE- CAN'T CHANGE GAUGE

Needle is measuring cup Grab and go vs Tip Worker Space Between - Exit Path Wide & Short - The spreader

WHY NOT MATCHING GAUGE IS THE GREATEST THING EVER

PATTERNS Words of Wisdom: Knitting patterns, like life, are best when we don't try to overcomplicate them.

WHAT ARE WE MAKING IT WITH?

YARN Slow down decision (test drive) Grower tips Density

SIZE MATTERS Mystery of ease Sweater Construction Design Intent Personal Preference 4 -

Tips for Picking the Right Size Suggestion High chest Measure a sweater that fits One size does not fit all

WHAT TO EXPECT IN A PATTERN & WHAT TO IGNORE

Assumption of knowledge

CAST-ONS Words of Wisdom: If Idle hands are the devil's workshop ... better cast on a new sweater

Or Words of Wisdom: It is better to have knit and ripped, then never to have knit at all

Take it from the top! Cast on Better. Desert island with only 2 cast ons . . .

LONG TAIL FIXES Estimating tail Skip the knot Avoid yarn untwisting How to create an elastic cast on Why we get sad frown Large needle myth Use finger to space st Casting on in pattern Fixing dropped st in long tail

CABLE CAST ON FIXES Best starts (long tail start, two slip knot start)

Cast on in pattern Square edge Knit Purl

KEEPING TRACK OF CAST ON You Win Some, You Lose Some Facing Page:

INCREASES & DECREASES

Words of Wisdom: When we memorize, we can forget, when we understand we never forget.

DECREASES Universal Rule of Decreasing (

INCREASES Intro to types

PESKY PROBLEMS & SECRET SOLUTIONS

Words of Wisdom: DID you make a mistake, or did you just invent a new stitch? As we work Can I? Why Not?

JOIN A NEW BALL Join a new ball (middle of row - ) - 2 Start of row (trap it) - 3 Knitting in the Tail One handed Thrower Picker Felted Join for color change

FIX THE FIRST STITCH What is wrong and how to fix Picker Thrower DPN gap (let that transition to)

ROUND AND ROUND WE GO Swatching for in the round - 4 Better join w/o slinky gap - 3 Jogless joins for color (mulit row stripe) One round purl Two or more rounds Stockinette - 2 Single round color - 8 Short rows in the round w/o a hole W&T - 4 German Short Row - 4 End join slinky with tail - 3

SWEATER SKILLS Sloped Bind off Reg stair step - 1 Sloped - 4 Sloped Cast on Reg cast on Dolman - 3 Better Crew neck opening - 6 Happy Endings! Facing Page:

FINISHING Words of Wisdom: When you feel at loose ends, weave them in and

KEEP KNITTING Intro

BINDING OFF FIXES Fix the dip at the start - 3 Binding off loosely, not your fault! Why it's not easy - 1 Bind off In pattern Eliminate the gap at the end - 4

BLOCKING TIPS Intro Blocking Tips Prepare for seaming Test Drive Keep it Simple Blocking hack frame

WEAVING IN ENDS Reversable (duplicate) Skimming & Turn Clip and fray tail

BETTER MATTRESS STITCH (EVEN THINGS OUT) - 3 Figure 8 join Even Join

PICKING UP STITCHES Intro How Much - Ignore the pattern Gauge Pattern based Knitting compare How Divide & stab it out to plan it out Where Stitches Between two columns Never in a hole Pick up a better button-band - extra st Where Extra stitch trick on button band Round the corner of V neck - 4 What's the issue YO trick

BEST BUTTONHOLE - 4 - 6 What is the problem The Fix

SETTING IN THE SLEEVE Measure Yarn Half and half Tailor's Ham The Mindful Knitter Facing Page:

FINAL WORDS OF WISDOM Words of Wisdom: When you don't know what you're not supposed to be able to knit...you can knit anything Fight for the Why Read Your Knitting Understand what built it to know how to fix it Fixing mistakes (subject for another day) When We Memorize We Forget Ownership of Your Knitting

Patty Lyons is a knitting designer and teacher. She has created content for all the key knitting brands including Craftsy, Interweave and Vogue Knitting and she writes a regular 'Ask Patty' column for Modern Daily Knitting.

Now with darker text (4th printing).

Do you wish your knitting was better and that you had an expert knitter by your side to help you when it goes wrong? Then this is the book for you - it even has a special lay-flat binding so you can keep your hands on your needles.

Patty Lyons is an expert in all things knitting related - she will help you sort out your gauge, unpick problems like twisted stitches and generally spruce up your knitting know-how in this pocket-sized reference book packed full of her purls of wisdom. Patty is a well-known knitting 'agony aunt' and she will hold your hand as you tackle the problems that often beset knitters and get in the way of beautiful finished projects.

This handy guide will always be by your side to help you unravel your yarn problems and get you back on track. Packed full of practical advice for knitters as well as step-by-step instructions for a whole raft of knitting issues, this is the ultimate guide for anyone who's ever picked up yarn and a set of needles.

This isn't like other how to knit books with basic information about casting on and how to form stitches (although there is a handy how-to reference section at the back for when you need a refresher), this is a book about the why of knitting. Not about why we knit but about why we knit the way we do. By digging deeper into the why Patty doesn't just fix your knitting problems she helps you to truly understand why the yarn/stitches/needles/tension are acting in a certain way and how to fix any issues.

She starts by looking at the basics and explores the anatomy of a stitch, examining how this affects the look, feel and shape of the finished knitted fabrics and how different knitting techniques affect the finished outcome. Patty examines the problems caused by common mistakes that many knitters make without even noticing before diving into more complex knitting issues and how to trouble shoot them. All of Patty's techniques and tips are illustrated with detailed step-by-step artworks for absolute clarity.

And, as you'd expect from a Patty Lyons book, there is a healthy scattering of humour and irreverence thoughout; you might take knitting seriously but you don't have to be serious while knitting!

Make your knitting journey compete with companion title, Patty Lyons Knitting Bag of Tricks; The Official Workbook, which is now available.

Contributor Bio:Lyons, Patty

Patty Lyons is a knitting designer and teacher. She has created content for all the key knitting brands including Craftsy, Interweave and Vogue Knitting and she writes a regular 'Ask Patty' column for Modern Daily Knitting.