Fixing Mistakes and Rescue Remedies.

I’ve been thinking about  fixing  mistakes with my knitting after having to take back 10 rows of a cabled sock because the cable twisted the wrong way. Argh! (Its the Maudie socks, I’m still plodding on with them, nearly finished.)

Fixing mistakes….happens to everyone, experienced knitters and beginners! The first thing is not to panic, take a deep breath and look carefully at where you think you have made a mistake. If you can’t see it straight away, then put your work down, do something else for 5 minutes and go back to it; often the mistake will then “jump” out at you! The next thing to do is decide whether the mistake needs to be fixed. I know that sounds a bit daft, it’s a mistake, but if it’s not obviously a mistake, and it doesn’t bother you, you could always leave it as it is…

If it does bother you, and/or it is obvious, then you need to work out how to fix it. Most solutions to foxing mistakes with knitting are fairly straight forward and usually involve un-making then re-working the stitch. (This is sometimes called tinking.) I have found this “dummies” site really helpful, with clear advice on how to fix mistakes.

If you are an advanced knitter, making lace for example, its always worth using lifelines. These are threads passed through the whole row of stitches at regular intervals, so if you have made a mistake that you can’t tink, then you can pull your work back to the lifeline row and knit back up again. (Believe me, pulling out lace then picking up stitches and working out where you are in a pattern is an awful problem!) Have a look at using a knitting lifeline.

Beginners often create extra stitches by either splitting the yarn and working 2 stitches in what should only be 1, or by not finishing the stitch properly and using the “wrapped around the needle yarn” as an extra stitch. In this situation, it’s only a mistake if it bothers you. We’ve all done it! Remember your first scarf with the wavy edge, with extra stitches that magically created themselves?! Its all part of the learning. The only way to fix this really is to pull it out , and this is so disheartening for beginners.

I’m busy designing a pattern to go with the “Time for Teal” kits which will be available in early May. Lyn Roberts who is coordinating this fantastic fund raiser whilst coping with her own cancer battle, says “each kit is designed especially for the love of yarn. Each yarn is dyed in Teal which is the signature colour for World Ovarian Cancer day on 8th May. All the proceeds of the kits will go to Target Ovarian Cancer and World Ovarian Cancer. Target Ovarian Cancer are the biggest UK charity devoted to research and awareness of ovarian cancer.” These kits will be in DK, 4ply and laceweight and will have 1 or 2 patterns for crochet and knitting and prices will range from about £12 to £20. Gorgeous Yarns are very proud to be selling these kits, and once they are up on the site, I’m happy to accept pre-orders. Watch this blog and our FB page for more details.

I’m getting excited about being at Toby’s Gardenfest at Powderham castle in Devon at the end of the month. Do come and say hello if you are coming to the show, it would be lovely to meet you and have a chat.

Bye for now, Caroline