Ask the experts
Debbie Bliss and the SK team get to grips with your knitting gripes
LOVELY LACE?
QI’m knitting a lace project for the first time – a large shawl – and I feel like I’m doing something wrong. All the fabric is scrunched up and you can’t see the stitches or lace pattern at all. Help!
Jemma Curtis, Aberdeen
Don’t worry Jemma – your shawl just needs blocking when it’s done. Blocking brings out the best in almost all knitting, but for lace it’s truly transformational. Once you’ve finished, soak your shawl in water, then gently remove it and squeeze out as much water as you can. You may want to roll it in a towel here, but be careful not to wring it and make sure you support its weight at all times. Then lay it out on a foam mat, and slowly and gently start pinning it out, stretching it as you do to bring out the lace pattern. If you have long straight edges you may wish to use a straight metal wire (you can buy these from yarn shops) and run it in and out of the stitches. As you work you’ll probably want to adjust your pins so just keep going until you’re happy with the look – you can pull it out quite a bit, but be careful with finer yarns that they don’t snap. Then leave it to dry, and enjoy the stunning finished e ect! Jen
HOLDING PATTERN
QI’m knitting a cardigan, and after finishing the back have been told to put the remaining stitches on a stitch holder. Is this something special I need to buy? And what happens to the stitches?
Kirstie Banks, Yorkshire
Live stitches are often held at the top of sweaters to work the neckband up from later. All you need is something that will prevent the stitches from dropping, and you then transfer them back to a needle when needed. Use a spare needle or a length of smooth yarn, or you can buy holders such as this set from Clover. Sophie
PERFECT SLEEVE CUFFS
QI’m currently knitting a jumper for my partner where the sleeves are worked top down, casting o after the 1x1 ribbing at the cu . Unfortunately every time I cast o it pulls in too tight and looks awkward and messy. His shopbought tops all look like they don’t have a cast-o there at all – is there a way to replicate this with hand knitting?
Sarah Allen, Solihull
There is Sarah – you just need to work a tubular cast-o for the seamless e ect you want. This divides the stitches into two layers which are then grafted together in the same way as a sock toe, creating a look where the stitches seem to just loop over from one side to the other. Here’s how:
1 Work two rows, knitting the knit sts and slipping the purls with yarn in front.
2 Slip the first stitch purlwise to a spare knitting needle. Slip the following stitch purlwise to a third needle. Continue to alternate slipping the stitches until all the knit sts are on one needle and all the purl sts on another. Hold both the needles in your left hand, pointing towards the right.
3 Using a tapestry needle threaded with yarn approximately three times the length of the cast-o edge, begin working Kitchener stitch. Thread the tapestry needle in to the first stitch on the front needle as if to purl (from right to left), then immediately take it through the first stitch on the back needle as if to knit. Pull the yarn through.
*Thread the tapestry needle into the first stitch on the front needle as if to knit, then slip this stitch on to the tapestry needle and insert it as if to purl into the second stitch on the front needle. Pull the yarn through, leaving this stitch on the needle.
Insert the tapestry needle as if to purl into the first stitch on the back needle, then slip this stitch onto the tapestry needle and insert the needle as if to knit into the following stitch on the back needle. Pull the yarn through, leaving this stitch on the needle.
4 Repeat from * until all the stitches on both needles have been grafted together. You will end up with a neat, stretchy edge. Kirstie
HOLE IN ONE
QI recently knitted my first pair of socks, in a gorgeously soft pure wool yarn, and loved them – until I wore a hole through at the heel! I’m darning them, but is there a way to make them last longer in future?
Elaine Clarke, London
The heel gets a lot of wear on a sock, so it’s generally best to reinforce it by knitting a slip stitch pattern across – this creates a double layer of fabric which will be harder wearing. As you work each right-side row of the heel, slip every other stitch, then purl back across them as normal. If you work every row the same you’ll get neat columns of slipped stitches, or if you o set them each time you’ll get a pretty pattern known as Eye of Partridge.
Also, pure wool isn’t the best to use for socks as it will wear through quickly. Look for yarn with 20-25% nylon or polyamide in the blend for a soft but strong finished fabric. Kirstie