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Giveaway: The Knitter’s Book of Finishing Techniques

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the knitter's book of finishing techniques

Congratulations to knittingdancer!

We could all use a little help when it comes to finishing our knitting projects well. Of course the knitting itself matters a lot, but finishing can really make or break a project. If your buttonholes are a little wonky or you don’t pick up stitches evenly for your edging, you project is just not going to look that great.

The Knitter’s Book of Finishing Techniques by Nancie M. Wiseman aims to help knitters finish as well as they start, with tips on things you would think of as finishing, like bind offs, picking up stitches and seaming. But it also includes tips on casting on stitches, increasing, decreasing, using selvedge stitches, making buttonholes, even things like how to store finished sweaters.

It’s a really great and concise guide to a lot of issues that perplex knitters.

If you’d like a chance to win a copy of this book, leave a comment on this post before the end of the day Sunday, June 21. If you want, tell me the area of finishing with which you have the most trouble. For me, lately, it’s grafting; I always seem to do it backward!

Thanks for visiting, commenting and sharing, and good luck!

Comments

  3. Storing finished items is something I would like to know more about – picking up stitches is something I am still freaked out by. Thank you for the opportunity.

  4. I have problems picking up button bands, never seem to get the stitch count they ask for

  6. I am usually not happy with the way my seaming works out. So I usually knit things that don’t have a lot of seaming.

  9. Finishing can sometimes make all the difference between an OK and great project. I would love to know how to cast on so there is some give and also how to finish an edge so it doesn’t curl.

  12. Oh, I would love to learn more finishing techniques! I’m still learning so much in the knitting world!

  13. I don’t know what it is about grafting and seaming. Maybe I’m thinking too left-handed. I don’t so much have works left on needles so much as bags of fully knitted parts hiding until…one day.

  14. This book on Knitting Finishing Techniques would be SO helpful! I’ve tried looking them up on the Internet but nothing quite beats the convenience of being able to have a book on your lap while following the direction to learn how to seam correctly. I can’t seem to seam without it having gaps or being too tight.

  16. I would like to learn other techniques for all finishing of garments. Thank you for the giveaway chance.

  17. I am still a relatively new knitter – – so I would love this book – it looks like a great reference!! Thanks for the opportunity!!

  21. I hate seams. I can graft pretty well, and really I like it but seaming! I have an almost done sweater that has been waiting for ages. Maybe I’ll do it tonight!

  22. I have a sweater that’s all knitted up and has been marinating for 3 years. I need to finish it, don’t you think?

  24. I’ve stuck to drop shoulder sweaters because I’m put off by setting in sleeves. I’d also like some more options on casting on and off, for more or less stretch as the project requires. Thanks for all the great giveaways.

  26. My main problem right now is sewing in set in sleeves without them looking very bulky!
    Thanks for making this wonderful offer!

  30. Well, I’ll probably have to learn how to BEGIN before I can learn how to FINISH, but I’m slowly getting there!!!

  31. This book is a great resource. I choose to knit most of my projects in one piece to avoid seaming.

  36. My finishing technique I have the most difficulty with is just weaving in the ends. I should probably leave a longer tail to weave in.

  37. Holy Smokes….Where do I begin??…perhaps on page 1! 🙂 I love knitting so much, but I have an amazing amount of unfinished projects piled up…perhaps this is the “thread” to tie it altogether. Heaven knows…I definitely need some serious directions in all areas!! 🙂

  39. I love knitting. Picking up stitches and kitchener stitch seem to be the two things that I could really use some help with.

  40. I could sure use this book! Buttonholes is one of the things I struggle with the most.

  42. I would love some help in this area! Thanks for the opportunity to get a copy of my own!

  46. I am a beginner in knitting. For me joining the sleeves and neckbands are a nightmare. I would love to have any advice to face this demon of mine thanks

  47. I’d like to be able to block something so that it will hold its shape better, for a longer time. It seems like my edges will fold back sometimes and that things just don’t end up the right shape. Also, I’d like to know more about finishing items made with yarn that shows mistakes… linen shows all my errors on seaming so much more… and what do you do with the ugly puddle that alpaca becomes when it is wet?

  48. They day the devil is in the details. I glorious project can be ruined by a bad end.
    I wojld love to save my projects.

Have you read?

Fun Halloween Cowls to Knit

One of the fun things about knitters is that we will use a holiday theme on any kind of project. From Easter bunny socks to Christmas sweaters, there’s no combination of holiday motif and knitwear genre we won’t combine. 

Case in point: Halloween cowls. 

This fun cowl from Sweet Vireo Designs features large carved pumpkins and little cats and skulls. It uses two colors of DK weight yarn and I love the multicolored yarn for the background color on this one. And the braids! So cute. 

Spooky Season by Jocelyn Tunney (also on Ravelry) uses fingering weight yarn in two colors to make a design with crescent moons and eyes. There are two circumferences and two heights available so you can make it a neck hugger or a slightly bigger project if you like. 

Make more moons with the Broom Riding Cowl from Vanessa Ewing Knits. This two color pattern looks extra fun with a multicolored yarn for the colorwork, but you can use a solid as well. It calls for DK weight yarn but there is also a fingering weight version if you have some yarn in your stash you want to use. 

Jinx Made has another fun Halloween cowl, this time covered in skulls. South Philly Skulls uses DK weight yarn and comes in two lengths, and there’s also a matching hat pattern, both of which can be found on Ravelry. 

The Ghost Stories cowl from Melissa Knit Wear is a two-color cowl with ghosts of different sizes on the body. It uses DK weight yarn, and average sized skeins will allow you to get two cowls out of two skeins. It also calls for stitch markers to help you keep your place in the chart. 

Or stitch up a cowl with a giant bat on it. The Nightling Cowl from Jen Immer uses DK weight yarn in two colors and has moons and a large bat on it. This pattern can be found on Ravelry. 

How about spooky trees? The Weirwood Cowl from Andrea Krüß-Anders is inspired by the weirwood trees in the Game of Thrones books, and is worked in two colors of fingering weight yarn. You can find this free pattern on Ravelry. 

If a bandana cowl is more your thing, try Cowloween from Tellybean Knits (on Ravelry). This colorful design is worked from the top down and features pumpkins, ghosts and candy colored stripes, and is worked in a light fingering weight yarn. There are kid and adult sizes available.