Knitting

Patterns, projects and techniques

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!

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Comments

  1. I find binding off and finishing edges around collars and button bands tough. What a wonderfully useful book this would be to have.

  3. The hardest thing is setting the sleeves in. it is like grafting in a circle…. horrible to do. I always bind off before I remember to three needle bind off and then I am committed to grafting in a circle…again.

  4. I have double/triple vision. I’m already disabled from my back problems and now it’s harder to see so I’ve been trying to figure out what I’m capable of doing. I recently started knitting and crocheting, something I haven’t done since childhood. I’m currently making sweaters for Christmas gifts. They look nice but I know they could be better. This book would be an awesome help! Thank you for the possibility of getting it.

  6. Seaming pieces together to make it look good is my “tricky” and sticking with the same ol’ same ol’ bind off because I don’t want to worry I can’t fix a mistake and then I think I’ll ruin my piece lol

  7. Eeeeek, Any kind of Finishing would be helpful for me as I am useless at doing anything more than stitching. I seriously need to learn how to do stuff properly but then I’ve only just pushed myself back into knitting after the 8ft long unfinished Scarf I started while pregnant with my daughter, she’ll be 14 in November lol
    She has had lots and lots of Dresses and Costumes. But anything Knitted or Crocheted comes from her Aunt and Granma lol

Have you read?

Add a Little Lace to Your Knitting Patterns

If you’re new to lace knitting or just aren’t sure how to incorporate the technique into garments, check out these tops and sweaters that use lace as a decorative element.

The easiest lace out there is eyelets, and you can practice them plenty with this eyelet covered sweater from Knitcro Addict. It uses light/DK weight yarn and is worked in four pieces knit flat. It’s intended to be a little cropped and a little oversized, and includes sizes XS to XXL in the pattern.

If you’re in parts of the world where it’s getting colder as you read this, the Nora sweater from Bummbul might be a good choice. This is actually a great one for learning lace because it’s worked in super bulky yarn, which makes it easier to see what you’re doing and makes the lace super graphic. This one just comes in one size, with a 42 inch (106) cm bust, but that could fit a variety of people depending on how much ease you like.

Minimi Knit Design has a cute allover lace cardigan worked in one piece from the bottom up. It’s worked in lace weight mohair held double, which maybe isn’t the best for those new to lace (because it can be hard to rip out) but it sure is pretty. Sizes range to fit from 30 to 66 inches/76 to 168 cm bust measurements.

If you’d rather not have lace all over your sweater, you can knit the Lumi sweater from Originally Lovely, which has a chevron lace pattern on the yoke and is otherwise worked in reverse stockinette stitch. (It’s worked inside out so you don’t have to purl every stitch.) The pattern has 9 sizes from XS to 5XL and uses worsted weight yarn.

Or try the super romantic sookie blouse from Trust the mojo (available on Ravelry). This sweet top is started working flat from the bottom up and has a V-neck and I-cord edgings. The sleeves are worked separately in the round, and the pieces are all joined together to work in one piece to finish off the top. It comes in eight sizes and is available in English and French.

You can also pair lacy sleeves with an otherwise plain top, like on the Starflower Wrap from Annelise Driscoll Gingrow. This intermediate pattern makes a wrap sweater with generous lacy sleeves and a double wrap belt. The pattern has nine sizes, from XS to 5XL, and is available for free from Hobbi.