Knitting Basics: Learning to Read Your Knitting

This is an old post I came across several months ago, but I wanted to share it because I’m hoping some of you have the New Year’s resolution to improve your knitting skills, and one great way to do that is to take some time to get a better understanding of how knitting works, what you’re actually doing when you form the stitches and how to read your knitting.

This post from the Craft Sessions goes into great detail about how to look at and understand your knitting stitches. It deals with Stockinette Stitch, because that’s a stitch pattern that makes it easy to see the differences between knitting and purling (I have a little post at About that’s less detailed but looks at ribbing).

There are lots of big pictures, using big stitches, to help you see what’s happening, but of course it would be best if you worked along with the post, looking at your own knitting as you go so you can really understand it.

What’s the big deal about reading your knitting? Once you know your knits from your purls and how they’re supposed to look — in Stockinette and in other stitch patterns — you’ll be able to spot mistakes more readily and you’ll know how to fix them. It’s a big step in taking control of your knitting.

[Photo via the Craft Sessions.]

Getting ready for back to school makes me think about pencil crafts, so let’s take a look at some pencil themed knitting patterns!

I recently made a pencil on a circular knitting machine, and it was a fun, quick, easy project that uses little bits of leftover yarn (and if you don’t have yellow you can make it a colored pencil using whatever color’s your favorite). And if you want to make a bigger version check out this pattern from Orange Olive Road on Etsy.

If you want to knit a pencil pillow by hand, check out Sketchy, available on Ravelry from Shana S. Cohen. This one uses worsted weight yarn and has two size options and the choice to make a pencil with an eraser or a colored pencil.

Pencil scarves seem to be the most popular kind of pencil knitting pattern, and there are lot of cute ones. This one from Cosy Craft UK mostly uses garter stitch, with some welts to add texture and what looks like an I-cord edging. It calls for DK weight yarn.

If you want to go all garter stitch try this version from Emsley Co Creations, which uses five colors of DK weight yarn and just a little shaping to make the point of the pencil.

There’s also this fun, mostly stockinette so it looks like it curls a bit, pencil pattern that looks like it’s worked in chunky yarn from Little Knits Studio. This one uses just a little garter stitch and easy shaping for the point.

If you don’t want a pencil scarf, how about some pencil socks? The No. 2 Pencil Socks from The Yarn Enabler are available from Ravelry and use five colors of sock yarn. They feature wide ribs to mimic the texture of a pencil and have options to be worked from the top down or the toe up.

Needs Sharpening by Alexander Walker is a free pattern on Ravelry that uses five colors of sock yarn to make a sort of shortie sock. The little bit of black at the tips of the toes inspired the name. These, too, can be worked in either direction and are available in three sizes.

Have you read?