Knitting a Flat Rib: To have a ‘ribbed’ look without the knit actually pulling in, use this full needle rib. All ribber needles in work and 1 x 1 or 2 x 2 rib set-up on main bed. Reverse this needle arrangement if the purl side of the garment is to be the right side.

Avoid Tails of Woe: When using a new cone of yarn snip off the yarn tail at the bottom of the cone to save possible tangles.

To Knot or Not: When joining yarns, the safest way to avoid knots is to have the join at the beginning or end of a row. If this isn’t possible a “Russian” join will prevent the knot from coming undone or slipping to the right side of your garment. This join works well for any yarn, including slippery ribbon. With a tapestry needle thread the first tail and weave it back on itself 6 or 7 times, over about 2 inches, leaving a loop at the end. Thread the second tail and put it through the loop of the first tail. Weave it back on itself as you did the first tail. Pull both tail ends until the loops tighten, then trim the excess.

Knitting Fabric for Felting: To determine the number of rows required to knit fabric to be felted to a specific length, begin with a swatch 100 stitches x 100 rows. Felt the swatch. When dry, measure the length - top to bottom. Divide this number into 100 and you will have the number of rows required per cm. Multiply this number by the desired length of fabric for the total row count.

Cast On/Bound Off Hem: For a finished edge when the weight of a hem is not required (example: gored skirt) this technique is easy and professional looking. Cast on in FNR. Knit 1 row zig zag and hang comb, but do not hang weights. Knit 4 circular rows at T0/0. Knit 1 more zig zag row. Transfer ribber stitches to main bed and continue to knit garment at main tension.

For Future Repairs: When a garment you’ve knit becomes someone’s ‘favourite’, there is a chance that it may require a repair in the future. To eliminate the potential problem of not being able to match the yarn should this happen, crochet or latch tool an extra row of yarn along the seam allowance of the side seam. This way the yarn will age and remain the same colour as the ‘favoured’ garment.