Monday, September 8, 2008

Tip of the Day: Easier Project Piece Sewing...

(At first I thought this post should come after a post about binding off. Chronologically speaking, it is only too obvious that binding off comes before sewing the pieces of a project together. I realized, though, that in order for the method to work it has to take place before binding off. Guess which thought won?)

Two things I vividly remember hearing from my knitting instructor were on how hard it was for beginners to sew their project pieces together and on how hard it was for some to evenly sew their knitted pieces together.

She then gave me a method to get rid of these problems. It was so simple I couldn't believe more knitters did not practice it.

The secret, regardless of the pattern in use, is simply to add two extra stitches to the pattern and begin and end every row with a knit stitch. So, let's say for instance, you are following the Stockinet Stitch for a specific length. Just cast on two extra loops and when making the purl rows just make sure to make knit stitches both in the first and last stitches.

When both of your pieces are finished, ready to be sewn together, and held in an upright position, you will see that their edges will have visibly outstanding horizontal lines. The lines stand out from the rest of the pattern on the piece and are thus easier to pick up with your needle. This essentially eliminates the guess work. Not only are the stitches easier to find and pick up but also easier to line up so that the pieces are evenly sewn together.

The rest is done in the usual way but when you pull the string you will notice something different. This method not only facilitates a faster sew up but also...what...where did the hem go? You will see virtually no hem at all but a clean, whole piece. The project will look as if it had been made on a circular needle instead of on straights. ( More on circular needles later).

Try it and see.

2 comments:

Unknown said...

Very nice tip! I'm going to have to use that in future projects.

Unknown said...

BTW - Etsy is slow for me, but it gives me a place to showcase my items. I'm working on doing craft shows and consignments.