Table of Contents

How (and why) to use the book

PREFACE Words of Wisdom: "Knitting is the saving of Life" - Virginia Woolf

A Knitter's Book of Why Not

INTRODUCTION

Words of Wisdom: The best thing about understanding the "why" is being able to say "why not?"

Or Words of Wisdom: Fight for the WHY and you will become a better knitter! How I came to these tricks (tales of a self-taught knitter)

Before we begin: Truths Your Mother Never Told You

FUNDAMENTAL TRUTHS OF KNITTING

Words of Wisdom: Make your stitches be your (rhymes with stitches)

Or Words of Wisdom: You Control Your Stitches, Your Stitches Don't Control You

KNIT, PURLS AND ALL THAT JAZZ

Anatomy of a stitch Knit - loop pulled Purl - loop pushed Knits and purls and Fabrics Ribbing, Garter, Seed

HOW OUR STITCHES ARE BUILT

Where we put our needle how we wrap our yarn Eastern, Western, Combo The G - Word or . . . The Lying Liar Who Lies to You Facing Page:

GAUGE Words of Wisdom: If you don't have time to do a gauge swatch,

THE MIRACLE MOP Needle Gauge Edge Ditch the garter border

THE TRUTH IS OUT THERE How to Knit Your Swatch Cast on enough st

Type of st used Work enough rows Knit the way you knit How to measure Unblocked Blocked Hung Now what (pebbles and rocks) Row gauge (ipad v.s. iphone)

KNITTING TECHNIQUE- CAN'T CHANGE GAUGE

Needle is measuring cup Grab and go vs Tip Worker Space Between - Exit Path Wide & Short - The spreader

WHY NOT MATCHING GAUGE IS THE GREATEST THING EVER

PATTERNS Words of Wisdom: Knitting patterns, like life, are best when we don't try to overcomplicate them.

WHAT ARE WE MAKING IT WITH?

YARN Slow down decision (test drive) Grower tips Density

SIZE MATTERS Mystery of ease Sweater Construction Design Intent Personal Preference 4 -

Tips for Picking the Right Size Suggestion High chest Measure a sweater that fits One size does not fit all

WHAT TO EXPECT IN A PATTERN & WHAT TO IGNORE

Assumption of knowledge

CAST-ONS Words of Wisdom: If Idle hands are the devil's workshop ... better cast on a new sweater

Or Words of Wisdom: It is better to have knit and ripped, then never to have knit at all

Take it from the top! Cast on Better. Desert island with only 2 cast ons . . .

LONG TAIL FIXES Estimating tail Skip the knot Avoid yarn untwisting How to create an elastic cast on Why we get sad frown Large needle myth Use finger to space st Casting on in pattern Fixing dropped st in long tail

CABLE CAST ON FIXES Best starts (long tail start, two slip knot start)

Cast on in pattern Square edge Knit Purl

KEEPING TRACK OF CAST ON You Win Some, You Lose Some Facing Page:

INCREASES & DECREASES

Words of Wisdom: When we memorize, we can forget, when we understand we never forget.

DECREASES Universal Rule of Decreasing (

INCREASES Intro to types

PESKY PROBLEMS & SECRET SOLUTIONS

Words of Wisdom: DID you make a mistake, or did you just invent a new stitch? As we work Can I? Why Not?

JOIN A NEW BALL Join a new ball (middle of row - ) - 2 Start of row (trap it) - 3 Knitting in the Tail One handed Thrower Picker Felted Join for color change

FIX THE FIRST STITCH What is wrong and how to fix Picker Thrower DPN gap (let that transition to)

ROUND AND ROUND WE GO Swatching for in the round - 4 Better join w/o slinky gap - 3 Jogless joins for color (mulit row stripe) One round purl Two or more rounds Stockinette - 2 Single round color - 8 Short rows in the round w/o a hole W&T - 4 German Short Row - 4 End join slinky with tail - 3

SWEATER SKILLS Sloped Bind off Reg stair step - 1 Sloped - 4 Sloped Cast on Reg cast on Dolman - 3 Better Crew neck opening - 6 Happy Endings! Facing Page:

FINISHING Words of Wisdom: When you feel at loose ends, weave them in and

KEEP KNITTING Intro

BINDING OFF FIXES Fix the dip at the start - 3 Binding off loosely, not your fault! Why it's not easy - 1 Bind off In pattern Eliminate the gap at the end - 4

BLOCKING TIPS Intro Blocking Tips Prepare for seaming Test Drive Keep it Simple Blocking hack frame

WEAVING IN ENDS Reversable (duplicate) Skimming & Turn Clip and fray tail

BETTER MATTRESS STITCH (EVEN THINGS OUT) - 3 Figure 8 join Even Join

PICKING UP STITCHES Intro How Much - Ignore the pattern Gauge Pattern based Knitting compare How Divide & stab it out to plan it out Where Stitches Between two columns Never in a hole Pick up a better button-band - extra st Where Extra stitch trick on button band Round the corner of V neck - 4 What's the issue YO trick

BEST BUTTONHOLE - 4 - 6 What is the problem The Fix

SETTING IN THE SLEEVE Measure Yarn Half and half Tailor's Ham The Mindful Knitter Facing Page:

FINAL WORDS OF WISDOM Words of Wisdom: When you don't know what you're not supposed to be able to knit...you can knit anything Fight for the Why Read Your Knitting Understand what built it to know how to fix it Fixing mistakes (subject for another day) When We Memorize We Forget Ownership of Your Knitting

About the Author

Patty Lyons is a knitting designer and teacher. She has created content for all the key knitting brands including Craftsy, Interweave and Vogue Knitting and she writes a regular Ask Patty' column for Modern Daily Knitting.