Good morning! Today there will be no tutorial and no advice for "greenhorns." Today I have prepared something special for you – a handful of my personal tricks developed over years that make my life easier.
These are not generic tips from the first page of Google. These are my little "lifehacks" that work in battle, when time, comfort, and... not losing track of stitches count. Enjoy!
1. Counting Rows on Screen (The "Draw in Notes" Method)
This is my absolute hit, which I have been using from the beginning. When I see in a pattern: "Increase stitch 7 times"or "Repeat row 10 times", I immediately pull out my phone.
On an iPhone (and probably on other smartphones too) I go into Notes and choose the drawing option.
How does it work? I do one row/increase, and after finishing it, I draw one vertical line. I cross four lines with a fifth one – and I have a clear, visual system of "fives."
Why is this better than paper? I always have my phone with me. If I leave the house with my knitting and forget my notebook, I have a problem. I rarely forget my phone. Thanks to this, I can stop working at any moment and when I return, I know exactly where I left off.
Important: Set one rule – ALWAYS draw the line at the same moment (e.g., right after finishing the row). Stick to this strictly to avoid mistakes!
2. Stopwatch + Notes = Full Control Over Time
Even if you don't plan to sell a given item, always turn on the stopwatch.
First – for your own satisfaction. Second – you never know if someone on Instagram will ask: "Can you make one for me?". Then you have a ready answer and a quote.
My hack for "disappearing time": It's easy to accidentally reset the stopwatch on your phone (especially with a project lasting a month!). That's why after every knitting session I copy the time from the stopwatch to a note on my phone and sum it up as I go. This is my safe backup. When someone asks about a sweater after a year, I go into my notes and I know: "I made it in 70 hours, using such and such yarn".
3. Planning Content "By Project" (For Creators)
If you create content for the web, you know the pain: you finished a sweater and suddenly remember: "Oh no, I was supposed to record sewing the sleeve!".
I plan content by projects, not dates. In my planner, I create a tab, e.g., "Striped Sweater". Under it, I list the shots to be taken:
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Color selection process
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Knitting vlog
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"Before and After" video
Before I sit down to knit, I glance at the list. Thanks to this, the materials "shoot themselves," and my vlogs are more interesting because I don't miss anything.
4. The Magical "Emergency Pouch"
An organizational game changer. I have one small pouch (e.g., one from knitting needles or a starter kit) into which I throw all the small, awkward "essentials":
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Scissors
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Tape measure
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Stitch markers
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Tapestry needle
Everything in one place. When I go out, I simply move this one pouch into my bag. No more searching for scissors at the bottom of a backpack or losing the tape measure.
5. The Key Always at Hand (For Interchangeable Needle Knitters)
If you use interchangeable needles, you know the pain: where is that small, metal key for tightening the cable? It usually gets lost in the case pocket where everything else is.
My way? I put the key directly into the needle organizer, in a specific, easily accessible place (check out the video to see how it looks!). When I'm doing a complex project that requires frequent switching of cables and needles, I don't have to dump the entire contents of the pocket every time. I have it at hand in a second.
Those are my 5 proven patents. And you? Do you have any unusual habits that make knitting easier for you? Share in the comments – I'd love to learn something new!