If you’ve already nailed the basics of knitting but want to know how to improve, this is the guide for you. Follow the steps below to turn your basic stitches into the best-quality knitwear.
Pick the right yarn
Just like cooking, the better your ingredients, the better the result, so it’s worth investing in high-quality yarn to ensure your knits look their best. As well as good quality, always make sure you’re buying the right sort of yarn for your specific project. This means considering the function of your knit first and foremost. Once you’ve done this, you can find the right fibre, texture, thickness and colour.
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Check the recommended needle size for your type of yarn, as you’ll get better results with the right needles. Too big and your fabric will be looser, whereas too small will give you a stiff fabric.
Get some help
You could start to improve your knitting by trying one of the many more advanced knitting kits which can be found at suppliers such as woolcouturecompany.com. These will give you a head-start on gaining the confidence for more technical projects.
Or you could follow the advice of non-profit organisation UK Hand Knitting. They suggest visiting your local yarn shop for informal advice, or workshops and knit and natter groups where you can pick up tips.
Make a gauge swatch
The only way of knowing how large your knit will be is to knit a gauge swatch, which measures how many stitches are in a one-inch piece of fabric. Your pattern will give you the recommended gauge and your aim is to match this.
Read your pattern
Always read a pattern through to the end to make sure you understand exactly what you need to do.
