How can I make my knit projects look cleaner and more professional?

Question

I taught myself how to knit due to the lack of creative or any type of homebody streaks in my mom. I try to do a project yet I never finish because I can not get the project to look clean. I have been doing it for about 2 years. I have mastered the basic scarf and hat but I'm trying to venture into other skills. Any patterns? Any hints or tips for someone who wants to knit a clean piece of fabric?

Answer 1

Do you wet block your projects when you're finished with them? I didn't think this was important until a month ago, I've been knitting since earlier this year. I made a small purse for myself and my sis-in-law also wanted one. So when I made hers I made sure to take my time on it and I wet blocked it at the end before sewing it together. I didn't realize how good it could make something look. I ended up taking my purse completly apart, reknitting it and wet blocking it and it looked as good as hers. Before it was a little loose and more bulky.

When you knit the project always looks a bit messy until the end, after you wet block and gently press with an iron on low heat, no steam under a thin towel. http://www.knitty.com/issuewinter02/FEATdiyknitter.html I still say it's important no matter what stitch you do.

Answer 2

I'm not exactly sure what you mean by cleaner. If you mean that your stitches don't look even or smooth, this could be because your tension is not even all the time or it could be the type of yarn.
We all have a tendency to use cheaper yarns when we start out, so maybe try a small project with an expensive yarn and see if it helps. If it is a tension problem this is most visible on projects that have large areas of stockinette stitch. Since it is just flat v's variations in stitch sizes are very visible and there isn't really anyway to correct this except practice.

It doesn't sound like you have made projects that would require blocking for size at this point but sometimes scarves have a tendency to roll at the edges. You can fix this by damp pressing your scarf. And if you have any raised patterns, such as cables or popcorn, make sure you place the piece on top of a folded towel and then press through a pressing cloth on the wrong side of the scarf. Otherwise your pattern stitches will be crushed.

The other finishing problems are usually in sewing projects together. This takes finding a method that you can do comfortably. I think joining sweater seams with an invisible stitch is the best but not all patterns can accomodate this unless you make provisions at the beginning. Some of the other stitches you can check are kitchner and backstitch.

Good Luck, don't give up and,
Happy Knitting
K

Answer 3

Hello there,

You may already do this since you have been at it for two years, but it is important to make sure you are knitting in the right "scale". (There are aother terms for this depending on where you live, i.e. UK versus the U.S.)

In other words, when the instructions say 7 stiches per inch, try making a swatch and make sure that you are actually going to be matching the scale.

I'm a tight knitter, so often I find after doing a test swatch that I need to switch to the next size needle above what is listed in the instructions to make the piece come out with the correct stich per inch.

Also, sometimes the quality of yarn makes a difference, sometimes cheap yarn won't look as fluffy and polished as you like. Perhaps splurge on some nice yarn and see if that gets the "look" right.

Answer 4

There are some really good web sites for knitters that can also help you improve your skills. I particularly like these sites. I have been knitting for over 20 years.

about.com/knitting - They also have a knitting forum on this site that is very good
lionbrand.com
interweavepress.com - they publish several needlework magazines also