Use Stitch Markers in Knitting

1. Stitch markers help you keep count!

When you’re using stitch markers you don’t have to count as much. As a result, you will have more capacity over for conversation if you’re a social knitter. Or for following a Netflix-show if that’s your game.

Put the marker on your needle, between two stitches. You can place it anywhere you have to remember to do something. This way you don’t have to count your stitches while knitting, you can rely on the markers instead.

When can you use a marker to keep count for you?

• Increases and decreases. You often have to increase or decrease at the same places on several rows. Put markers there to remind you.
• Pattern repeats. Place markers between the repeats to make it easier to keep track of where you are.
• Switch between stitch patterns. For example, if you knitting a cardigan in one piece and want to knit the button bands in a different stitch pattern.
• Big projects. If you have loads of stitches and want to make sure you don’t lose or gain any on the way. Place markers every twenty stitches or so. You don’t have to count hundreds of stitches at the time and can easily detect in which section a mistake has occurred.

Reading Tip!
––> If you make a mistake, don’t worry about it, we all do! Use a lifeline to unravel your knitting safely!

2. Use stitch markers to divide your project

You can use stitch markers to divide a project into different sections.

Some patterns have multiple sections with different stitches that can be hard to remember. If you place stitch markers between the sections things get more manageable.

This very useful for knitting cable, colorwork and lace patterns but I also use it when I knit seamless cardigans!

When knitting a raglan cardigan from the top down you may divide your stitches into:

placket – front – sleeve – back – sleeve – front – placket

If you place a marker between the placket and front stitches, one between the front and the sleeve stitches and so on you can easily keep track of the different pieces.

3. Use stitch markers to mark the right side of your work

When you knit a garter stitch project it can be hard to know which side is the right side.

If you place a stitch marker a few stitches in from the edge on the right side you will always know if you knit the right side or not.

4. Catch dropped stitches

Dropped a stitch? Don’t go back to pick it up! Use an open stitch marker to catch it instead. Just put the marker through the stitch, this prevents the stitch from running further down.

Now you can just keep on knitting and pick up the dropped stitch the next time you pass.

If the dropped stitch has unraveled several rows it’s easiest to use a crochet hook to “knit” it back up to the needle again.

Reading tip:
––> Why is the crochet hook the knitter’s best friend?!

5. Are you going to cast on a big number of stitches?

Place a marker every 25 or 50 stitches. That way you don’t have to count all the 500 stitches all over if (when…) you get interrupted.

6. Mark the start of your round

Put a stitch marker at the join when you’re knitting in the round.

This way you will always know where a round ends and a new one begins.

Circular knitting is a spiral rather than separate rows stacked upon each other. Therefore it can be confusing if you lose track of where your round end/begin.

7. Keep track of your rows

Lockable stitch markers are also great for keeping track of the rows knitted. For example, some patterns require that you make increases or decreases with a certain number of rows between.

Place a marker when you make an increase or decrease, now you will see exactly where you did it and it’s easy to know when to do next.

Place a marker where you want to start counting.

If the pattern says to decrease every ten rows, place a marker when you make a decrease and its easy to keep track of when it’s time to do the next.

8. Need some extra motivation?

Use a locking stitch marker and lock it in a stitch at your current row. Keep knitting and see the marker moving downward from your needles.

It’s a simple trick, but it’s surprisingly rewarding to see all that fabric grow between the needle and the marker!

9. Use stitch markers for seaming knitting

Use locking stitch markers to hold the pieces in place when seaming a project.

Markers are perfect for this task as they are made to go through stitches without splitting them and they can be locked in place. That’s neat!