FOUR clever things to do with your Interchangeable needles

[redheadrachel]

Using them to put in a lifeline works like a charm! I used it for a lace shawl and it was FABULOUS. I think it's important though, if you're going to do this, to use TWO lifelines.

After you put the first one in, knit until you're where you would normally pull out and re-insert your lifeline. Instead of pulling it out, just keep the lifeline in and use a second one. When you get to the third lifeline spot, you can pull out the first lifeline, thread it through the tightening hole, and be on your merry way. That way if you mess up on the row where you're knitting in the lifeline, you still have a lifeline to fall back on. It'd be terrible if you were toward the end of your knitting and dropped stitches on a row where you were knitting in your lifeline, and had nothing to fall back on

[Dangles]

Thanks for the tips, Amy

[AnnArrogance]

Using them to put in a lifeline works like a charm! I used it for a lace shawl and it was FABULOUS. I think it's important though, if you're going to do this, to use TWO lifelines.

After you put the first one in, knit until you're where you would normally pull out and re-insert your lifeline. Instead of pulling it out, just keep the lifeline in and use a second one. When you get to the third lifeline spot, you can pull out the first lifeline, thread it through the tightening hole, and be on your merry way. That way if you mess up on the row where you're knitting in the lifeline, you still have a lifeline to fall back on. It'd be terrible if you were toward the end of your knitting and dropped stitches on a row where you were knitting in your lifeline, and had nothing to fall back on

HA! That JUST happened to me knitting a Koolhaas for a friend. I took out my lifeline after the second repeat, started on the third repeat, and promptly screwed up horribly at the beginning of the round, which I didn't notice until I had started the next round. I had to tink back like 120 stitches because I was SOO afraid that I would never get all those little cables back in place if I ripped it back.

Anyway, great tips, all of them! I'm definitely using 2 lifelines from now on, and I can wait to try the lifeline trick with my Harmonies! And the I-Cord trick!

[G J]

Okay I fully comprehend items 1 & 2 (and have put them to use), but I just can't get my head around this one! I pushed all my stitches from the right needle onto the cable and threaded the hole (I have the Boye set) with a piece of cotton and pushed my stitches back up. Of course this only worked for the few stitches that got caught up in it as I pushed them back over the hole. However, when I was knitting the next round, the thread got passed through and now there's a lifeline for most of that round. Problem is, I don't know how it happened!

Can anyone give me some better instructions on this?

Thanks,
-shannon

You need to KNIT with the thread in the RIGHT needle. As you knit, the thread will follow the knitting and BE there when you finish the row!

[sabrinasmom]

Great ideas! I want to knit cables in a scarf and am planning on using the lifeline ideas with my Denise.

[ArtLady1981]

Many thanks Amy!

[WandaT]

Wow!!!! GREAT ideas!!! Thanks so much!

[Krisnbren]

Amy,

I just wanted to tell you how much I LOVE this site. I am on it for reason or another weekly!!! Your videos are so helpful!!!

Bless you and the work you do

Kristi

[outdoordrea]

I'm pretty sure I'm the first to come up with that lifeline idea. Seems like one that would have caught on by now if someone else had thought of it, don't ya think? Next thing you know they'll be drilling holes in straight needles so they can do this too! ...Hmmm, think I should patent this? :thinking:

For the "concept impaired", would you go into more detail on how the hole in the needles helps with a lifeline?

[Mike]

For the "concept impaired", would you go into more detail on how the hole in the needles helps with a lifeline?

You use them like a sewing needle. Thread the floss in the hole and the floss gets pulled through all the loops as you knit across.