Enjoy your knitting more with these 6 steps before you cast on: A checklist for knitting success
These simple steps can help ensure you understand your project inside and out before you knit the first stitch, leading to a more enjoyable, confident, and satisfying knitting journey.
1. Read the Entire Pattern Before You Begin
Yes, the whole thing. Taking time to read through the full pattern helps you avoid surprises. As you read through, highlight or mark anything that seems confusing or unfamiliar — you’ll tackle those next.
2. Make Sure You Understand All Terminology and Abbreviations
A pattern designer from a different country, or using a novel stitch, may include terms or abbreviations you’re unfamiliar with; get a good grip on what they really mean so you won’t have to stop mid-knitting to look things up.
Some pattern designers include helpful links for techniques that might be unfamiliar; take advantage of them!
Getting clarity at the outset avoids frustration later.
3. Practice New Stitches on Waste Yarn: A dress rehearsal for your project
If a pattern uses a technique you've never done before, like brioche, short rows, or an unusual stitch, it’s worth the time to practice it with waste yarn. Choose yarn that is smooth and light in color so you can best see the details. If there’s a tricky part, YouTube videos can help slow down the action so you can really understand the maneuver.
4. Summarize the Pattern Steps
You don’t have to rewrite the pattern; you just want a short summary of the pattern's flow: How does the knitting progress from one section to the next? Where are the increases or decreases? When does the lace chart begin?
Sometimes margin notes will do the trick; for a complex pattern, it could be helpful to make more of an outline, a basic roadmap to help see the big picture.
You’ll be especially happy to have this if you set a project aside for a while; you’ll be able to quickly re-start your knitting with an easy understanding of what was going on when you left off and what’s meant to happen next.
5. Reach Out to the Designer If You Have Questions
Stuck on a part of the pattern? Don’t waste hours second-guessing or hunting for answers — reach out! Most designers are happy to answer questions. You’ll get the clearest answer if you can point to exactly what aspect of the pattern is tripping you up. Reference the section and row you're confused about, and let them know what you think it means. This makes it easier for them know just what guidance will help.
It’s their pattern — they want you to succeed with it!
6. Take Advantage of Other Knitters’ Experience: Look over Ravelry Project Pages for Tips and Modifications
Spend a few minutes browsing other knitters’ finished projects on Ravelry. You can often find helpful notes about issues they encountered, modifications they made, and photos that show how the pattern looks in different colors and on different body types.
Look especially for repeat concerns, like sizing issues or unclear instructions, so you can adjust your choice of size, plan to make a modification, or take a closer look at the section of the pattern that other knitters found troublesome.
It’s really worth the time.
Most knitting regrets can be avoided if you follow these preparatory steps before knitting the first stitch. A little planning upfront can mean the difference between a project that feels like a slog and one you’re genuinely excited to work on every day, and between a finished object that makes you feel “meh” and one that you use and love.