Start Your Own Knitting Stitch Library
Making your own knitting stitch library is fun and a great reference for all your future knitting
How many knitting stitches do you know? If you're a seasoned knitter, I bet you can't count them let alone remember them all. If you're a beginning knitter, you need to broaden your horizons. How? With a knitting stitch library.
I firmly believe every knitter should make their very own library showcasing all the stitches they know. Here's how.
Why Make a Knitting Stitch Library?
Making your own stitch library accomplishes a lot of things. First, to make one, you need to knit swatches of the different knitting stitches. By doing this, you learn knitting stitches you might otherwise have never tried.
Second, a stitch library is a great reference. Sure, I recommend you have good knitting reference books at home. Any self-respecting knitter wouldn't be caught dead without one. But, it's just not the same. You can look and look through those stitch books, but until you actually knit a particular stitch, you never truly know it.
When you take the time to knit different stitches, you learn several things. First, do you like the stitch or hate it? Is it easy to do, a challenge or potentially impossible for you? Do you understand the instructions? Did your swatch turn out like the picture? Do you love the stitch enough to make an entire project using it? Is the stitch simply not worth the effort? What different looks can you create by using different size needles and yarns?
See? You learn all of this. I told you learning new stitches is a learning experience that broadens your horizons and increases your knitting skills. Plus, you also learn one of my favorite lessons of all...drum roll please...you never know what you can do until you try!
How to Make a Stitch Library
Can you say, 'simple'? Sure you can, and making a stitch library is as simple as it gets. Start with a 3-ring binder. You can use an old one or invest in a new and pretty one - after all, you're going to be looking at it a lot.
Next, buy some vinyl photo sleeves. These aren't expensive and they make perfect pockets for you to slip your knitting swatches into. You'll also need some paper. On the paper, you write or type the name of the stitch, the size needles and the name and type of yarn you used to knit the swatch.
How do you decide which swatches to include? Simple again. Start with beginning knitting stitches and gradually begin adding stitches that are more difficult. This is where you get out your stitch reference books and choose new and interesting stitches to try.
Don't forget that sometimes you should knit a stitch using different yarns and gauge needles. This is how you can create some unique and interesting projects.
Now, I want you to take some time off from knitting projects. Get your supplies together for your knitting stitch library. Buy or borrow a good book showing the gazillion knitting stitches and start working on learning new stitches and your very own library.
