Using Stitch Markers

Dear Sweaterbabe,

I am a new knitter.

I have read somewhere that markers can be carried up as one knits. I wonder if this means that as one knits, the markers can be knitted into stitches of the next row (thus carrying them up) instead of manually removing them and then placing them into the relevant stitches of the next row which is what I am doing now. I find this very tedious and slow especially in a complicated pattern and I would have to count the stitches often while placing these markers.

Your help is very much appreciated. Thank you.

Best regards, New Knitter

Dear New Knitter,

Maintaining the placement of stitch markers as you knit should be easier than you've been experiencing.

Anytime you are working your pattern and come across a stitch marker, you should be able to just slip the marker from your left needle tip to your right needle tip (like you slip a stitch).  This should keep your marker in the same place from row to row.

I hope this makes sense.  Please let me know if there is more to your question!

Best,

SweaterBabe

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Comments

[Helen]

I think I understand the confusion here - New Knitter must be attaching the stitch marker to the stitch itself, rather than placing it onto the needle.

Thus when she works a few rows the marker gets left behind.

The solution is simply to make sure you put the marker onto the needle rather than attaching it to the stitch. That way it can travel up your work as you go.

I can sympathise, because I made the same mistake about how markers were supposed to be used when I first used them.

Hope that helps!

Helen