At My Sister Knits, we love good YouTube video tutorials! Our memories need to be refreshed about certain techniques that aren’t used often.

We thought it would be handy to have some of them in one spot and that’s what this post is all about! So, in no certain order, here they are:

Closing up the underarm hole in a sweater

Ahh, the dreaded underarm hole! If you’ve knit a sweater, you probably know what I mean. This video by Suzanne Bryan is an ingenious way to fix the problem! I can’t wait to use it on my next sweater! Thanks goes to Tedi Cox for bringing it to my attention!

German Short Rows

When a project calls for short rows you can use any type of short row that you prefer. However, we love German Short Rows. They are easy to work, easy to identify on your needles, and don’t leave holes. This video shows how to work them and this video shows how to substitute them for any other type of short row.

Provisional Cast On

There are several ways to create a provisional cast on. I have tried several and like this way by VeryPink Knits the best. This Brooklyn Tweed video is also good for showing how to take it out and put those live stitches onto a needle.

Tubular Cast On

This cast on makes a beautiful finished edge. It looks rolled over, without a defined beginning (kind of like an infinity pool), and is stretchy. There are a couple of ways to work it. I’ve included the two most common ways. Yes, this is a bit fiddly but oh so worth it! Knit Freedom does it one way and Cushion of Joy does it another way. Watch both and decide which one you want to try!

Cabling without a cable needle

Again, there is more than one way to accomplish this! Brooklyn Tweed has an excellent visual of how cables work in their tutorial. VeryPink Knits does it the way I’ve been doing it for years. She’s a little bit negative about doing cables without a needle so don’t let her put you off. Just be careful doing it with slippery yarn as it’s much easier to lose a stitch! Remember that there is a limit as to how many stitches you should do this with! If I’m using slippery yarn or have more than two or three stitches to cable, I use a cable needle. Use your own best judgment. Cabling without a needle is much faster and you feel so capable!

Grafting (formerly known as Kitchener stitch)

This seaming stitch can strike fear into a knitter’s heart until you’ve done it many times. It can be used for the toes of socks, shoulder seams, or the tops of mittens. It’s an excellent way to join two sets of live stitches. Stephen West offers us a good video on how to do it.

Mattress Stitch

When you watch this VeryPink Knits video, you’re not going to be afraid of seaming any longer! Most of us don’t seam very often which makes us leery of doing it. Really, it’s pretty easy and rather fun!

Hopefully, this list will help you find what you need in a hurry!

We can always help you at the shop but I’ve found that I usually need help at 5:30 on a Saturday night! I certainly don’t want to wait until Tuesday to get the help I need!

Happy knitting,

Help at Your Fingertips!

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