| Knitting in its simplest form is often | | | | Now any good craft project whether made from |
| described as the looping of a string around | | | | wood or wool is only worth its weight when |
| two sticks. When faced with multi-color | | | | measurements are accurate and consistent. To |
| patterning, intricate stitches or detailed | | | | knitters, the correct gauge must be achieved |
| graphs, this seemingly easy craft becomes a | | | | or every measurement throughout the project |
| more complex activity that can benefit from | | | | will become skewed. With numerous devices |
| an innovative tool or two. Right from the | | | | available to help accurately measure those |
| start when the ideas for a new knitting | | | | all-important numbers of stitches and rows, |
| project abound, there are aids to guide you | | | | there is absolutely no excuse for having the |
| in choices of yarn and color. Color wheels | | | | wrong gauge. A square gauge frame will force |
| and color selectors, using proven principles | | | | you to line up your knitting with the |
| of color theory, can steer you through | | | | stitches at right angles to the rows, leaving |
| establishing a pleasing color combination of | | | | you to count the numbers between the borders |
| two or many colors. Even though you may pick | | | | of the frame. Transparent stitch templates |
| the perfect geranium pink to match that | | | | will tell you nothing but the truth as you |
| perfect leaf green, you still must find | | | | try to match the drawing of the desired |
| commercially available yarns of compatible | | | | stitch gauge to the stitches of your knitted |
| weights in those very colors. Many yarn | | | | sample. A good tape measure, plastic or |
| retailers offer, at a reasonable cost, sample | | | | cloth, retractable or not, is essential to |
| cards of available yarns in their full color | | | | measure those lengths and widths once you |
| range. Much like selecting paint chips at the | | | | start knitting. |
| hardware store, you are able to see at a | | | | |
| glance what colors are available in a | | | | To see those stitches clearly, use a |
| particular yarn and how they interact with | | | | magnifier lamp clamped to your favorite chair |
| other colors of that yarn type. | | | | or stood behind the sofa. Try a pair of |
| | | | magnifying flip-up lenses to increase your |
| The screwdrivers and wrenches of knitting, | | | | staying power when working with intricate |
| the needles, though basic in shape, appear in | | | | stitches and dark colors. Don't forget to |
| a variety of materials. Wood and plastic | | | | prop up that book or pattern on a bookstand |
| offer comfort to tired hands, while metal | | | | to keep your charts and graphs front and |
| needles promise speed. A luxury class of | | | | center. A line magnifier placed over the |
| needles fashioned from ebony or rosewood are | | | | chart on a magnetic board will eliminate a |
| advertised as hewn from the remains of prized | | | | lot of twisting and turning in your seat as |
| woods used in the manufacture of musical | | | | you lean to squint at those lines. Once you |
| instruments. These needles should make your | | | | have found your place there are gadgets to |
| stitches sing. There is also the "heritage" | | | | keep it. Stitch markers and row counters |
| needle collection of which mine is labelled, | | | | mark the spot and giant safety pins put |
| due to many being borrowed from my mother's | | | | stitches on hold. |
| knitting basket and never returned. A | | | | |
| "classic" collection will likely contain a | | | | A collection of tools needs a toolbox. |
| hodgepodge of needles gathered over the years | | | | Needles should be organized in needle cases, |
| as in mine, which range from a chipped orange | | | | one for the straights and another for |
| metal No. 4's to green plastic No. 8's. It's | | | | circulars, small boxes or bags for the bits |
| an odd grouping of materials and colors but | | | | and pieces such as stitch markers and |
| favorites are easily recognizable when a | | | | measuring devices, and a great big bag or |
| certain knitting job comes to mind. | | | | basket to keep it all handy and neat. |
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