Hello!
Sometimes we have to pick up stitches in order to continue knitting the neck or the sleeves. But how are we supposed to do this if we didn’t deliberately leave the stitches without knitting beforehand? Oh, don’t worry, it’s really easy!
You can always pick up stitches at any lateral of your project, you just need a needle and the wool you want to knit the stitches that you pick up with. Here we have prepared all the materials we need in order to show you how it works: A 15 mm needle and the wool in the colors turquoise and violet.
We are now going to take up the stitches on one of the sides of our sample. In order to do so we are going to work in the free spaces left by the stitches in the extreme part of the sample. Take a good look at the photo and you will see the holes in which you have to insert your needle:
When you insert the needle it is extremely important to do so through both threads that form the stitch, so in the complete “V” of the stitch. In the photo above you can see how there are two threads on the needle.
Let’s see how to take up these stitches!
Start at the extreme right of the sample. So that the right side faces you. Insert the needle in the hole at the first stitch and then wrap the thread that you will use to take up the stitches around your finger and around the needle (here we have used to very distinct colors so that it is easier to recognize how it works, but you can of course also use the same color). The short end of the thread needs to be placed below the needle and the long end coming from the ball of wool above it, so that you can continue taking up stitches.
Now pull the needle with the thread wrapped around it out of the hole and there is your first stitch.
Follow the same steps along the whole side of the sample until you have the necessary number of stitches. Remember to always introduce the needle through both threads, wrap the new thread around it and then pull it out with the new stitch already formed on the needle.
Once you are finished it should look more or less like this:
It is very important that you pay attention when taking up stitches so that you don’t leave out any spaces and so that the stitches are well distributed in the end.
But wait, taking up stitches isn’t only important in order to knit necks and sleeves! You can also use this technique to combine stitches that go in different directions with really cool effects.
You can share your creations with us in Instagram with the hashtag #weareknitters!
