In knitting, when someone asks "how do you pick?", they are most often referring to the crucial technique of picking up stitches, which is usually immediately followed by knitting them, hence the common term "pick up and knit." This fundamental skill allows knitters to create new stitches along an existing edge of a knitted fabric, making it indispensable for adding finishing touches, shaping garments, or connecting different sections of a project seamlessly.
What is Picking Up Stitches?
Picking up stitches is the process of creating new loops of yarn directly onto your knitting needle from an already completed edge of your work. Unlike casting on, where you begin a new piece from scratch, picking up stitches enables you to continue knitting from a finished edge, creating a continuous fabric.
Why Is Picking Up Stitches Essential?
This versatile technique serves numerous purposes in knitting patterns:
- Adding Edgings: It's frequently used to create neat and professional-looking neckbands, button bands, plackets, or armhole edgings on sweaters and cardigans.
- Shaping Garments: Picking up stitches allows for intricate shaping, such as forming the heel flap of a sock, the top of a hat, or the gussets of gloves.
- Connecting Pieces: You can seamlessly join separate knitted panels without the need for traditional seaming, resulting in a cleaner finish.
- Extending Projects: It provides a method to continue a knitted piece in a new direction or to add elements like collars or borders after the main body is complete.
How to Pick Up and Knit Stitches: A Step-by-Step Guide
The core action of "picking up" involves inserting your needle into the knitted fabric and drawing a new loop of yarn through. As highlighted in the reference, a key part of this process involves identifying the correct part of the edge stitch and then knitting the newly created loop.
Here's a general step-by-step method for performing the "pick up and knit" technique along a knitted edge:
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Prepare Your Work:
- Ensure your knitted fabric is held with the right side facing you.
- Identify the edge along which you need to pick up stitches. This could be a horizontal edge (like a cast-on or bind-off edge) or a vertical edge (the side of a piece of stockinette).
- Have your working yarn ready. If you're extending an existing piece, it might already be attached; otherwise, you'll join a new strand.
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Insert Your Needle:
- Using your right-hand needle, insert it into the fabric. The specific insertion point depends on the edge type.
- For vertical edges (e.g., the side of a stockinette piece): The reference specifically advises inserting the needle "Under both legs of that edge Stitch." This creates a sturdy point from which to pick up your new stitch. For other edges, you might insert into the center of a "V" or between stitches.
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Yarn Over:
- Wrap your working yarn around the tip of your right needle, as you would when performing a knit stitch.
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Draw Up a Loop (The "Pick Up"):
- Using the tip of your right needle, draw the wrapped yarn loop through the fabric to the front. This action creates a new stitch on your right needle – this is your "picked up" stitch.
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Knit the Picked-Up Stitch:
- Once the new loop is on your needle, "slide things down here to the tip of my right needle. So I can start knitting. And I'm just going to knit. That picked up Stitch." This final action secures the newly formed stitch, making it part of your new row of knitting.
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Repeat:
- Continue these steps along the edge, picking up and knitting one stitch at a time, until you have the desired number of stitches on your needle, as specified by your pattern.
Common Scenarios for Picking Up Stitches
The exact technique might vary slightly depending on the edge you're working with:
| Edge Type | Typical Insertion Point | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Horizontal (Cast-on/Bind-off) | Into the center of each "V" stitch or between stitches. | Often 1 stitch picked up for every cast-on/bind-off stitch. |
| Vertical (Side Edge) | Under both legs of an edge stitch (as per the reference) or into the "bar" between rows. | Ratio is crucial (e.g., 3 stitches for every 4 rows) to prevent edges from flaring or puckering. |
| Curved (Necklines/Armholes) | Carefully into existing stitches, often skipping some rows for a smooth curve. | Requires careful spacing to maintain a smooth, even curve without bunching or stretching. |
Practical Insights for Success
- Maintain Even Tension: Consistency in tension and spacing when picking up stitches is vital for a clean, professional-looking edge. Uneven tension can lead to a wavy or puckered finish.
- Count Carefully: Most patterns will provide a specific number of stitches to pick up. Use stitch markers to divide sections and ensure accurate counting.
- Needle Size: You can typically use the same needle size as the rest of your project. For a tighter, more defined edge, some knitters prefer to go down half a needle size.
- Practice Makes Perfect: The best way to master picking up stitches is through hands-on practice with different yarn weights and edge types.
By mastering the "pick up and knit" technique, you gain an invaluable skill that significantly enhances the finishing and versatility of your knitted projects, leading to polished and professional results.
