I find stitch markers and row counters to be really helpful with my knitting. I actually use a lot of stitch markers for two main reasons, both of which I illustrate in the video below:
- Stitch markers mean I don’t have to count during a row to keep track of pattern sections, which makes it easier to knit while having a conversation or watching a movie without losing my place, and
- More importantly, stitch markers provide a good check on complicated repeating patterns to make sure I didn’t miss a stitch. For example, let’s say I’m knitting a sweater in a lace pattern that repeats over 12 stitches. I place a stitch marker at the end of every repeat. If I reach a stitch marker but am not at the end of the 12 stitch pattern, I know there’s something wrong and can immediately fix it. The means I don’t have to wait until I get all the way to the end of the row and then go back to figure out where I had a problem; that’s particularly useful when knitting a sweater and “going back” can mean ripping out 200 or 300 stitches of complicated lace or color work. In that way, stitch markers significantly improve the quality of my work and save me a lot of headaches.
These are my favorite stitch markers by Coco Knits, and can be used with this Coco Knits wrist band.
Row counters are also very helpful. There are a variety of styles available, such as the ones below that go on your wrist, hang off the needle, or hang around your neck. This one coordinates with the Coco Knits wrist band I mentioned above. Just as often, however, I use the row counter in the Knit Companion app, which is where I store all of my patterns.
I should maybe note here that I don’t get paid or otherwise compensated for any of these product recommendations. They’re just the ones I like, which I share in case that saves you time or headaches.
The following video gives examples for using stitch markers and row counters, along with some tips and tricks. The coaster pattern from the video is this Woven Coaster and the sweater is the Buckbeak Pullover from Knitting Magic: The Official Harry Potter Knitting Pattern Bookby Tanis Gray.
Cushion of Joy 