Knitting and Sewing

109 flashcards by MentisLibrary

Knitting stitches and yarn weights, crochet basics, hand and machine sewing, pattern symbols and measurements, fabric types and grain, and garment construction from seam to finish.

What are the two fundamental knitting stitches?
The knit stitch and the purl stitch
What stitch pattern do you get by knitting every row in flat knitting?
Garter stitch
How do you produce stockinette stitch when knitting flat?
Knit all stitches on the right side rows and purl all stitches on the wrong side rows
What is ribbing and how is it made?
A stretchy vertical pattern made by alternating knit and purl stitches in the same row, such as k2 p2
How is seed stitch worked?
Alternate knit and purl across the row, then stack a purl above each knit and a knit above each purl
What is the long tail cast on and why is it popular?
A cast on that uses a tail plus the working yarn to create stitches, giving a neat, moderately stretchy edge
What is binding off, also called casting off?
Securing the live stitches so the knitting cannot unravel, usually by passing one stitch over the next
What is gauge in knitting?
The number of stitches and rows in a given measurement, usually 4 inches or 10 centimeters
Why should you knit a gauge swatch before a garment?
To check that your stitch and row counts match the pattern so the finished size is correct
What do you do if your gauge swatch has too many stitches per inch?
Go up a needle size, because your stitches are too small
List the common yarn weight categories from thinnest to thickest.
Lace, super fine or fingering, fine or sport, light or DK, medium or worsted, bulky, super bulky, jumbo
What is worsted weight yarn?
A medium weight yarn, category 4, the most common all purpose knitting yarn
What are the three main types of knitting needles?
Straight, circular, and double pointed
How do United States and metric knitting needle sizes relate?
US sizes are arbitrary numbers while metric sizes are the actual diameter in millimeters
How do wool, cotton and acrylic differ as knitting fibers?
Wool is warm, elastic and blocks well; cotton is cool, strong and inelastic; acrylic is cheap, durable and easy to wash
What does the abbreviation k1f&b mean?
Knit one front and back, an increase that makes two stitches out of one
What does M1 mean in a knitting pattern?
Make one, an increase worked by lifting the strand between two stitches and knitting into it
What does yo mean and what does it produce?
Yarn over, an increase that deliberately creates a hole
What does k2tog do, and which way does it lean?
Knit two together, a decrease that removes one stitch and slants to the right
What is ssk and how does it differ from k2tog?
Slip, slip, knit, a decrease that slants to the left rather than right
What does p2tog mean?
Purl two together, a decrease worked on the purl side
How is a basic cable made?
By slipping stitches onto a cable needle, holding them in front or behind, working the next stitches, then working the held ones
What is a stitch marker used for?
Marking a position in the work, such as the beginning of a round, a repeat, or a shaping point
What does frogging mean?
Ripping out a large amount of knitting by pulling the yarn free
What does tinking mean?
Undoing stitches one at a time by reversing the knitting motion
What is blocking and why does it matter?
Wetting or steaming a finished piece and shaping it to its final measurements as it dries
What are the two common ways to knit small circumferences in the round?
Double pointed needles, or the magic loop method on one long circular needle
What does picking up stitches mean?
Creating new live stitches along a finished edge so you can knit outward from it
Why must yarn ends be woven in rather than knotted?
Knots work loose over time and create a lump, while woven ends are held by friction and stay flat
What do the abbreviations RS and WS mean?
Right side and wrong side, the public facing and inner faces of the fabric