Knitting needles too slippery? Here’s what to do!

Knitting is a fun and soothing way to unwind after a tiring day. But it is hard to relax when your stitches keep slipping off your knitting needles. What can you do if your knitting needles are too slippery? For any difficulty you may be facing with knitting needles being slippery, you can always find a solution, maybe more.

What do you do if knitting needles are too slippery?

You can find a wide variety of knitting needles in craft shops or maybe own some at home. Knitting needles come in different types, colors, and sizes. Some are comfortable and relaxing to work with. But some knitting needles can be more slippery than others.

Metal knitting needles are the ones most newbie knitters use because they are smooth, and stitches can easily slide through them. With metal needles, you can knit fast and easily. But one problem with using metal needles is they can get slippery.

To avoid stitches from slipping off your knitting needles, you can look for less slippery knitting needles. Or you can also apply certain techniques to make your knitting needles less slippery.

How do I make my knitting needles less slippery?

Your stitches may fall off as you knit, which can be a bit bothersome, especially when you are already so absorbed with your knitting. These problems do happen, and sometimes it is because of the knitting needles. No worries because making your needles less slippery is doable.

If you are experiencing the same problem with your knitting needles, here are a few things you can do.

1. Switch your metal knitting needles to less slippery ones.

Metal knitting needles are naturally smooth to let your yarn slide easily as you knit. But if it gets annoying that your stitches are sliding most of the time, you can swap your knitting needles with less slippery ones.

You can switch to wooden or plastic needles, which are less slippery. Wooden needles are comfortable to use and not cold to the hands like the metal ones. Stitches do not slip easily on wooden knitting needles as they do on metal knitting needles. To avoid worrying about your stitches slipping off all the time, you can try switching to wooden needles.

If you need another option other than wooden knitting needles, the plastic ones can also do the job. Plastic knitting needles look smooth, but metal knitting needles still have a smoother surface. Yarn does not slide as easily on plastic knitting needles as they do on metal ones. And can cause you to knit a bit slower. But like wooden knitting needles, plastic knitting needles are lighter and not cold to the hands.

2. Use the dishwashing gloves method.

If you are keen on using your slippery needles or have no other choice but to use them, you can apply a simple technique using a common household item. Your dishwashing gloves can help you make your knitting needles less slippery.

Start by putting on clean, rubber dishwashing gloves and massage the needles a little. Then, drag each needle between your pinched thumb and forefinger on the dry glove. Using this technique can remove the oils that may have gathered on your knitting needles. Make some stitches using your knitting needles rubbed on the gloves to check if slippery is lessened.

3. Rub your knitting needles with a kitchen scrubber pad.

You could use another method if the glove treatment were not successful in making your knitting needles less slippery. You can use another common cleaning material at home to make your knitting needles less slippery. Rubbing them with a clean kitchen scrubber pad can create a rougher surface, making the stitches harder to slide off.

4. Rub your knitting needles with sandpaper.

Rubbing your knitting needles with sandpaper will create the same effect as rubbing with the scrubber pad. But be careful in using this technique as it can improve your knitting needles but may also ruin them. This treatment may be advisable to use on bamboo knitting needles as those with coatings may get ruined.

How can you avoid knitting stitches from slipping off needles?

As a either a newbie or expert knitter, you might have experienced your knitting stitches slipping off the needles. It could be scary or frustrating; whatever you may have felt then, you wouldn’t want it to happen again.

So, how can you keep your stitches on your knitting needles? Here are a few tips to avoid slipping stitches from happening again.

1. Change your needles.

There are many different kinds of needles that you can use for knitting. Some you will find smooth and easy to work with, while others can be slippery. If you want to avoid stitches from slipping, you can change your slippery needles.

If you use metal knitting needles that make your stitches slip, try to switch to wooden or plastic knitting needles, which are less slippery.

2. Adjust your hand positions.

When knitting, you can develop positions for your fingers to prevent the stitches from slipping off. You can lay the top of your index finger on the top stitches on the right needle. On the left needle, you can use the top of your middle finger to keep the stitches. It is good to keep a habit of positioning your hand properly to keep stitches from falling off the needle.

3. Avoid knitting very close to the tips.

Some knitters are used to knit up to the tips of the needles. It may be because you are too absorbed and relaxed that you forget you have reached the tip. This practice can be prone to slipping stitches.

If you are used to knitting close to the tips, make it a habit to move your stitches down a bit once in a while to keep them from slipping off the needles.

4. Maintain even tension on your stitches.

Keeping your tension even when knitting is not only important to create a smooth and uniform fabric. It also helps to avoid stitches from slipping off the needle. Loose stitches are more likely to slip from your knitting needles. But making your stitches too tight is also not good as your stitches may not be able to move down the needle.

Keep your tension even when knitting to keep your stitches in place and make a nice and smooth fabric

5. Focus on your knitting.

When you are knitting very fast, your stitches can slip off your needle. This situation happens if you are knitting mechanically while your attention is somewhere else, like the TV. To avoid stitches from slipping while knitting fast, focus on your yarn and needles and enjoy the relaxing moment.

More pages:

• Why is your sewing machine squeaking?
• Why is your embroidery sewing machine skipping stitches?
• Why is your sewing machine not sewing elastic?

How do you keep your knitting tension even?

Knitters, in general, whether newbie or expert, can experience uneven stitches. Beginner knitters usually cast on stitches too tightly. A probable reason can be the unfamiliarity with how the yarn should look and feel on the needles. Knitters who have been doing the craft for quite a while know what an even tension is but can make wobbly stitches.

You will know when you are stitching too tightly when you cannot insert your needle into the stitches. Test your stitches if they can move along your needle easily.

You will also know if you are knitting loosely if your yarn is looping around your needle with so much space in between. Just make sure that your yarn is holding on to the needle but not in very large hoops.

Easy to say but hard to do. But there will come a time when knitting evenly will come to you.

Here are a few more tips to guide you in getting a uniform tension on your knitting.

• Knit more.

There is no other way to get better at knitting than to do more knitting. You only get a good and even tension on your knitting if you practice casting on and casting off repeatedly. Knitting more will let you know when you are stitching too lightly, loosely, or correctly.

• Check your mood.

The mood you are in can define your stitches. If you are angry or stressed, your stitches may come tighter. So, before you begin knitting, take a deep breath and relax as you stitch.

• Get into a rhythm with your knitting.

Knitting is a repeated motion, and getting into a rhythm with the steps can maintain an even tension. It would be best if you do not allow yourself to get interrupted a lot to put your knitting needles down many times as your tension might become uneven. It would also be better to complete knitting stitches along a row to get your rhythm. Once you get it and have been knitting for some time, you will find yourself knitting evenly which can help you burn calories by knitting. When you get your groove, maintaining an even tension will come naturally.

• Checking tension with a gauge swatch.

For advanced knitters, checking tension with a gauge swatch is essential. Before starting your knitting project, you need to make a gauge swatch. You create a gauge swatch to know if you are knitting with the correct tension, yarn size, and needle to produce the specific size of your project.

• Learn how to tension your yarn with your fingers.

Find a comfortable position for your hands to hold the yarn. Usually, it works for knitters to push the yarn on the tip of the right needle using the right index finger. The left middle finger pushes the yarn on the tip of the left needle, and the left index finger creates the tension on the yarn from the yarn ball. Maintaining the same position for your needles helps create an even tension on your knitting.