Place Stitches on a Holder

I am working on another Joan Fuller, this time with no curves at the hems. I will add the modifications directly to the pattern as soon as I complete the sweater and take pictures (or make pictures as my Dad used to say).

Freshly joined sleeves and body

There are many tips for knitters out there that make me say to myself, "Why didn't I think of that?"

One of my most favorite tips ever comes from Bristol Ivy. When the directions say, "Place the next X stitches on a holder", bind off those stitches with a piece of cotton yarn or a scrap of yarn from the project.

Why? The piece of knitting remains flexible. It is tidy, not clumsy or cumbersome. But most importantly, the stitches that are temporarily bound off maintain their integrity: They are protected from stretching and distortion as the stitches around them are worked.

When the time comes to use the held stitches I can unravel the bind-off chain and slip the released stitches onto a needle. In this particular case I will probably first graft the stitches together and then unravel the bind-offs.

Neat, huh?