The lowly stitch marker. To most, it's purely utilitarian. To some, it is a thing of beauty to be collected. To all, it is indispensable and its use goes way beyond stitch pattern repeats!
COUNTING STITCHES
Every now and again you get a pattern with a loooooong cast one. We've all lost count. We've all miscounted multiple times. Placing a stitch marker every 25 (or howevermany) stitches to help keep track? Priceless.
COUNTING DECREASES AND REPEATS
Ever made a sleeve that has a decrease every so many rows? Ever got lost trying to track where you are? Place a locking stitch marker on every decrease and never be lost again...
Same thing with row repeats. Depending on how a pattern is written, using locking stitch markers to track row repeats can be a godsend.
SPACERS
Have you ever had to pick up a certain amount of stitches in a given area and wondered how to keep it even? Locking stitch markers can help you divide your area visually so you can keep everything looking correct.
SPECIALTY JOBS
Varying your stitch markers can help you keep track in more complicated patterns, too. Make your beginning of the round marker something that stands out from any other markers you are using so you have an obvious visual for the round ending.
Locking markers can also be used to help keep track of the right side of a piece vs the wrong side. Additionally, they can also be used to help you keep track of the front or back of a garment like a sweater. Or even to track your progress on a project, sometimes it's nice to have a visual!
BOTTOM LINE
You can truly never have too many stitch markers and you should definitely have a variety! Take a look at our selection of stitch markers and find a few that speak to you.