Simple Knitting Tips: The Side Marker

When I posted this Simple Knitting Tip last week about adding a loop of yarn to your row counter and securing it with a locking stitch marker, I remembered that time I wrote about another fun use for a locking stitch marker, then realized that it was nowhere on this website. It was an awkward moment.

And so I ask you to bear with me if you've read this before, because here again, with a few improvements and maybe for the first time, is this....

Simple Knitting Tip: The Side Marker

When I am knitting a project, and I need to know the right side from the wrong side, and I don't want to expend too much energy re-thinking the answer to that question over and over, I attach a marker (like the one pictured) to the right side of the work. You could attach it to the wrong side if you prefer, and I promise it won't hurt my feelings, but I strongly suggest you pick one side and stick with it. You can also tie a piece of contrasting color yarn, if you don't have a stitch marker handy that opens and closes, or if you're like me and it's just easier to cut a random piece of yarn and tie it on, because there is yarn everywhere around here.

Obviously this isn't something you'll need to use all that often, but if you're wanting to simplify things (like say you're at knitting group and there's wine involved, just a For Instance...), this can be a super quick fix. A great example of a pattern where a side marker comes in handy is my Reversible Cable Shawl, a free pattern available from Red Heart Yarns. Because it is reversible, it's not always easy to know which row you're on or which side you're on, unless you're working overtime to pay attention.  Work smarter, not harder--attach a marker to the right side and cut down on the time needed to find your place, thereby spending more time knitting, and isn't that what it's all about?

I don't recommend branching out to other types of markers, beyond the locking kind or the loop of yarn securely knotted. I have tried the non-locking type and they don't always stay on and, well, chaos. And, depending on how much wine you've had at knit night, using the stitch markers that do not open at all is really just funny for your friends to watch.