How to Join Yarn

There are several different ways to attach yarn while you are knitting. None of them are "right" or "wrong." But they fulfill different needs.

Question:

I am knitting an infant dress. The pattern reads decrease 39 stitches evenly across the row. I have 131 stitches. How do I do this evenly?

Answer:

In a fancy stitch pattern, what does it mean when it says this stitch is a Multiple of 17 plus 2, or Multiple of 4 plus 1.

What does a "Multiple of 17 sts plus 2" mean?

It means that there are always going to be two extra stitches at the end of the row to finish up the pattern. If you only repeat the pattern once across the row (like if you were knitting a swatch), you would be knitting over 19 stitches (17+2)

A typical swatch is 20 stitches by 40 rows. But the bigger swatch you can make the better.

Also, it is usually best to use the same stitch in your swatch that you are going to be using in the piece. Like use the particular lace stitch, color st, etc. Or if it is plain stockinette st or garter st, use that.

Buttonholes in Knitted Garments