Tuesday, June 26, 2007

Lifelines 101

For those who drew a blank when I babbled about lifelines in the previous post, here are some helpful links.

The Lifeline Explained

A Lifeline Video

The Mysterious Circular Needle Hole for Lifelines

Basically, a lifeline is a temporary thread carried through the row of live stitches. If you make a serious mistake and have to rip back, or you drop a stitch, the lifeline is a lifesaver.

You can use any smooth yarn for a lifeline. I like silk buttonhole thread myself, but some people use dental floss, nylon thread, or ravel cord, among other choices.

While I was searching for lifeline information, I discovered KnitWiki. Clearly, it's just starting up, but could become an extremely valuable resource for all of us.

3 comments:

  1. You know, I've never actually used them. But that's because none of my lace projects have had more than 200 stitches. When I start my next shawl, I'm using lifelines for sure!

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  2. Dear fleegle,

    I had only heard of lifelines last year for the first time and tried it out for the WRS. I have to say, if having a hole for the line to go through works, I'd likely use a lifeline more often on difficult lace. Until then, I just grit my teeth and go real slow.

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  3. Thanks for the lifeline reminder.
    I realized too late that I had dropped a stitch... and had to start over on my Unst Stole.
    Learning how to count would help me too! m:)

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