How to Choose and Use Stitch Markers in Knitting
Stitch markers are an indispensable part of every knitter’s tool kit. But with so many kinds of stitch markers to choose from, how do you pick the right ones? Once you’ve supplied yourself with markers, how can you make the most of them? Let’s look at the types of stitch markers and the different ways you can put them to use. We’ll also show you some of our favorite stitch markers.
Stitch Marker Types
Stitch markers come in two basic types: ring markers and removable markers.
Ring Markers
When a knitting pattern calls for stitch markers, this usually means a ring marker. Ring markers are closed shapes which ride on the knitting needle between stitches. They don’t need to be round—triangles, squares, and hexagons are common marker shapes. Ring markers should be sized to easily slip from needle to needle and to slide effortlessly along the needle shaft. Avoid thick or bulky markers, which can create gaps between stitches. Ring markers are available in a variety of materials, from metal to rigid plastic to pliable rubber.
Removable Markers
When a knitting pattern calls for removable markers, the marker will be placed on a stitch or in the knitted fabric, not on the needle. Removable markers can be clipped open or closed, like a safety pin. Unlike most safety pins, they are designed without coils that might snag your yarn. Removable markers are usually made from metal or plastic.
Both ring markers and removable markers come in a variety of sizes, and with a variety of embellishments. I tend to prefer fairly simple, streamlined markers, but once the functional requirements are met, there is no limit to what you can dangle from a stitch marker. You’ll see some examples below.
How to Use a Ring Marker
Ring markers sit on your needle between stitches, riding along the needle shaft (or the cord of a circular needle). Here are some of the functions served by ring markers:
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Mark the beginning of the round for circular knitting.
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Separate the repeats of a stitch pattern to help you keep track.
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Mark the spot where a stitch pattern changes.
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Mark the places where repeated shaping occurs.
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Help you count stitches during a long cast-on. Place a marker on your needle every 25 or 50 stitches. You’ll never have to count back farther than the last marker. Remove the markers on the first row or round.
It’s useful to have a couple of different styles or colors of markers available. You’ll sometimes use markers for more than one purpose on the same project, and it’s helpful to know that, for example, the gold marker is your beginning of round marker, while the beaded markers are your shaping markers.
How to Use a Removable Marker
It’s worth knowing that removable markers can do everything a ring marker can do. Just clip the marker closed and slide it onto your needle. If you’re only going to have one style of marker, choose removable markers.
In addition, removable markers can be pinned to the surface of your knitted fabric or fastened around the neck of a particular stitch. Here is why you might want to do that:
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Distinguish between the right side and the wrong side of reversible fabrics, such as garter stitch or seed stitch. Just hang the marker on the right side. If you can see the marker, you’re working a right-side row!
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Keep track of increases and decreases. When you need to repeat an increase or decrease row multiple times, hang a removable marker around the neck of each shaping stitch. When it’s time to check how many repeats have been worked, just count the markers.
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Help count rows. Place a removable marker at the beginning of every 10th row, and you’ll have no trouble counting how many rows you’ve worked.
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Create measuring landmarks. Sweater patterns often tell you to work “until armhole measures XX inches.” Measuring along the curved armhole edge is not accurate. Place a removable marker at the center of the row when you begin your armhole shaping. Measure armhole length in the center of the piece from the marker to your needle.
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Capture dropped stitches. Have you ever spotted a dropped stitch when you’re nowhere near a good place to deal with it? Catch that stitch with a removable marker so it won’t ladder down.
Some of Our Favorite Stitch Markers
It must be said: you do not need to spend money on stitch markers. I know a professional knitting designer who only uses loops of contrasting colored yarn as markers. In a pinch, I’ve successfully used all of the following: a safety pin, a paper clip, slices of a plastic drinking straw, and a wire twist tie. You might even enjoy making your own stitch markers following Knits editor Kerry Bogert’s tutorial.
If, like me, you get pleasure from using beautiful tools, here are some of our favorite stitch markers.
Click the arrows to left and right below.
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How do you use your stitch markers? Which markers are your favorite? Let us know in the comments (and include a link to a source if you have a favorite maker of hand-made markers)!
Sandi Rosner is the technical content editor for all things yarn at Interweave. When she isn’t knitting, she usually has her nose in a book. You’ll find new technical content from Sandi nearly every week at www.interweave.com.
Put Your New Markers to Use
I love the magnetic Cocoknits stitch markers although I did not have much success with their spiral moveable markers. They tended to fallout of my projects as there was no way to lock them in. Otherwise, I have even been known to use the rings from my fingers, in a pinch!
I use removable markers almost exclusively. I find they come in super handy when I’m working on my knitting machine – dropped a stitch? Snag it with the marker and keep going until you cast of onto waste yarn, then bring the stitch up with the latch or crochet hook. Problem solved!
These are my favorite — I have them in silver and in 2 sizes! From RoadTripSockYarn on Etsy — cat stitch markers.
https://www.etsy.com/listing/769322233/cat-stitch-markers-5-silver-kittens-big
https://www.etsy.com/listing/754893174/cat-stitch-markers-10-goldsilver-kittens?