# Turning work without a garter bar using only 1 row of scrap yarn



## Torticollus (Dec 3, 2011)

I just saw a neat technique on the internet - can't remember where - but I just tried it and it worked. I do have a garter bar and use it, but sometimes it can be a pain.
This technique would work well for a smaller number of stitches:

Knit on the main bed until you want to turn the work, then knit one row at tension 10 with scrap yarn. Turn your tension back to normal. Now take the fine metal wire out of the ribber comb and thread it through the big loops of scrap yarn all across the stitches. Remove your work from the machine, turn over, and use the transfer tool to replace the regular stitches. Then remove the wire and scrap yarn. 

If you don't have a ribber with the comb, any fine slightly bendable wire will do. I am thinking this would be great for the trim on the ankle portion of baby booties or on a pocket. I tried this and it worked! You still have to replace the stitches with the transfer tool as you would if you used all scrap yarn, but this saves on yarn and is easy to do. You just have to remember to put your tension back to normal after scrapping off that one row.


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## Deb-Babbles (Mar 4, 2011)

Thanks for the idea. I think you are right would be a great trick..


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## Torticollus (Dec 3, 2011)

I should have added that you slip the wire through the big scrap loops right below the gate pegs just above the regular stitches and then just lift everything off the machine and turn it over.


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## susieknitter (Jul 14, 2011)

Thanks for this tip, I will definitely try it.


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## Elis (Nov 1, 2011)

It sounds an interesting idea, but I can't help feeling that 6 - 7rows of waste yarn at working tension would be quicker and easier to handle for picking up, particularly with fewer stitches. (And waste yarn can be undone and re-used many times).P.S. Have just done a time trial over 40 sts. using basic 4ply acrylic. Wire method just over 4 minutes, waste yarn under 3 minutes, to have the work turned and stitches ready to continue the knitting!


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## Torticollus (Dec 3, 2011)

Glad you did a test run on more stitches - I only tried 20.
Maybe the value is in not having to do so many passes with the carriage and not having to rip out more than one row of scrap every time you turn the work over if you were doing several turns. Oh well, keeps the brain thinking of alternate ways of doing things!


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## dolores angleton (Mar 21, 2011)

What a great idea. will try it.Hate that garter bar. thanks for posting


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## Irish maggie (May 11, 2011)

same here will try when i
get time


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## moritta (Sep 14, 2011)

I'm new to MK (new to all kinds of knitting). This sounds like a great idea, bud I hate hanging stitches. What about after removing the work with the wire, could you replace the large stitches instead, and then rip them out while on the machine which would automatically replace the working stitches? 

Happy thoughts,
Moritta


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## Torticollus (Dec 3, 2011)

You could definitely try it. I will try that, too, when I get a chance. We are open to all kinds of inventions and creativity here.


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## dollyoved (Mar 23, 2011)

Torticollus said:


> I should have added that you slip the wire through the big scrap loops right below the gate pegs just above the regular stitches and then just lift everything off the machine and turn it over.


I have a simple Bond (USM) machine and when I don't want to use the garter bar I take a thin straight knitting needle and take off the stitches onto it. Then I turn the work on the needle around and manually place the stitches back on.


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## Bootheelknitter (Oct 2, 2011)

This sounds neat, I have a garter bar, but have never used it...


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## Torticollus (Dec 3, 2011)

Garter bars have their place and I just learned how to use one last month watching Diana Sullivan on YouTube. You must watch the video to get the hang of it. Good luck - it takes a little practice, but you can do it. It is great for increasing and decreasing across a row, not just for turning work.


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## Bea 465 (Mar 27, 2011)

Thanks for the Diane Sullivan information. I will have to try watching her on YouTube. I need all the help I can get sometimes.


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## pengee (Jul 24, 2011)

Thanks for that tip. will definitely try that. Have yet to really master my garter bar but will eventually get there with practice.


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## KateWood (Apr 30, 2011)

moritta said:


> I'm new to MK (new to all kinds of knitting). This sounds like a great idea, bud I hate hanging stitches. What about after removing the work with the wire, could you replace the large stitches instead, and then rip them out while on the machine which would automatically replace the working stitches?
> 
> Happy thoughts,
> Moritta


Right on Moritta


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## pengee (Jul 24, 2011)

Moritta's suggestion would actually be even quicker wouldn't it. I will give that a go. thanks for sharing that Moritta.


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## Oogie (Dec 25, 2011)

What a great idea. Will definitely try it as well as just putting the waste yarn loops back on the needles and then lifting the regular stitches on to the needles. Love it!


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## Kathleen's daughter (Jul 31, 2011)

Thank you for taking the time and effort to help us : )


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## Irish maggie (May 11, 2011)

Torticollus said:


> Garter bars have their place and I just learned how to use one last month watching Diana Sullivan on YouTube. You must watch the video to get the hang of it. Good luck - it takes a little practice, but you can do it. It is great for increasing and decreasing across a row, not just for turning work.


i have saw the video, if i remember ,do you have to turn on every row?

Do you really need the stopper? I have seen the garter bar much cheaper on ebay , bur no stopper

:-D


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## Torticollus (Dec 3, 2011)

You only turn the work when you want garter stitch on the right side of the knitting. For example you could knit 4 rows of plain knitting, then turn it with the garter bar aand knit 4 more rows, then turn again and go back to plain knitting. Yes, you absolutely need the stopper with it. You would be asking for trouble without it. It is essential for stabilizing the needles turning the work or increasing or decreasing across a row, or even just replacing the stitches after holding them temporarily on the garter bar.


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## Irish maggie (May 11, 2011)

Torticollus said:


> You only turn the work when you want garter stitch on the right side of the knitting. For example you could knit 4 rows of plain knitting, then turn it with the garter bar aand knit 4 more rows, then turn again and go back to plain knitting. Yes, you absolutely need the stopper with it. You would be asking for trouble without it. It is essential for stabilizing the needles turning the work or increasing or decreasing across a row, or even just replacing the stitches after holding them temporarily on the garter bar.


thanks


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## gillyc (Jul 9, 2012)

Torticollus said:


> You only turn the work when you want garter stitch on the right side of the knitting. For example you could knit 4 rows of plain knitting, then turn it with the garter bar aand knit 4 more rows, then turn again and go back to plain knitting. Yes, you absolutely need the stopper with it. You would be asking for trouble without it. It is essential for stabilizing the needles turning the work or increasing or decreasing across a row, or even just replacing the stitches after holding them temporarily on the garter bar.


Thank you so much for this tip.
I have gone back to my Bond this evening after about 2 years of solely hand knitting, in order to do just this, 4 rows knit followed by 4 rows purl. I tried looking up Youtube but did not get anywhere. I tried rehanging the hem using my rag hem. No good. In desperation I went onto here and got my answer! Thank you again.
It is still going to take forever, but much quicker than hand knitting.
(I forgot to change the tension back again, so I have more practice rehanging the stitches!)


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## KateWood (Apr 30, 2011)

moritta said:


> I'm new to MK (new to all kinds of knitting). This sounds like a great idea, bud I hate hanging stitches. What about after removing the work with the wire, could you replace the large stitches instead, and then rip them out while on the machine which would automatically replace the working stitches?
> 
> Happy thoughts,
> Moritta


This works


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## gillyc (Jul 9, 2012)

In the end after a lot of experimenting I just did1 row of waste yarn at the same tension, removed it very carefully, turned it and rehung. About 13 mins for 98 stitches,(x14) quicker than using wire or fiddling with changing tension keyplates. During this time I remembered doing this in the dim and distant past when I first had my Bond in the early '80s
I think that if I thought I would be doing this often I would very seriously consider buying a garter bar and needle stopper.
I did try to make a GB with hair grips and also a stretchy hair comb but they did not work.
Thanks for starting me off on my voyage of rediscovery!


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## gillyc (Jul 9, 2012)

BTW I used a crochet cast on, hand knitted the 1st row, then hung the weights (cast on combs) knitted 6 rows + 1 on waste yarn, took off weights, turned fabric, rehung rehanging weights as going along the row. I was using Bond Keyplate 6 with the Bond Elite. Perhaps a tighter tension would have been more difficult/tedious/frustrating/not worth the effort. I was very pleased with the outcome.
In the past I have used long thin knitting needles without waste yarn. I now have bent needles! It was quicker but put more strain on the yarn and hooks. It was also with fewer stitches.


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## Maryknits513 (Feb 12, 2011)

moritta said:


> I'm new to MK (new to all kinds of knitting). This sounds like a great idea, bud I hate hanging stitches. What about after removing the work with the wire, could you replace the large stitches instead, and then rip them out while on the machine which would automatically replace the working stitches?
> 
> Happy thoughts,
> Moritta


It is very difficult to unravel purl stitches on the machine. I found out the first time I had to unravel knitting done with the Brother garter carriages. I finally figure out to use the one prong tool to go into the stitch in the row below, unravel the purl stitch then put the stitch back on the machine.

Purl stitch = stitch on public side.


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## MKDesigner (Jan 27, 2014)

I've got garter bars, but they're a pain for me sometimes. Especially, like you said, on small sections or items. I've bookmarked your suggestion and will give it a shot. Sounds very simple to do. Thanks for sharing!
Marge


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## gillyc (Jul 9, 2012)

Maryknits513 said:


> It is very difficult to unravel purl stitches on the machine. I found out the first time I had to unravel knitting done with the Brother garter carriages. I finally figure out to use the one prong tool to go into the stitch in the row below, unravel the purl stitch then put the stitch back on the machine.
> 
> Purl stitch = stitch on public side.


That is just how I did it, but waited to pull out the waste yarn until I had put several stitches back on. The waste yarn just held the 'real' stitches open enough for the single pronged tool to go into them.
Thank you for making me make my post clearer.


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## edelweiss (Jan 27, 2014)

:-D thank you so much


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## GrammaAnn (Dec 16, 2011)

I love learning new tips to try! Thanks for posting!  Ann


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## ValT (Aug 15, 2012)

Torticollus said:


> I just saw a neat technique on the internet - can't remember where - but I just tried it and it worked. ....


Is this the technique you saw ? http://www.knittinganyway.com/freethings/garter%20wire.htm#turning


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## sistermaide (Jul 17, 2011)

This sounds like something I want to try, because the way I do it now, is sometimes...err correction...usually very time consuming, and the waste yarn trials I have done, are too bulky to get easily back in my machine. I find that it is a struggle to work with my knitting bunched up, and I have to scootch it a little from time to time while trying to get it back on the proper needles.


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