Extra Tools for Knitting: Row Counters

Hello there. I'm Jen Lucas for the knitting circle. In this video let's explore row counters. For many projects, It may be helpful to count the number of rows that you're working. You might need to count the number of rows just so you know how far along you are in a project. You might need to count the rows to know when you need to do the next instruction like increase or decrease or change your stitch pattern. There's a bunch of different types of row counters to choose from. And it really is just about figuring out which one is the right one for you. So let's take a look at row counters. When it comes to row counters here are just a few different kinds to choose from. You might find other different types at your local yarn store or online but here are some of the most common ones you'll find. We have this one here which is just like a clicker. So it has a button at the top. And then every time you finish a row, you can just click. What I like about this one is that it has a lock button here. So if you throw it in your bag, now it, won't press down, so you won't lose your place. And it has dials here. If you do need to change your number or need to reset it for different project. This one also has, This particular one has a hole here so you can actually put some yarn or put a small chain through here and wear it as a necklace if you like. You could even put some yarn through here and then use a stitch marker or something to Mark it on your knitting. It might be a little heavy on your knitting. This is a great one and is probably the most common type of clicker that you'll see as far as row counters go. There's also this kind here, which is kind of fun. And it actually looks like a little mini watch. But what it does is it actually can go on your finger and you can put it on whatever finger works for you depending on your knitting style. And then once it's on your finger, you can knit away. And then you see here, as you knit you just hit the button and it will count your rows. So very clever, and you wouldn't even need to wear this necessarily on your finger. You could just have it sitting next to you, but it is made to actually go on your finger. And again, it would depend on how you knit which finger you would want to put this on to count your rows. There's also this type, which is very common, which actually slides right on your knitting needle. So there's a hole and these come in different sizes. So if you have a smaller needle or a larger needle and you just twist the side to count your rows like that, and this one goes up on this side. This one does tend to get in my way, personally when I knit. You can also find ones that are like this, that have a clasp on them. So again, you could hang them off your knitting if you wanted to, but this is also an option. You can even find things like bracelets that are row counters. This is actually a row counter. You see here, there's actually a little loop here. And as you go, you can just have this on. And every time you finish a row or you could use this if you're marking repeats or something too, in your pattern you would just move it. It's the same thing on this side. Where you could just move it to the next one. But it's a nice piece of jewelry that looks cute but it's actually functional and has a purpose in your knitting. There are also apps that are out there that you could put on your smartphone. So you could just look those up and use a variety of different apps. Or you could just use good old pen and paper. And this honestly is the way I like to do it. I just Mark as I go, my rows, you can, even, if you have a printed out pattern that is a working copy and you don't mind writing on you can just write directly on your pattern as well. But there's lots of great tools to choose from when picking a row counter. Row counters really are figuring out which one is going to work best for you. I personally just like good old pen and paper, but there are so many cool row counter gadgets to choose from. I encourage you to take a look, try a few different ones and figure out which one is gonna be the best one for you and your next knitting project. I hope that you enjoyed this video and be sure to take a look around the knitting circle for more great knitting content. I'll see you again soon.