Knit a Funky Icord Hat Topper

Knitting a last minute hat that needs just a little something to be more interesting? Try some funky Icord on the top! 

Co 3 sts provisionally.

Work 15 rows icord. Set aside needle. Do not break yarn. 

With 3^rd needle, pick up sts from provisional cast on. Work 15 rows icord. Set aside needle. Do not break yarn.

Set the 3^rd needles aside stitches aside and move yarn back to first needle. Work 15 rows icord.  Icord topper is now finished. When you weave in the tail, use it to tack down the icord as needed.

(Sorry photo colors are a bit off and grainy, these were taken in the dark and before I got my new camera!)

PS- if you want to work a pointy top like shown above, this is how it was done:

Join in the round. K3, pm, k3, pm. [2 markers placed, 6 sts]

Inc Round: *Kfb, k to m, sm** around. [2 sts inc per round.]

Rep Inc Round until 60 sts (less for smaller sizes…)

Then place m halfway between each marker (15 sts between m,  4 markers)

Inc Round:* Kfb, k to m, sm** around. [4 sts inc per round.]

Repeat Inc Round until desired number of stitches.

Hint: You can find out how many total stitches you need by multiplying the number of stitches per inch by the    desired size. I.e. if I wanted a hat that was 20 inches around and was getting 4 stitches/inch: 20*4=80, so I would keep increasing until I had 80 stitches. 

How to Join in the Round- Preventing Twists

You know how knitting instructions always tell you (hopefully, anyways!) to “join in the round, being careful not to twist”? Not sure what that means? This video shows you:
• What it looks like when you are ready to join in the round, and how to know your knitting isn’t twisted.
• What your knitting looks like if it IS twisted
• Knitting the first stitch(es) being sure we don’t accidentally ADD twist in the first round.


Why we want to avoid twists in the knitting:

• We don't want to have to fix it later.
• The twist WILL show up (your knitting won't be round, it will be a faux moebius) 

This is part of Knit School on Midnightsky Fibers! If you found it helpful, it would be great if you shared it!

How to Slip 1 With the Yarn Held in Back- s1wyib (slip 1 with yarn in back)

Abbreviation: S1wyib

Used for: many, many of the slipped stitches are slipped with the yarn held in the back (instead of in the front).

This is part of Knit School on Midnightsky Fibers! If you found it helpful, it would be great if you shared it!

How to Knit 2 Together (k2tog)

Knit 2 Together




Abbreviation: K2tog, k2g, k2 together. Most common is k2tog.
Knit 2 together is a RIGHT SLANTING decrease, and the one you probably learned (or are learning) as you first learned to knit.

This is part of Knit School on Midnightsky Fibers! If you found it helpful, it would be great if you shared it!

How to Slip a Stitch Knitwise

Slipping a stitch knitwise (as if to knit).

You may also want to check out the difference between slipping stitches knitwise and purlwise!

This is part of Knit School on Midnightsky Fibers! If you found it helpful, it would be great if you shared it!

How to Slip 1 With the Yarn Held in Front- s1wyif (slip 1 with yarn in front)

Abbreviation: S1wyif

Slipping a stitch with the yarn held in front is a common technique in double knitting, or when you want an obvious “bump” in the front of the knitting.

This is part of Knit School on Midnightsky Fibers! If you found it helpful, it would be great if you shared it!

How to Knit a Twisted Stitch- How to Knit Through the Back Loop

Twisted stitches are also often known as through back loop- tbl. The video shows the difference in twisted stiches (knit through the back loop of every stitch, every row) compared to garter stitch.

Abbreviation: tbl (through back loop). You might also see it as knit tbl,  ktbl, or ptbl (knit through back loop, purl through back loop).

Twisted stitches are formed by knitting in to the back of the stitch. This is often most obvious when done on stockinette stitch- it is not nearly so noticeable when done in garter stitch.   The stitch looks like a tiny “cross” is formed in the stitch, and the twisting pulls the yarn tighter.

Twisted stitches can be a great way to really make stitches stand out- useful for making cables “pop”, since it pulls in the edges of the stitches.

Why do twisted stitches?

Twisted stitches are usually a variation to that is decorative- i.e. more for looks than necessity. However, some people may knit a row of twisted stitches after pickup up stitches (usually for socks after the heel) to tighten up the stitches and prevent holes.

Most of the time though, twisted stitches are just a nice way to make your fabric look more dynamic. If you knit through the back loops in st st, for example, your fabric will have some “twist” to it- it won’t want to lay quite so flat as regular st st.

Especially useful for: 1x1 and small cables, since the twisted stitch pulls in the edge. To make plain fabric look more interesting (I like a fabric where I knit a row of twisted stitches, then purl back in the usual way with no twisted stitches). For ribbing, twisting all or some (i.e. I often do just the purls in 1x1 or just the knits) helps keep the ribbing from “puffing” out as it is sometimes prone to doing.

This is part of Knit School on Midnightsky Fibers! If you found it helpful, it would be great if you shared it! 

This is part of Knit School on Midnightsky Fibers! If you found it helpful, it would be great if you shared it!

How to SSK- Slip, Slip, Knit

Abbreviation: SSK

Important: Most videos and instructions won’t tell you that you need to slip the stitches as if to KNIT. If you slip the stitches purlwise instead the stitch will turn out wonky!

SSK is a left leaning decrease … it leans the opposite direction of a k2tog, and is often used as the “opposite” decrease of a k2tog- which is important in lace and when you want decreases to appear mirror image or seamlessly.

This is part of Knit School on Midnightsky Fibers! If you found it helpful, it would be great if you shared it!

Slipping Stitchess Knitwise vs Purlwise- What's the DIfference?

The difference between slipping stitches knitwise (as if to knit) and purlwise (as if to purl).

Learn the stitches:

• How to slip a stitch purlwise
• How to slip a stitch knitwise

This is part of Knit School on Midnightsky Fibers! If you found it helpful, it would be great if you shared it!

SSK vs K2tog Decreases

The difference between ssk and k2tog.

Learn the stitches:

• How to SSK 
• How to K2tog

This is part of Knit School on Midnightsky Fibers! If you found it helpful, it would be great if you shared it!

How to Slip a Stitch Purlwise

Slip a stitch purlwise (or slip a stitch as if to purl).
This is typically the way you will be asked to slip stitches for things like heels of socks. BUT this is NOT how you slip stitches for an ssk (see slip a stitch knitwise for that).

Slipped stitches can be used to create patterns in one or more colors, are frequently used at the start of a row, and are used for double knitting.


This is part of Knit School on Midnightsky Fibers! If you found it helpful, it would be great if you shared it!

How to Seam to Edges of Knitting Together

How to seam two knit edges together- this is seaming for how to sew up the back of a slipper, especially handy for seaming up basic knit slippers.

This is part of Knit School on Midnightsky Fibers! If you found it helpful, it would be great if you shared it! 

How to Tie a Slip Knot

Tying a slip knot for the start of casting on.

This is part of Knit School on Midnightsky Fibers! If you found it helpful, it would be great if you shared it!

What are Single Ply Yarns

About single ply (1 ply) yarns.


This is part of Knit School on Midnightsky Fibers! If you found it helpful, it would be great if you shared it!

What Makes Yarn Vegan and Choosing Vegan Yarn

What Makes Yarn Vegan


Choosing Vegan Yarns


Vegan yarns means the yarn is made with no animal products- no wool, no dyes like cochineal, no silk. There are lots of great alternatives out there for vegans though!

Naturally Dyed Vegan Yarns


This is part of Knit School on Midnightsky Fibers! If you found it helpful, it would be great if you shared it!

What is Bulky Yarn

Bulky and super bulky yarns are really thick- sometimes as thick as a finger (or thicker!)

What is Bulky Weight Yarn


What is Super Bulky Yarn


This is part of Knit School on Midnightsky Fibers! If you found it helpful, it would be great if you shared it!