Pleasurable Pick Up

nona had a pleasurable pick up experience this evening.   No, no, nothing like that -- I tried a new technique for picking up stitches on my Leftovers Vest.  I learned this technique from my Catherine Lowe Pullover Kit.  This technique has two big advantages.  First, the row of picked up stitches is invisible from the right side of the garment.  This is handy when the stitches are to be worked in a stitch pattern other than stockinette stitch -- ribbing for example.  Second,  the first row worked is a right side row.  Think of the picked up stitches as a join, not as a row of actual knitting.

Finished Ribbing -- Can you see the row of picked up stitches?

Okay, so that's the theory.  Want to know how?  Keep reading...

Here's How

A few things before you start:

1. You'll need a needle 4 times smaller than the needle you'll be using to work the picked up stitches and a crochet hook.
2. You'll be working with the right side of the knitting facing you.
3. You'll be working from left to right. 

To pickup stitches:

1. Secure the tail of yarn around the running thread at the spot you want to begin picking up stitches.  Using the crochet hook, pull the tail of yarn from back to front and then back again.  Knot the tail onto the working yarn.  Okay, you're ready to start

2. Using the crochet hook, pull a loop from back to front and slide the loop onto the small sized needle -- remember the needle is on the left. 

   

3. Pull the yarn tight and keep a firm tension throughout the process.

   

4. Once all the stitches are picked up, use your regular sized needle and begin with the first row of your pattern.  As the picked up stitches are worked from the smaller needle onto the larger needle, they virtually disappear to the back of the knit fabric.