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Differences Between a Place Marker & a Marker in Knitting

Knitting markers may seem confusing at first, but once you incorporate markers into your knitting projects you won̵7;t want to knit without them. Knitters use two kinds of stitch markers: place markers, which are transferred from one row to the next while knitting; and stationary markers, which are left in place to mark a spot for a later action. Both types are sometimes referred to as markers or stitch markers, and both types save you from the tedious task of counting stitches.

Place Markers
- Place markers are enclosed hoops that move with each knitted row. These hoops can be used to mark the beginning of a row when knitting in the round or to mark a repeating pattern. For instance, if you must increase or decrease every 15 stitches, place the markers on the first row and the marker will alert you when it is time to increase or decrease on the next row. You move place markers from one row to the next by passing markers from the left needle to the right needle whenever they are encountered. In this way, place markers move up a row at a time.
Markers
- Markers designed to be left in the knitting project until a later time are shaped like hooks or hinged circles to allow for easy removal from the project when appropriate. These stationary markers are useful for marking the location for joining seams, adding sleeves or embellishments. This saves you from counting rows and stitches to find the correct location for placing the joined seam, sleeve or embellishment. These are especially useful when using furry yarns that make stitch counting difficult.
Using Found Objects
- You don̵7;t need to buy stitch markers to complete your knitting projects. You can use objects you likely already have, such as small hair elastics or a knotted circle of yarn for an enclosed place marker hoop, or French hook earrings as stationary markers. Small circles of knotted yarn can also be used as stationary markers, since they can be cut open for removal. If using yarn circle markers, always use a contrasting color so they are easy to find.
Fancy Markers
- Both enclosed place markers and open-ended stationary markers are available with decorative beads. These markers resemble dangling earrings. The beads not only make the markers beautiful, but have a useful purpose as well. Different colored beads can be used to mark increases, decreases, color changes or the row beginning. You can also place the decorative markers with the bead hanging on the front side of the project so that you can easily distinguish the front from the back.

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