Picking up stitches: how to

Long ago I had an unfortunate run-in with picked-up stitches. It resulted in the ugliest thing I think I've ever knit. It was a poncho and I used boucle yarn that you really couldn't tink back, because it was too textured and stuck to itself. I was almost done, and then I picked up stitches for the collar, which was supposed to lay flat. I picked up more stitches than the pattern called for, but thought "Oh, well, that's OK." The result was a hideous ruffle at the collar. I threw the poncho over my head, looked in the mirror, and knew instantly I was never gonna wear this thing. It reminded me of some horrible Minnie Pearl-inspired muumuu poncho. Ug-ly.

Now I'm much more exacting about picking up stitches. I know if I pick up too many, I may have ruffles where ruffles should not be. The Lotus Blossom Tank called for picked-up stitches around the armholes and neckhole. It took me a few tries to figure out how to pick up the right number. Perhaps you've figured this all out, but I'm going to tell you how I did it because I figure it may elude someone else too!

For the armhole: pick up 96 stitches. You can't pick up a stitch for each of the stitches present--that's too many. But how do you pick up the right number of stitches all the way around?

First, I measured the length of the armhole: 20 inches. Ninety-six divided by twenty is 4.8. Almost 5 stitches per inch. I measured every two inches and placed a safety pin (see photo). Then I picked up ten stitches every increment, making sure to stop at 96. It worked! I got the right number of stitches around the armholes and neckhole.

PS--Log cabin knitting's great because as you turn the piece to make a new strip, you do pick up a stitch for every stitch present--ahhh, intuitive.