Knitting Tips

Too hot to knit wool helmet liners. How about a knitting tip or two I learned the hard way.
Problem:A couple of years ago you knit a lovely sweater which has now been snagged and has a hole. You haven't a clue where to get matching yarn to fix it.
Tip: When you make a sweater wind off a long length of the yarn and weave it into a side seam. If needed it will be the same age as the sweater and match perfectly.
Problem:You have had to rip out several rows and now must put the stitches back on a needle. However, each stitch you pick up causes the stitches next to it to get tighter until you begin to have dropped stitches.
Tip:Use a smaller size needle to pick up the stitches. If you knit them with a 6, pick them up with a 4. Go back to a 6 when you begin knitting again.
Problem:You have had to join yarn in the middler of a piece. Without a seam to hide the ends, what do you do?
Tip:Thread a darning needle with an end and work it through the stitches on the wrong side. Split each stitch as you go through it. Go up from the join about 2 inches then turn and go down for about 1 and 1/2 inch making a "fishhook". Do the same with the other end but work in the opposite direction from the first. This cannot be seen from the right side and will not come loose.
Problem:We all hate to swatch. We all also tend to use a lot of the same yarns over and over. We are alway going to remember the gauge but seldom do.
Tip: Keep a notebook. List the yarns you use most often, needle size, gauge and any other pertinent information. As for those swatches, start an afghan.