I’m just starting out in knitting, and I’ve somewhat jumped in at the deep end with a lace pattern, knitting from a chart. It’s a pretty simple rectangular project though - nothing too complicated!
Anyway, it’s driving me completely nuts! I think I’ve spent more time knitting backwards than I have forwards! I’ve learned loads about how to knit backwards, and my speed is coming on a treat!
It just seems no matter how hard I think I’m concentrating, my thoughts just start to wander, and bingo! I’ve slipped up! I’ve been trying to analyse where the mistakes are:
forgot to pass the stitch over after a sl-k-psso
forget to yo
add a yo where none required
lose my place
I think those are the key ones.
At the moment, my strategy is to check back meticulously every 20 or so stitches, and definitely to count and re-count the number of stitches at the end of a row! It all seems rather extreme.
Any top tips from the knitting elite on how to spend more time knitting forwards!?
I have a lace pattern that I have the same problem with, and the main things I do are a) sort of talk the pattern to myself over and over (just the row I’m on, and usually just a segment) to keep focused, and b) only work on it for short periods of time. It’s a 10-row repeat, and I’ll often take a break after every five or ten rows. Depending on whether or not my brain’s melted out my ears yet, I’ll then go back and do more, but I find breaks are definitely good
One thing that really helps is to put a stitch marker between the pattern repeats. Before you know it you’ll have memorized the pattern and you won’t need the markers. Also, I had a lot of trouble with a lace scarf and I had to make sure I was in a well-lit room with no distractions like tv or other people, this way I could concentrate a lot better.
It also helps to know what a certain stitch looks like, this way you’ll be able to tell where you went wrong, or what you should do next.
Something I have never done, but learned about with my lace scarf troubles was the lifeline. You put it in so that you can frog (rip out) until that point if you need to. Just look up “lifeline” in the threads and I’m sure there will be a ton of information.
p.s. When you knit backwards it’s often called tinking or tink (knit spelled backwards)- cute eh?
Those are pretty much the same mistakes everyone makes while knitting lace patterns. What everyone else said, and also learn to read your knitting. After a few repeats you’ll be able to know if it’s not coming out right just a row or two after the mistake, sometimes on the same row if your stitches aren’t coming out right. But if you can see the pattern in your stitches, you’ll know right away when something isn’t right. And you’ll probably have it learned after about 12 inches or so too.
I was just about to pop in and say the same thing Suzeeq said. Learn to look at your knitting and know what’s happening. Then you’ll know when you’ve messed up.
Also, if the next row is just purled across, read the chart backwards from the previous row. You’ll be able to tell if you should be purling into a yo and aren’t, or have an extra yo somewhere.
If you find that you are missing a yo, you can lift the bar between stitches and invent one; if you have an extra one, you can let it slide off the needle before you purl the rest of the row.
To keep from losing my place, I use the stitch markers on each repeat as has been mentioned, and I also mark off what I’ve finished after each small piece (maybe five stitches on a more complicated part, each section if I have it memorized). That way, if you reach a stitch marker and haven’t finished the stitches needed, or if you finish the stitches before you reach the marker, you know you’ve done something wrong. Also, say the pattern to yourself, in a rhythm. If you say it wrong, you’ll notice the change in rhythm. Also, it will help you work up muscle memory until hopefully, if you say “yarn over, knit two together, purl,” and instead, knit, knit two together, purl, or whatever the case may be, it will feel wrong.
Thanks all for these top tips. In general I do need to concentrate better. I think having better light would definitely help too. And I do seem to go on for far too long without a break.
From this experience I’m getting better at recognising when I have gone wrong, so just need to try to avoid it in the first place!
I think I’m getting better at recovering dropped stitches too - especially difficult ones like those above a yo.
Google for diagrams of how to do things like picking up on top of a yo, if you can pick up the bar between stitches at the right level and work it up as for a dropped stitch, you’re sweet!
You can pass over a forgotten slipped stitch on the next row, as well as pick up a new yo out of nowhere, or if you have one you shouldn’t, just drop it off the needle.
It might be helpful to practise dropping yos etc., fudging/fixing stitches in different places, in a swatch on bigger wool and needles. Magnetic chart-holders where you can move a magnet to cover each row after you’ve worked it can also be really helpful.
Sarah
