I wish I could be more specific, but I don’t know the terminology. On the other hand, I am sure this is a common problem for beginners AND IT KEEPS HAPPENING TO ME!
I have done maybe 7 or 8 rows on this–my 2nd-- project and I have only done one row without error. See photos linked below. I am doing 90 stitches in each row (the “VW cap” pattern on this site) and am currently on the first step of ribbing “1x1”.
I think the problem is that I go too fast and lose track of where I am in the knit-purl-knit-purl pattern, but is there a way of fixing it other than pulling it all apart??? I am not very good at re-inserting my needle after pulling it out. (sounds kind of dirty, but is not meant that way:teehee:)
It’s hard to say for sure, but it looks like a yarn over, not an extra stitch. On your next row, try slipping that extra loop off your needle - do not knit or purl it. (Be sure to work the stitches that are supposed to be there tho.)
Yes, that’s where you took the yarn over (hence a YO and an extra stitch) the needle instead of between the tips when you switched from a knit to purl. As Linda says, just let it drop off the needle when you come to it on the next row and don’t do anything with it. There will be a little bit of loose yarn, but that will work out by the time you’re done. And you may have picked up an extra stitch somewhere below - I think you’re supposed to be doing ribbing and it looks like seed stitch.
Thanks for the explanation and the solution. At this stage, I am not bothered by a few flaws (my piece is full of them already!) but I just want to understand what’s happening so I can be aware.
Yes, I am supposed to be ribbing right now. But my stitches are way too tight, I think, so that and the fact that I have a lot of mistakes (yarnovers) probably distorts how it looks as opposed to how it should look.
Thanks again
They’ve already let you know about the yarn over but wanted to let you know there is a way to fix stitches without pulling everything out. I don’t have any sites off hand but you can use a crochet hook to fix stitches low in the work and only undo the row of stitches above it.
This site shows how to fix mistakes. Click on the Tips tab at the top of the page, scroll down to fixing mistakes.
Your work doesn’t really look like ribbing, and I think you’re making the same mistake that I made when I first tried knitting and purling on the same row. Didn’t switch the yarn position, so I ended up with twisted stitches, and went from what I started with to the double of that…
Be sure to bring the yarn to the front to purl and to the back again to knit (between the needles, not anywhere over a needle)
Have a look at the videos, they helped me
Thanks for all the feedback, folks. This is a really helpful and supportive web site.
I just want to say I have watched all of the videos of the basics that are on the site, several times. They are very helpful but don’t necessarily answer all the questions that a newbie like me might need answered.
And I think I figured out why my work does not look like ribbing. The instructions say:
“Cast on 90 stiches
Rib: 1x1 rib for 1 1/2 inches: 1k, 1p to end – start each row with a knit and end each row with a purl so you stay on track”
I started trying to do this, but because I was probably doing yarn overs unknowingly and I didn’t know how to deal with them on the foloowing rows, I added a stitch. I did count after each row, but when I counted 91 I didn’t know what to do about and just kept going and felt good that I was maintaining at 91 (I wasn’t adding more). So having an odd number of stitches, and starting each row (and ending each row) with a knit stitch, probably doesn’t produce anything like a ribbed stitch.
I’m going to frog it! Thanks again everyone
Hiya Two,
No worries hun, what you’ve inadvertantly done is called “seed stitch” so don’t forget how you did that. That’s a good thing to know.
One little thing to remember when doing any count of ribbing is the ol’ Knit the knits and Purl the purls AS they face you. Don’t worry about past rows just concetrate on the stitches on your needle as you work them.:knitting:
ETA sometimes when you are doing ribbing as especially as someone new to the craft, we forget to put the yarn to the back or the front when changing from knit to purl or the other way around. Just remember to situate your yarn on the correct side of the needle for the next stitch.
I used to do that all the time. I still do it once and a while. I got the same thing doing the knit stitch. I assume you were knitting and not purling. You might be putting the needle in the loop/row below the one you WANT to knit.
HeatherG
TwoClubs,
It looks like you are learning a lot. Just a general comment, it is a lot easier to learn when you work with a light colored yarn. Even a bright color, but black…very hard to work with. It is really hard to see the stitches to tell what you are doing. Your yarn is either black, or something else very dark. I think it would help you to save it for later and use some light yarn right now.
