I took a knitting class last week and loved it, but now that I’m home, I feel lost, even with all the information and videos on the web.
My main problem is transitioning at the end of one row to starting the next row.
I keep casting on one row, and then knitting the next. That part is fine until I pick up the VERY last stitch on my left needle to put it on my right needle. I end up with a loose loop of thread just hanging there on my right needle. Am I supposed to leave the last stitch on the left needle and somehow start from there?
If I understand correctly you are not knitting the last stitch at the end of the row. In some cases this is done to create a lose stitch on the edge to allow seaming the piece. Generally all the stitches are knit and you then turn the work and knit or purl back.
Can you post a link to you pattern or print a few line of the pattern (not the complete pattern because of copy-right) this will give a better idea of what the pattern wants.
Thanks for your reply! I’ve been knitting the last stitch - or trying to - so then all of the stitches have moved from my left needle to my right, but the last stitch doesn’t look like a stitch. It looks like a loose loop and then if I’m not careful the whole thing falls off my needles.
I’m not following a specific pattern. The teacher is having me cast on a row of ten stitches and then knit, purl, or alternate and just keep going until I have a very simple scarf.
I hope this makes sense. I could charge up my camera batteries and try to post pictures tomorrow.
the last stitch often looks looser than the rest of the row. This may be because you have just begun and are not used to the look of the fabric, in which case just knit (or purl) the stitch as a normal first stitch in the row and this will sort itself as you get more practise. the other thing may be that you are knitting a little too loosely and leaving the last stitch too close to the end of the needle. Even tension comes with practise too. To stop it falling off as you change the needles from right hand to left hand in preparation for your next row, push the stitches back a little, then bring them forward as you start to knit the row. Above all - RELAX - persevere,it all becomes easier the more you do, and enjoy the experience. Once you’re hooked it’s amazing how quickly things fall into place! Happy knitting.
After you work the next row, the last loop won’t look as large as it does at the end of the row. So just knit it, turn your work and knit the next row.
I find that often the first or last stitch when I turn looks big. I treat the last/first stitch similar to the stitches where I change from knit to purl or purl to knit. I am very careful to pull the tension on the the two stitches before and after the knit/purl change or end of a row a little tighter than normal.
At the end of a row you have much of the weight of the knitting being held by that last stitch. The turning of the piece and the restart of knitting all plays with the tension of the last stitch and first stitch of the new row. It take the friction of two or three stitches to hold your yarn in place.
Knit the last stitch in the row, turn the piece and insert your needle to start the next row. Pull on the yarn and put some extra tension in the last stitch, knit the first stitch of the row and pull the tension a little tighter. Knit the second stitch of the row and again pull the tension a little tighter than normal. The tension of the third stitch depends on the type of yarn, if it is a slippery yarn put extra tension on the third stitch. Normally after two or three stitches with same extra tension I can go back to normal knitting.
I have found that for me the tendency for bigger stitches at the end of a row or ladders between knits and purls is offset by the extra tension on the two or three stitches before and after these stitches.