Hi, so I have been having this problem every time I’ve tried knitting within the past couple of months but something is very wrong with like my cast on and then the first row thing. I do not really know how to explain it but I’ve tried to google what I was doing wrong and I could not find the issue I was having. Basically when I cast on it looks not how it is supposed to and then when I do the first row to the other needle the yarn doesn’t really stay it curves around the needle sort of.
Cast On Issue
Welcome to KH. What cast on are you using? There are a number of different ways to cast on. A picture of yours would be helpful if you can share one. Sometimes the best solution is doing a different cast on.
It is quite normal for the first few rows to kind of twist around the needle, that’s why if you knit in the round it’s really important to straighten out the cast in row before joining in the round to make sure there is no permanent twist. When knitting back and forth (flat, on straight needles) the stitches will likely needle to be straightened up before knitting the first row, or even a few rows. The knit side and purl side have different tensions so the fabric and stitches naturally pull up on one side. Once you get going it shouldn’t be an issue any more.
I agree with GG there are lots of different types of cast on, perhaps the one you’re using isn’t the best. I’ve sen videos where a cast on can cause long gaps between stitches and long sections of excess yarn between stitches. You don’t want that at all and need to either change the way you perform that cast on or choose another type.
I love cable cast on it’s a pretty and strong edge and easy to get each stitch the same size. I also love the Icelandic cast on as it’s so decorative and looks beautiful next to a purl row or garter stitch section, it’s also stretchy so good for clothing edges, but it is more complicated to produce and there is a variability in the tension which requires more care or the stitches can come out uneven.
I don’t know exactly what it’s called but when I was taught it I was told that it’s the easiest one for beginners. Since having this problem I have tried two other cast on methods but the same problem ended up occurring.
Have you tried continuing to knit a further 10rows or so? The cast on looks quite nice.
It looks good to me too.
Really? I know for a fact it’s not supposed to be like that, the first photo was taken after I finished the first row and it’s very wide and strange looking. And when I try to make more rows it gets even worse.
Is this the cast on you used? It’s notorious for causing problems. I might manage to use it and be OK with the results (I’ve only been knitting about 11 years now) but unless I have a very good reason I won’t bother. I use a knitted or cable cast on for adding stitches at the end of a row and almost always use some version of a long tail cast on for starting a project.
I agree with the others, your cast on looks good.
Uve been trying to work out what it is you mean by it being “wide” and “curving around the needle”.
By “wide” do you mean that the first row of stitches appear to be farther from the cast on edgenthan you expect and not sitting down in that edge? Like they are too high up the needle?
This is normal for every row. Stitches aren’t produced exactly evenly on the needle but rather pulled up but it’s generally resolved by knitting more rows. Once the cast on andnfirst couple of rows move further from the needle (by knitting more rows) they relax into a flatter fabric.
Giving the fabric a bit of a tug can help with how it looks initially and often knitters give fabric a bit of a move about between rows just straightening things up.
In the 3rd phot, is this where it is curving around the needle?
This looks normal. Cast on rows do tend to twist in a spiral around the needle due to the tension in the yarn. Just straighten it before you knit the next row. This usually resolves after a few rows.
Different stitches have different tensions. Some fabrics will lie flatter, some curl, but pretty much all cast on rows twist around the needle and need straightening up.
Noo that’s not the one I used but after having problems with the method I use to cast on I did TRY that one and that same problem happened with that one. I really don’t know what is going wrong and I don’t know how to properly explain it. At first I though my problem could be solved adding a few more rows but at some point I literally could not add more because it was s messed up it didn’t even work.
Can you knit a few more rows (all knit stitch or alternate knit and purl rows are fine) and show us what is happening then?
The cast on is clearly giving you loops over the needle so no matter what it looks like, the following rows should be fine. Could it be that stockinette stitch (knit one row, purl one row) is curling? It does tend to do that although there are ways to lessen that problem.
Maybe it is how you work the first row after the cast on?
Are you doing something like slipping the first or last stitch of the row when you knit? This is how some people are taught and it is not wrong at all but if you get mixed up and slip both the first and last stitch you’ll end up in a bit of a pickle.
Posting a photo of several rows where it’s gone wrong is a great idea, you’ll be amazed at the help available here.
Okay so the first photo is while I was in the process of transferring the yarn onto the other needle, the second photo is when the yarn was entirely onto the second needle, and the third photo is after I added two more rows.
It looks like you’re not finishing out the row but turning mid-row. In the first photo, you can see more rows on the right needle than on the left. Keep knitting to the end of the row, all 18-20 stitches unless your pattern instructs you to turn and work back over the stitches just knit.
The knitting looks generally good but keep going over all the sts.
This looks okay to me.
There is a stitch about 8 along that looks a little different but that could just be that I can’t see it well as it’s dark and it could just be sitting a little differently on the needle. Or possibly you slipped that stitch rather than knit it. If you are new to knitting it’s normal to have a little mistake, even experienced knitters make the odd mistake here and there.
The first photo, the ‘ridge’ on the right needle has positioned itself to the right as you’ve been working, this is normal for first and early rows. Just twist the needle around so it’s sitting to the left or gently move the stitches in the needle. Perhaps you did this anyway as you’ve managed to knit the row.
In the 2nd and 3rd photo the working yarn is leading off to the left which pulls the last stitch up. If that yarn is pulled left when you begin the next row it can look like 2 stitches there and there is a chance of accidentally working into both of those legs creating more stitches. It’s normal for the yarn to sit that wsy on the last stitch, just make sure you bring it forward and down before starting the next row. When in the right position you’ll see only 1 stitch created on the needle by the working yarn, currently it’s just a little twisted around the needle (that little twist is normal too, just straighten things up before the next row).
The more you work the better the stitches sit on the needle. Why dont you try 20 rows and post another photo?
There’s a chance others may spot something I’ve missed of course but so far i think you’re on track.
I am definitely finishing the row, the first photo was just to show how it started looking as I was transferring it to the other needle, after I took the photo I finished the row.
I tried fixing the yarn from twisting around the needle but the same problem keeps happening and it just doesn’t even get better at this point. I knit a lot and this never used to happen and then all of a sudden I had this problem one day and haven’t been able to knit normally since then and it is quite frustrating.
OK, that’s good that you’re finishing the row. I’d still say keep knitting about 5 more rows and see if the knitting straightens out. Make sure that the row of bumps from the previous row is lined up on the left needle. I know this is frustrating but we’ll get to the solution, I’m sure.
GUYS I SOLVED MY PROBLEM. to be honest, i don’t know what i did i stopped knitting for a while because i was just really frustrated but then next time i tried again it was fine and it worked!
That’s good to hear. Good for you for going back to it. Sometimes stepping away lets our brains work on the problem or technique in the background.
Glad that you’re on track now but if you have a comment or question in the future, don’t hesitate to come back.