ok, this may seem very silly to some, but does anyone have any clever/easy way to count the rows already knitted?? i have a huge problem, I’m ALWAYS loosing track of where i am in the pattern, and tend to more or not enough rows, making my piece completely wrong…
thanks ahead!!
Here’s what I do… I always keep a pad and pen near when I am knitting. At the start of the pattern I write down the rows I have to knit, eg. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5. When I have knit that row, I cross it off. It keeps things organized and no matter when you come back to your kntting, you always know where you are.
Also you can buy a “row counter” which you change after each row you have knit. This has the same effect as the pad and pen, without lugging around a pad and pen. Nowadays they even have electronic row counters so all you have to do it touch a button and the machine keeps track of your rows for you!
Welcome to KH and good luck!
Ditto - I always have pen and paper next to me when knitting to track my progress.
I have done this over and over myself, very fustrating. I will right the row number that I just finished. One other thing on mine. On odd numbers, the side that is on the left needle and facing me, while i start my new row, is the right side. The even numbers are when the wrong side is facing me.
It depends on the complexity of the pattern, but for the most part, I’ve found that learning to read my knitting is the easiest for me. If I’m knitting along, I’ll turn and go on to the next row without even thinking about marking anything. Periodically I’ll stop and count the rows since my last landmark (a cable twist, an inc/dec, pattern stitch change, etc.), double check my pattern and calculate how many more rows I have to do in pattern.
For instance the piece I’m working on now, required 14 rows of 2x2 ribbing then a dec then 12 rows of 2x1 ribbing then an inc then another 14 rows of 2x2, another inc, 15 rows of stockinette then more inc. Since I can easily see the inc and dec rows, I can count from those points to see when I have to switch to the next part of the pattern. Same for my cable pattern, I know that I have to twist the cables on every 6th row, so I find the last cable twist, count the rows since and I know where the next one goes.
HTH
I find I always misplace my paper so I use these:
It’s a bracelet that is used like an abbius on your wrist. If you look you’ll see a small ring of beads on the upper left of the bracelet that fits over both bracelet wires. As I finish a row I push one of the smaller strung beads, on this particular bracelet I use the blue ones, to signify one complete row. Once I have nine rows done I replace the blue beads with one of the brown ones, signifying 10 complete rows. I can count up to 99 rows on the bracelet.
Some one said the used small candies like M&Ms to count rows. If they needed to do 10 rows they laid out 10 M&Ms and ate one after each row :teehee:
I like this idea! 'Course, it won’t do a darned thing for my diet, but oh well. If I’ve gotta sacrifice for the knitting, so be it.
my daughter uses her sons match book cars !! I use a counter & am trying to make an abacas bracelet!
oh thx newbie2knitting!! good idea! i will make one!
If the pattern says to knit for so many inches and doesn’t specify rows, do you place the ruler on the top side of the needle, or the bottom?
I think just under the needle so that the needle is not included. (I read that somewhere)
A row counter is quick and easy to use -
http://www.yarn-store.com/row-counters.html
I use the small cylindrical styles that simply push along to the end of your needle. Each time you complete a row, increase the number on the counter.
yup, the stitches on the needle haven’t been knit yet, so shouldn’t be measured
I use a row counter and i love it. I’ve been using a pen and paper for years so it is really nice to not have to bother with that anymore. ANd i do like someone said earlier that you know your right side is a odd number row and vise versa so if you think you may have forgotten to write down your row or turn your counter you can always double check.