In other words, when you get all of your working yarn on the opposite hand your first row of doing the knit stitch (for basic washcloth), do you do you switch your needles before starting your second row starting as you did knitting the first row… and so on? Also, when you finish knitting each row, is there anything that you have to do to finish the row or just do the basic knit stitch at the end and start 2nd row? I am a beginner and would like to do my first dishcloth tonight. I really am excited to learn this craft. It seems when i get to the end of my row, the last stitch is loose and with a little tug on the working string, it unravels. Thats why im thinking im missing a step at the end of each row. Thanks to everyone who helped.
Hello! When you start knitting, the needle with the stitches on it should always be in your left hand, so when you’re done knitting one row, the needle that originally had no stitches now has all of the stitches on it. You switch that needle back to your left hand and start over.
If you’re knitting garter stitch, meaning every row is knitted, then the last stitch should be knitted, too. The last stitch of my rows are usually a little loose, too, so maybe someone else can give us some advice on how to fix that! I don’t, however, have the problem where the last stitch unravels, so it sounds like you’re doing something wrong there.
Most people do switch the needles so the one with the sts is in the other hand. But some knit ‘backwards’ and don’t turn the needles. Since you’re learning, just turn the needle, put it in the other hand and work the 2nd row. I don’t know why your last st comes off the needle when you pull the yarn unless it’s too close to the tip. The sts should be up on the straight part of the needle, not the taper.
To help tighten up the end sts, when you start a new row, knit the first st, then pull the yarn gently, and knit the next couple sts a little tighter. Tugging the yarn helps take up the slack in the last stitch which is right below the first st and connected to it.
I think what i am noticing is that i am taking the last stitch off the needle to see if it comes appart when i pull it, because thats what ive been doing when i practice (i would do a row of cast on/knit stitch and see how it looks, then take off the yarn from the needle and pull it to unravel it. Does that sound normal. Thanks for answering all my questions. It really helped me. I think i am now going to attempt to make a dishcloth. Hehe!
Off course when you take a stitch off the needle and pull the yarn, it unravels it. Any of the sts taken off the needle and the yarn pulled will unravel them. When you get to the end of your piece, you bind off the sts, pulling one over another and taking the tail of your yarn through the last st so they don’t unravel then. But while you’re knitting them, there isn’t anything to stop them.