Help with knitting with circular needles

Hi Everyone!

I was wondering if someone might be able to help:

I’m currently knitting the wool and the gang rows sweater & keep getting stuck with the most basic thing (please don’t judge me!!)

https://www.woolandthegang.com/en/products/rows-sweater-kit

It’s kitted with circular needles, but in flat parts, if that makes sense. The main type of stitch used has a clear front and back side.

The issue that I’m having is that when i finish the ribbing at the bottom and move on to that stitch, I get a few rows in and notice that I’m knitting on the back side- I can’t seem to figure out which way to start a row so I consciously know that I’m knitting on the front.

I hope that makes sense - any help would be MASSIVLY appreciated as I’ve restarted it 3 times now and I’m loosing my mind.

Thanks so much,
Nisha xx

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Welcome to KH!
No worries, we are a non-judgy space.
Are you knitting this in the round above the ribbing or as separate front and back? In the round you would always be knitting on the outside or RS. Knitting as separate pieces, you are alternating RS and WS rows. I’m just not sure which way you’re knitting this although it sounds like you’re making separate pieces for front and back.

It may help to place a marker on the RS once the rib is finished and then make sure that you always start the knit rows on the side with that marker facing. (Usually the rib can be designated either RS or WS.)
Just in case you’re knitting in the round starting at the bottom of the sweater, the RS should always be facing unless you’ve flipped the knitting inside out. It’s ok if you like knitting inside out but you just need to be awate of it.

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Hello
In addition to placing a marker on the right side of the work you can also pause just before starting a row and check what the stitches look like. All the stitches on the front (or right side of the fabric) look like V and all the stitches on the back (or wrong side of the fabric) look like bumps or lines across - or ~
As you get a few rows you should also see that the wrong side has the floats of different colours stranded across the back of the stitches. The right side will never have these floats and will look ‘cleaner’.
I think making sure you pause when you turn the work is the key.
As you are working with different colours you might also find it useful to turn your work around in alternating directions as this helps prevent so many tangles in the balls of yarn. When I do colour work I stop at the end of the row and check which I am turning. If I just worked a right side I turn my work clockwise (the right way for a clock to turn) if I have just worked a wrong side row I turn anti-clockwise (the wrong way for a clock to turn). I find I don’t need to move my balls because they twist when going one way but untwist when going the other.

I may have given you more than you wanted there but part of the reason I added the turning tip is because it makes me pause and check and it might help you remember to pause and check too.

The only difference working flat on a circular needle vs two needles is that the tips are connected. As long as you remember to turn and don’t inadvertently start working in the round (yeah, I’ve done that) you should be able to use a marker on the right side (already suggested) until the pattern of colors is easy to see. I like the colorwork on your pattern. Is it stranded? It looks like it would be to me. If it’s stranded I’d be working out how to do it in the round, but that’s me. I don’t like working the WS on stranded colorwork.

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Hi Everyone,

I can’t thank you enough for all your thoughtful replies. I took them on board & thought things would be plain sailing - but I have now fully lost the plot :smile:

I was wondering if including some pictures might help. I’ve included the pattern below- I’ve done steps 1-3, and then when I get to step 4 everything goes a bit wrong. It feels like I’m knitting on the wrong side still, but I’m not turning the work incorrectly. I thought this might be a trust the process situation, so I continued for multiple rows, but it still doesn’t look correct.

Sorry for being so basic, I’m sure there’s a really simple solution to this - any expertise would be so appreciated!

Thanks,
Nisha x

Pattern:

Right side

Wrong side

Weird thing that happens when I start step 4 in thr pattern

OK, that helps. Row 3 is a right side (RS) row. The row ends with a k1. The knit Vs are facing you. It may help to place a marker or a loop of contrasting yarn to mark this side.
After you turn, Row 4 is the wrong side (WS) row. It begins with a p1. You’re going to be slipping the same stitch that was slipped on row 3 once again.
The slipped sts should be grey, the knit (row 3) or purled sts (row 4) are white (color B).

I can’t really see what’s happening on Row 4 in your photo. Can you show us a photo from the front as you work some sts of row 4?

Thanks so much for replying,

Here’s another picture of row 4:

It seems like I’m doing the right thing (everything you’ve said above I’ve done), but the stitch just doesn’t look right.

Thanks again,
Nisha x

This is a view from the back. I think I can see the grey slip stitches between the white purls. You might check the row from the front and see if you can see white Vs alternating with grey slip stitches.
It also may be worth putting in a lifeline on row 3 just in case you need it.