I have a pattern for a dish cloth and it calls for #8 needles and I have #7 needles. It calls to cast on 33 stitches. I know I’ll need to do a few more to stitch to the right length. Do I just keep an odd number of stitches? or should I do a multiple of some number? How does this work? The pattern has some “holes” in it so I didn’t know if I needed a certain multiple…
I've been knitting for 10 minutes and I need help! LOL
Do you have a link to the pattern? Don’t post the whole thing here cuz that breaks copyright. But if you have a link to it so that we can see it we can answer that question. Different patterns will require different multiples of stitches. So it will make all the difference.
Honesly though, the difference between an 8 and a 7 isn’t enough that I wouldn’t really bother with changing the pattern. But thats up to you.
http://www.coatsandclark.com/Crafts/Knitting/Projects/HomeDec/SB149-002+Knit+Dish+Cloth.htm
Maybe I’m just knitting really tight stitches?
From what I can see you will have to add on stitches in mulitples of 2. So you could use 35, 37, 38 and so on. But it has to be a cast on of a multiple of 2 + 1 extra stitch for the initial knit 1.
trvvn5 is right any odd number (I think he meant to write 35, 37, 39) will work. The cloth is supposed to end up 8 1/4" square if you get their exact gauge. But it doesn’t matter that much. You may be knitting tightly, a lot of beginners do. If you are you may not get the same gauge they did even with the needles they recommend. Just use a few more stitches and it will make a nice dish cloth no matter the exact size. It is likely that your gauge will change some with practice.
That shuld work out, your cloth will come out just a little bit smaller, but not enough to matter probably. If you’re knitting tight, make sure you’re not twisting the stitches somehow; that makes them tighter.
A lot of people do knit tightly when they start. It doesn’t mean anything’s wrong. Bigger needles might help, but I wouldn’t go buy more just for one project; after all, it’s a dishcloth, and the knitting police aren’t allowed to climb in the sink and measure it. :teehee:
If you add stitches in pairs, you can make that pattern as wide as you want. (If that’s wrong, somebody fix it. I’m fogged out from this cold tonight!) Once you knit for a while, you may find you don’t knit as tightly, or you may find that you do. As long as you’re happy with it, it’s not a problem. When you get to projects that have to be on gauge, you’ll know to use a slightly larger needle, that’s all. By then you’ll know what kind of needles you like best and what set of interchangeables or fixed circs to put on your gift list 
Happy knitting!
10 minutes and you haven’t perfected your technique yet? :fingerwag:
:teehee::teehee::teehee: Hang in there.
10 minutes and you haven’t perfected your technique yet?
Yea! Really! Whats wrong with you???:roflhard:
This looks like a great pattern for a beginner. Size 7 needles will work fine, and casting on any odd number will also work. You don’t need the 1 extra stitch that someone up above mentioned though. That will throw off your pattern.
Gauge for a dishcloth really doesn’t matter because it doesn’t have to fit properly, like a sweater or a pair of socks.
If you find your cast on stitches to be too tight, you can always cast on over two needles, then pull one needle out before starting the first row.
Good luck with this project and be sure to post a picture when it’s finished!
MGM
That is a great pattern for a beginner!
You’re new to knitting, you’re nervous, and you’re probably pulling your knitting tighter than a bull dog with a ball of yarn to play with. Relax, you will finish this and move on to the next thing and pretty soon, you will truly relax while you are knitting, knit without looking and coming here to give US advice.
Just knit for now. Knit and enjoy and then move on to the next project, and there always is a “next project”. My list is currently 5 single spaces pages long with very narrow margins. :happydance: