Kind of a dumb stitch marker question

#1

I guess I’m just a super-tight knitter…

…but every time I use a stitch marker, I wind up with a whole column of gaps where it was. Like, if I’m knitting in the round, every time I come to the marker, that stitch is much looser than the rest of my piece.

What happens in the finished work is a whole column (a vertical stripe) of one loose stitch, which is very noticeable when the item is stretched - whatever’s underneath shows through there.

Can I fix stuff that this has already happened to? And is there a way to prevent it in the future?

Should I just train myself to knit more loosely?

Thank you so much for your answers!!!

#2

You can use another type of marker, a piece of yarn or thread. It will probably even out when you wash or block the item. Don’t try to make your sts tighter where the marker is, that will make it worse. And yes, you can try to knit a little looser, it can be hard on your hands. One thing that some knitters do is pull the yarn after they make a stitch and that’s not necessary, doing the next st tightens up the previous one. Even stitches come from washing or blocking when finished, not knitting tight.