Messed up ribbing!

#1

I’m a semi-newbie who has mastered the knitting and purling separately and can’t seem to do them together. By that, I mean I can’t seem to rib for the life of me.

I followed the video on the site to a T… no luck. My k2p2 ribbing was messy with stitches crossed over and no sense of any ribbing anywhere. I’m not sure what I’m doing wrong considering to me it looks like I’m doing exactly what the video is telling me to do… only it looks nowhere near as nice as the project on the vid.

I’ve got Red Heart worsted yarn and 9 mm bamboo straight needles, if that matters at all.

What could I be doing wrong that would make my stitches as atrocious as they are?

#2

Well it could be a tension problem. It takes time and practice to maintain an even tension in your knitting. If that’s all it is, cut yourself some slack aand just keep knitting.

If it’s something else, perhaps a picture would help to see what it may be.

#3

Hiya Jadee n welcome to the fun factory,
K, when you are doing the transition between the k stitches and the purl stitches are you bringing the yarn to the correct side between the needles?
As in, knit stitches, the yarn needs to be in the back and for purl stitches the yarn needs to be in the front. In between those you have to bring the yarn to the correct side so you don’t get that nasty looking aggravating knot thingee on top of your needle.
Also, another thing you might consider too, is that ribbing doesn’t establish itself for a few rows anyway, you would have to knit for about 1.5 to 2 inches for it to start pulling together like it should (the needle keeps it stretched out, so it doesn’t look right). Just keep on keepin on and you’ll get it. And before you know it you’ll be teaching someone who is having the exact same problem and you’ll know how to fix it.:thumbsup:

1 Like
#4

Yes, the other posters gave good points. Here’s another one that helps me.

Are you sure that you’re knitting when you should be knitting and purling when you should be purling? Some get all tangled up in the techs of if it’s the right or wrong side or with the numbers/stitch counts. I just read the fabric. If I want the smooth knit V, then I knit. If I want the purl bump, then I purl. No worries.

Hope this helps.

#5

Aaaaaand… when you move the yarn from front to back and front, make sure you bring it [B]between [/B]the needle tips not over them.

#6

The first time I did my ribbing, I forgot to change the yarn’s position. Now I no better. Even if I forgot to do it, I realize my mistake when I am about to knit the next stitch.

#7

Another quickie tip for you. If you end a row with the purl stitch, your next row should start with a knit stitch, and vice versa, if you end with a knit stitch your next row should begin with a purl stitch. That is how you keep your continuity with the ribbing.

#8

>I love to give homemade gifts… which one of my kids do you want?<

HAA HAAA :roflhard:

A friend at church told me that grandchildren are your reward for not killing your children when they were teenagers. [U]They owe me[/U]!!

Have a great year.

#9

How many stitches do you have cast on? If you are doing a K2,P2 ribbing you need to be able to divide total stitches by 4. If a K1,P1 then divide by 2 etc. If you count your stitches every row for a couple of rows, then you should have ribbing established and then can look at knitting to make sure your knit and purl stitches are lining up.

#10

Just to re-state what the others have said, just remember to move your yarn between the needles when switching from K to P or P to K.

also,

are you sure they’re 9mm needles? because that would mean your using needles that are WAY to big for the yarn you’ve chosen. 9mm needles = a US 13, and for a worsted weight yarn you’ll want to use a needle around a US 7 (4.5mm), 8 (5mm) or 9 (5.5mm). Using needles too big would result in a very loose, airy, open fabric, which can really distort any design you might be trying.