I have been trying to do practice washcloths a few more times before working with the nice new yarn I bought but I have been doing the Purl stitch and it just does not look right.
I am trying to K4 P4 and it looks like a mess. I’m pulling the yarn through so I assume I am doing it right (following videos here) but it comes out looking like a lumpy, tangled mess in my first row. Is this because I am trying to mix Knit and Purl, or is it because I am doing Purl wrong?
And, am I supposed to slip the first stitch so it starts as K3 P4? I REALLY need to know. >_<
Also, when I am casting on I always end up with my first (using long-tail cast on) so I always end up with an odd number of stitches. If I try to pull one then I lose the one behind it as well and I still have an odd number. So, should I have 32 cast on motions and more than 32 STS, or do I need 32 loops?
I am making this washcloth:
[I]Cast on 32 stitches
Row 1: Knit 4, purl 4, repeat between *s to end of row.
Row 2: Repeat row 1.
Row 3: Purl 4, knit 4, repeat between *s to end of row.
Row 4: Repeat row 3.
Repeat rows 1 - 4 until cloth is the desired size.
[/I]
What cast on are you using?
You can slip the first stitch or not as you choose.
Long Tail Cast On.
So, if I don’t slip the first stitch I can still have straight edges?
I read that the best way to knit is always to slip the first stitch as if to Purl, and then always Knit the last stitch no matter what you are doing.
So, in a pattern like this should I skip the rule and slip stitch and just do what it says word for word? What about other patterns, should I skip it too?
It may be that you need to do several rows to see a nice pattern. One of the tricks, if you are doing the knits and purls according to the videos is to bring the yarn to the front to purl (or to the back to knit) [I]between[/I] the tips of the needles, not over the needles. This video is similar to your pattern although the stitch numbers are different.
You can slip the first stitch if you’d like and then yes, k3, p4 for the first repeat. If you don’t slip the first stitch then just k4, p4.
You can end the long tail cast on with however many sts you need, an odd or an even number. For your dishcloth pattern, you need 32 loops over the needle.
How do I get 32 loops? I always end up with 33. 
Do you start with a slip knot? Count that as one loop. Then repeat the long tail method 31 times. Long tail cast on gives you one stitch cast on at a time so you can stop at whatever number you need.
But… My long tail cast on always gives me 3 loops. I don’t tie a knot, I just go over my fingers the way you cast on normally. I was told I did not have to make a slip knot and go from there?
When I think I’m done casting on I always count. When you have the correct count, then you start knitting.
I don’t know what you mean by “normally” but when you count the loops on the needle you need to have the number you need for the CO.
ETA Do you mean that every time you work the cast on you make 3 loops? That’s not the way it should be. Did you learn from a video and if so which one? You can start with a slip knot, I don’t but there’s nothing wrong with using a slip knot to start.
I just mean casting on without tying the knot. I tried both, but either way with the knot or without I end up with 2+1 or 3 stitches, and every cast on after that creates 2 loops. So, no matter what, I end up with an odd number.
That’s my problem.
EDIT:
Oh wow. I went back to watch the beginner video here to check the cast on and realized I was not going up through my thumb loop correctly. I seemed to have invented a cast on with 3 sts hahaha. I got it now. 
I’m glad you figured it out. 
That is sooooooo frustrating. :gah:
No wonder I was confusing everyone! I think I was going under the thumb loop and still pulling through, which meant I would get 3 loops when I cast on without a slip sknot, and then every one that followed came in 2 loops at once.
Also, thanks so much Salmonac! I did not know I should move my yarn to the front to Purl, I was struggling to keep it at the back and even though I could pull it through it was such a messy tangle.
I began a washcloth and adjusted for what was said here and it was very easy and looks nice! I am so glad I can do both stitches, I thought I was just really bad at Purl no matter what I tried. :woot:
I’m delighted! We’d love to see the dishcloth if you’d like to post a photo. Congrats on perfecting so many techniques at once. A great success.
You now have the important basics: Cast on, knit and purl. The rest is building on the basics or improving your technique and practice, practice, practice. Good for you!
I knit so quickly now, I will likely finish this cloth tonight and I will take a picture once it is finished. My first one ended in a ruler-straight edge, I was so proud of myself! Everyone I’ve shown says the stitches are so neat they did not believe it was my first finished project.
I want to practice a bunch before diving in to the new yarn and beginning my cowl/infinity scarf. Very exciting!
I’ll post a picture later!
Hmmmm.
I get to the 4th or 5th row and I have an extra stitch. I am being very careful to pull the yarn in front and behind depending on the stitch so I don’t think it is that.
I am slipping the first stitch (as if to purl) and ending the last stitch as knit, just to see how the edges look.
I was counting my stitches each time I finished a row and all of a sudden I have one extra and no idea how it got there.
An extra st and where did it come from? It happens. I was trying to run one down last night. Can you locate where it first appears?
It was somewhere near the middle of the row.
What do I do with it? Just keep knitting? Try to drop it and correct the stitches?
You could rip it back to where you picked up the extra stitch. This would actually be good practice, you will need to do again.
How to re-insert your needle
Unraveling and Re-inserting Your Needle
Or you could knit or purl 2 together (k2tog or p2tog, both are decreases) in a row above. It depends on what you want to do. Videos for the the decreases and the ones I linked to are under the Free Videos tab.
That is sooooooo frustrating. :gah: