More sts than I started with

Hey All,
Just started a scarf, casted on 36 stitches. Just finished my 5th row (now the pattern begins). I just did a recount and I now have 39 stitches. I’m brand new so I can’t even see where I went wrong.

Do I need to frog or how can I remedy this?

Regards,
Snowball :snowflake:

Could you post a photo of your work? There are different ways of increasing stitches unintentionally. Do you see holes (accidental yarn over) or maybe there is a place on the edge where you can see it got wider. You might be able to work some decreases to get back to the correct stitch count but the results might not be what you want.

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Hope this picture is clear enough for you to get the info you need.

Also here is a link to a thread I had previously with my pattern at the top.

Yes, 5 rows garter, then next row is then row 1 k across.

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Hey thanks for the reply. I understand the pattern now, the original question on this thread was regarding if anything can be done about the fact that my CO row was 36 sts and now after 5 rows its at 39 sts

The video that GG linked to has some good suggestions. It may help to look at the columns of sts and make sure that you can trace a column up from row 1. The column may split in two where you’ve inadvertently added a stitch. Also the ends are common places to add sts.
In looking at you’re knitting, I only see a couple of extra sts but that may just be the photo. The yarn has a couple of plies so avoid splitting plies when counting or knitting.


There may be an extra stitch or an incomplete stitch at the blue dots. Knit over to that stitch and see if you can figure out what has happened there. The red dot shows where 2 plies may have split but should be counted as one stitch.
The pattern repeat shifts so it’s not so easy to add in markers after one or two repeats. What you could do it add in markers every 5 or 10sts. That way when you count sts it’ll be easier to see where there’s an extra or a missing stitch.

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That answer took longer to work out. I wanted an easy start so I answered the second pattern question first. :smirk:

Stitches will line up in columns. Knits look like V and Purls look like humps ^.

But the back of a knit looks like a purl and the back of a purl looks like a knit.

I have tried to dot the arches of the purls (which indicates the stitch was knit on the other side, or previous row).
We want the site to line up in columns.

Circled are areas where the yarn is too shaggy to read in the image. But are likely increases.

To fix an unintended increase just slip stitches to the left out to the right until the needles meet over the troubled column, then ladder down to the mistake and fix it. (See video)

Ladder down video:

Fixing border or edge stitches:

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Sometimes we accidentally keep the old stitch in addition to the new stitch. Be sure when you have made the new stitch that the old one comes off the left needle and not accidentally slipped into the right needle. This would make 2 stitches and it is so easy to just knit both on the next row that they become difficult to find for a new knitter.

Another place to watch out is at the beginning of a row. If you draw the yarn up over the needle before making the first knit I can look relatively normal but actually exposes 2 legs of a stitch looking like 2 stitches. Be careful to draw the yarn forward ahd down where it is attached to the first stitch before then moving it into position to knit.

For what it’s worth, for a brand new knitter I would just say knit 2 stitches together in a couple of places to reduce the stitch count. It won’t be perfect though so it is really down to your own decision whether to fully fix or patch up before continuing.

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Hey thanks I appreciate the videos they were quite helpful.

That technique is a little beyond me and I don’t have smaller needles or a supply store close by to get any. For now I’m going to start the scarf over and take my time. Hopefully catch the mistakes early enough to do something about it at the skill level I am at lol :laughing:

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Good luck with the next go.

When we undo all our knitting we call it “frogging”

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Because you “rip it, rip it” good!

Hmm, I think I mixed it with another audio memory there. :smirk:

Now I’m craving a Devo song. Whip it!
:rofl:

If you know, you know.

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