My stockinette is not v's

#1

I found a pic on the internet to illustrate what I mean:

I don’t know if it’s just the yarn I am using or the angle or what, but my stockinette is looking more like a very even straight line, then diagonal line than a V. I like the way this looks, but is this OK or would someone look at the baby blanket I am making and go “AMATEUR!”

Maybe it’s just the way my eyeballs are seeing this.

I am making the Debbie Bliss Baby Shawl, size 7 needles, Caron Simply Soft in Country Blue.

#2

It’s possible you’re twisting the sts. Do you wrap the yarn around the needle the same direction purling as knitting? When you go to make a knit stitch is the leading leg of your stitch in front or behind the left needle?

#3

Here is a better picture, mine is more even than the first one and more like this:
http://i.ehow.com/images/GlobalPhoto/Articles/2113291/P10100011-main_Full.jpg

I knit continental, and exactly like the video on here shows. Now that I look at it more it might be more of the angle I am looking at it. I never really noticed it before, but with this blanket & this yarn it really looks more like
l/
l/
l/
l/

and not
V
V
V
V

#4

It could be the yarn biasing, but I never heard of SS doing that. You might try handwashing what you have, or a swatch, and see if it still looks that way afterward.

#5

Could it be caused by a difference in tension between purl and knit stitches?

Does it look that way when you knit in the round?

#6

I don’t think it’s you – I think it’s the way the yarn is plied. Check out this article:

http://www.knitty.com/issuefall05/FEATwhyply.html

#7

I had that happen to me too. It was aPeurvian yarn from Little Knits. I thought it was rather attractive.

#8

I think it is the yarn too.

#9

My experience is that different yarns have a different “look”. The more twisted the yarn is the less of a V you will get.

I use alot of Berroco Pure Merino and it looks like
l/
l/
l/

a less twisted yarn looks like:
/
/
/

But if you pull the stitch apart you will see the distinctive ladder.

I actually think the stitch definition is nice with the l/l/l/l look.

I did a Wallaby with Cascade 220 and one with Berroco Pure Merino and there was an amazing difference in the way the stitches look, but both were nice.

#10

THe chemo cap that I sent for Mason’s mom did that. I thought it was a fluke from knitting in the round or something. I kind of liked it but didn’t know why it happened.

#11

vote here for the yarn as well…I have had it happen to me once…and never again…(and funny…I haven’t used that wool again!)

#12

Very interesting about the yarn twist making a difference. I love it when I learn something new

#13

I used Debbie Bliss’ Rialto. I have more of it. I need to make something and see if it happens again.

#14

a HA! Maybe that is it! Mine looks exactly like that!

I had never noticed this happening in my knitting before, either straight or in the round so it looked strange to me. I looked at other pics of this blanket in Ravelry, and on the pattern pics themselves in the book and lo & behold- many look like mine!

I do think it’s very pretty though.

#15

That link really explains what I wondered about from time to time as I knit.

#16

That makes sense because Rialto is not plied at all.

#17

Usually you don’t get the bias plying with a mass market acrylic though, but it could be.

#18

I don’t know whether it’s my eyesight, or some mental “quirk” - but I’ve never ‘seen’ the ‘v’ in knitting. to me they look like upside down U’s.

#19

I have had this happen to me sometimes too. I always figured it was the ply of the yarn as I knew I wasn’t twisting my stitches and it didn’t always happen. Very interesting article from Knitty!

You’re not alone Renee!

#20

That’s true, they are more upside down Us though if you pull on the item they become more V like. It depends on the gauge you knit at too I think. Tighter gauges crowd the sts more and they turn out like Vs.