New knitter with chart and purl st questions

#1

I just recently started knitting. I have a few questions that I am just struggling with and am about to scratch my whole project over.

  1. My pattern is made up of white and black squares. The white squares are knit and the black purl. The intent is to create an embossed heart. On the key it reads:
    white squares knit RS/ purl WS
    Black squares purl RS/ knit WS

When reading the pattern all the background is white squares and the heart is black squares. The rows are numbered odd on the right of the chart rows and even on the left. So does this mean to knit the odd rows (RS of the pattern) and then purl the odd rows (which would be the WS) and then when I get to the black squares do the opposite depending on the row (if that makes any sense at all)?

  1. When I purl and then try to knit into them on the following row, I am having trouble slipping my needle in. My lead thread as shown in the videos on the site are leaning backwards not forwards like a knit stitch. Should they be forward like a knit stitch when I flip my work to knit into them? I am not sure I am making sense. Right now, I purled a row and when I flipped my work to do the knit row, I am having ALOT of trouble slipping my needle in to knit. I thought my st were just tight, but they really aren’t. So do I need to go thrrough and turn my stitches like the videos show for twisted stitches? Or should I frog that row back to the knit row and repurl correctly?

  2. I was bad and didn’t gauge my yarn and needles before starting my project. I am using worsted weight yarn and size 10 needles. However, the blanket is NOT as wide as the pattern suggests. Would swatching with the same yarn and a smaller needle help correct this? I am not sure if I need a larger needle or smaller needle to correct the size.

I know this is alot of questions. I am very sorry. I am very very new to knitting (only been knitting for 10 days now) and am self teaching.

Thanks to whoever helps me out!

Kimberly

#2

You’re doing great.

  1. Yes, you understand how to use the chart correctly. Your explanation is right.

  2. You’re twisting your purl stitches. Look at the combined knitting video. You can either learn to purl without twisting (by wrapping the yarn in the other direction) or you can learn to knit through the back loop to give them a twist back (thus ending up straight).

  3. A different gauge needle is the cure. Larger needles make wider cloth out of the same number of stitches. Since it’s a blanket, you probably don’t need to worry about fixing it now, but be careful to check your gauge when starting a project where size matters.